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?

Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.

The OP reported it. She's looking for another job. I think she should just let it lie for now and let the BON take it from here.

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Specializes in LTC.

Deep down inside... they know they aren't nurses. I bet that makes them feel a lil lousy.

just remember that :)

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Yes but I would also notify the California Nurses Association (anonymously of course).

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yeah recording anything would indeed be a very bad idea, especially in a healthcare setting. Sorry that advice was given in the middle of the night on low brainpower. :smackingf:smackingf:smackingf:smackingf Keeping some notes for yourself with dates/times might be a good idea but for the most part you can leave it to the BRN and if you want, the Cal Nurses Assn.

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Specializes in Ambulatory (Urgent care) & Home Health.

Let me clarify one more thing, they give Demerol when its ordered by the doc we have a few pts on it but they don't have a narc log so they don't keep a record of who gave it or what they gave . Also they start iv's but they don't push meds through, sorry for the confusion.

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SECTION 1. Article 7.5 (commencing with Section 680) is added to Chapter 1 of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code, to read:

Article 7.5. Health Care Practitioners

680. Except as otherwise provided in this subdivision, a health care practitioner shall disclose, while

working, his or her name and practitioner's license status, as granted by this state, on a name tag in at

least 18-point type. ... In the interest of public safety and consumer awareness, it

shall be unlawful for any person to use the title "nurse" in reference to himself or herself and in any capacity, except for an individual who is a registered nurse, or a licensed vocational nurse, or as otherwise provided in Section 2800.

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section 1. article 7.5 (commencing with section 680) is added to chapter 1 of division 2 of the business and professions code, to read:

article 7.5. health care practitioners

680. except as otherwise provided in this subdivision, a health care practitioner shall disclose, while

working, his or her name and practitioner's license status, as granted by this state, on a name tag in at

least 18-point type. ... in the interest of public safety and consumer awareness, it

shall be unlawful for any person to use the title "nurse" in reference to himself or herself and in any capacity, except for an individual who is a registered nurse, or a licensed vocational nurse, or as otherwise provided in section 2800.

i wish i could find the code for this in texas. i'm working prn somewhere, but am not considered an employee, but more of an "independent contractor." at least that is how i am being paid. i don't have a name tag since i'm not an official "employee," and i'm uncomfortable with this. if i could find a legal statute to support me, i'd take it to the manager of the practice.

edit: i just found it. yay.

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Specializes in Medical Assisting.

My patients understood when I explained to them that I was a medical assistant. Many folks are familiar w/ MA's...I still say that if you are a Medical Asst. then say that you are one, not that you are a nurse. As someone who has been on both sides of the fence, so to speak, it's insulting to MA's and Nurses. Both work hard and have earned each separate title. How many times have we heard about someone who was arrested for impersonating a doctor, surgeon, even a lawyer? I would so love to know how this works out... please keep us in the know. :D

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Here is a document from Colorado outlining similar legislation and the problem with school health teachers and secretaries calling themselves "the school nurse" or "the nurse", etc.

http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdesped/download/pdf/nurTitleNurseProtected.pdf

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Specializes in ER.
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;)

Really?? Have you ever worked with a Physician Assistant? Ever researched, not only the role, but the education and competitiveness of even getting in to a program? I agree that the office staff using the title nurse is wrong and illegal in the state of California but no where during this thread did it discuss or attempt to discredit the education and training of Physician Assistants. My BSN along with 19 years of Emergency Room nursing at 30 different hospitals, 10 level 1 trauma centers from Virginia to Hawaii did nothing to prepare me for the amount of material that is pressed upon us in PA school right now. 36 hours physically spent in the classroom, 40-50 hours of study time outside class, giving up weekends, holidays and vacations for 2 years, the 1700 hours I will spend next year on clinical rotations all done so you can compare me to medical assistants, really??

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Specializes in Emergency, Trauma, Critical Care.
Really?? Have you ever worked with a Physician Assistant? Ever researched, not only the role, but the education and competitiveness of even getting in to a program? I agree that the office staff using the title nurse is wrong and illegal in the state of California but no where during this thread did it discuss or attempt to discredit the education and training of Physician Assistants. My BSN along with 19 years of Emergency Room nursing at 30 different hospitals, 10 level 1 trauma centers from Virginia to Hawaii did nothing to prepare me for the amount of material that is pressed upon us in PA school right now. 36 hours physically spent in the classroom, 40-50 hours of study time outside class, giving up weekends, holidays and vacations for 2 years, the 1700 hours I will spend next year on clinical rotations all done so you can compare me to medical assistants, really??

I don't think the other poster was disregarding the role of a PA. I think he/she was stating that how would it work out if they called the MA's the same role as a PA, since they are currently calling them "nurses." It's the same concept. Both RNs and PAs are educated roles.....so how could you could you compare either to a MA. At least that's what I got from the post.

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It's bad enough when unlicensed (or licensed) MAs start calling themselves nurses which they clearly are not, but when they hand out business cards advertising themselves as nurses they've cooked their legal gooses where the BON is concerned.

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