Impersonating a nurse

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So I'm a new grad vn (taking nclex 4/2) I decided to go back to medical assisting in the mean time since jobs are hard to come by for new vn's. So I landed a job at a Urgent care and didn't tell them I was a new grad because they wouldn't have hired me. On my first day they introduced me to the head nurse and then she took me to nurse's station and I met the rest of the nurses at least that's what they called themselves, I asked them "Are u lvns or rns?" And they replied "we're ma's" I was shocked they even had business cards that said nurses they tried to give me some to give my pts in case they needed to call me, that's not even the worst of it even the docs says "my nurse" this is a huge practice 10 + docs and not 1 licensed nurse. These ma's are giving Demerol and I.V's I really don't know what to do, who can I anonymously report this to?

1) Collect all of those business cards as evidence. This is crucial.

2) Scan a copy with all of the cards on the flat scanner and save as .jpg

4) email it to BON with your report.

5) Realize that you DO have a duty to report this, and as the RN and manager of care your practicing in this environment constitutes your condoning of it. Only by reporting of this can you save yourself. Call the BON now, you've uncovered "ILLEGAL PRACTICE OF REGISTERED NURSING" and you can't put up with it for too long before you can be considered complicit in it.

6) Keep a record of quotes with time/date and any witnesses if you have any. This is evidence. however:

- surreptitious recordings are generally not admissable as evidence but couldn't hurt -

-just don't get caught or play stupid if your "voice recorder got turned on in your pocket"

7) Save up evidence for a little while until you have a solid case and then consult with either a lawyer, your association, or a trusted advisor like one of your nursing professors.

8) You can Google "California License Law Blog" and give that lawyer a call- he might give you a consultation and some advice before you present you report to BRN/BON. I have called him before with questions about laws.

Sorry you are dealing with this. This activity is very harmful to RNs. Imagine how MDs would feel if a bunch of RTs set up shop and started calling themselves "pulmonologists/pulmonary specialists" and invading on their scope of practice- I'm sure there would be hell to pay!

In addition to or instead of the BON perhaps you should contact the Nurses Service Organization and/or your states professional Nursing Association or Union. They would be VERY interested in hearing about this. Those docs are circumventing RNs and complicit in the illegal practice of Registered Nursing. MOST physicians would not do this, at least where I'm from.

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Specializes in Professional Development Specialist.
It really come across as offensive and ignorant of the Docs to confuse Nurses with MAs. It shows a complete lack of understanding and respect by the doctors of what a real nurse is.

I guess that was my point. It's NOT simple ignorance. It's willful disrespect and disregard of nurses, their license and education. They should know better and either they pretend not to or worse yet are so ignorant they actually don't. I would't want that dr caring for my family.

(Sorry for the mistypes. My 3 yo is helping!)

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First, get another job. Then report them to your state BON. They're almost certainly practicing beyond the scope of MA's, and the business cards that say they're nurses are fraudulent. Whatever else you do, don't hand any of those cards out.

I would keep a few of them as evidence. A picture is worth a thousand words!

JMHO and my NY $0.02.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Somewhere in the PACNW

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I'm sorry, but isn't there some sort of education in medical school about who is able to take off/impliment their orders? I see this post over and over. I had to know the scope of practice for my CNA's as well as LPN vs RN. Shouldn't docs know the basic difference between nurse and medical assistant? The name alone should be a hint for someone able to make it through so many years of school. I bet they'd be up in arms in someone decided to call themselves and practice as a Dr who had a certificate.

it really is insulting, ignorant, and disrespectful of physicians to interchange 'nurse' and 'ma'.

i mean, really, wouldn't it be more 'accurate' for ma's to call themselves "physician assistants", since technically, they are assisting the physician?:devil:

i wonder how that would play out.

leslie;)

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Specializes in Ambulatory (Urgent care) & Home Health.

@mmm333 I'm not an RN I'm a VN grad, just to be clear. I WILL report this I've already sent the email I've worked at the clinic for 5 days so it's not like I've watched this behavior and didn't do anything.

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It is definitely wrong for the MA's to call themselves nurses. I am a CMA and proud of my title I actually have an associates degree in medical assisting. I do not call myself a nurse and my name tag says I am a CMA but all of the docs and other staff, including nurses, call me a nurse.

I have asked why and they say that if they say CMA they have to explain that to the pt. and the public doesn't understand and that we are doing what a nurse would do in a clinic setting so it's the same thing(I am allowed to do everything that the nurses do in this office). These are not my words but the MD's word so don't flame me please!

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Specializes in Ambulatory (Urgent care) & Home Health.

We don't wear name tags, which is also illegal in California.

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It is definitely wrong for the MA's to call themselves nurses. I am a CMA and proud of my title I actually have an associates degree in medical assisting. I do not call myself a nurse and my name tag says I am a CMA but all of the docs and other staff, including nurses, call me a nurse.

I have asked why and they say that if they say CMA they have to explain that to the pt. and the public doesn't understand and that we are doing what a nurse would do in a clinic setting so it's the same thing(I am allowed to do everything that the nurses do in this office). These are not my words but the MD's word so don't flame me please!

I've ran into that before...in a purely "doctor's office" setting, it's hard to tell the difference based on skills or procedures performed. I've seen that glazed over look in many patients eyes, as I try to patiently explain. All you can do is gently correct misinformation when you see it happening.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
You need to report this to your state BON. MA's are the secretary version of CNAs, but with even less "nursing" knowledge. By presenting themselves as nurses they are committing a crime imo.

Ok while I agree that it needs to be reported and not OK and illegal, I have to disagree with this bolded statement. I know many CMA's that had 18 months of schooling, can draw blood and give injections, do vitals and various other things. They had a lot of clinical hours and they practiced the blood draws and injections on each other before going out into the field. Something that is a lot more rare in nursing school these days. But to say they are the secretary version of a CNA? I don't think so. CNA and CMA are 2 completely different things with different responsibilities. At least here, CNA is a 8 week course and they are very limited in what they can do.

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It is definitely wrong for the MA's to call themselves nurses. I am a CMA and proud of my title I actually have an associates degree in medical assisting. I do not call myself a nurse and my name tag says I am a CMA but all of the docs and other staff, including nurses, call me a nurse.

I have asked why and they say that if they say CMA they have to explain that to the pt. and the public doesn't understand and that we are doing what a nurse would do in a clinic setting so it's the same thing(I am allowed to do everything that the nurses do in this office). These are not my words but the MD's word so don't flame me please!

Just think, if the doctors hired REAL NURSES, be they Rns or LPNs, there would not be any confusion for the patients. Perhaps they should just hang a sign in the office that says, "we are too cheap to hire any real nurses, so we are providing you with a reasonable facsimile of a nurse".

JMHO and my NY $0.02.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Somewhere in the PACNW

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Specializes in Med surg, LTC, Administration.
It really come across as offensive and ignorant of the Docs to confuse Nurses with MAs. It shows a complete lack of understanding and respect by the doctors of what a real nurse is.

Hey, I agree with you. But my point is this is not confusing to the doctors. It is greed. They would rather spend less on MA's and deceive the public. I think it is reprehensible. I also think the MA's bear some responsibility, pretending to be, what they are not. We are on the same page here. Peace!

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
it really is insulting, ignorant, and disrespectful of physicians to interchange 'nurse' and 'ma'.

i mean, really, wouldn't it be more 'accurate' for ma's to call themselves "physician assistants", since technically, they are assisting the physician?:devil:

i wonder how that would play out.

leslie;)

LOVE IT!!!

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