Last week I had to take my father to an urgent care clinic while he was visiting me from out of state. We were both in the exam room when a woman walks in and introduces herself. "Hi, I'm Jane (not her real name) and I'm the nurse". Even her name tag said "Nurse" under it. After she got done taking my dad's VS, I asked her where she went to nursing school since I am currently in nursing school at a college close by. She started stumbling over her words and eventually told me that she had not gone to school at all and wasn't a nurse. She's not even a certified nursing assistant. She simply had received on-the-job training to be doing what she was doing.
As a nursing student who is working extremely hard to earn the title of "Nurse" I was furious! And if she's wearing a name tag that was issued from her from her place of employment, they should be ashamed for misrepresenting this woman as a nurse to their patients. Isn't this illegal, or at least unethical? Am I just over reacting here?
As a nurse for over 30 years, I have always found this to be offensive. It demeans the profession and all the hard work that is required to be a real nurse. The facilities/doctors who promote this should bd notifed that this is fraud. Maybe they would get a clue.
In Texas that is a direct violation against the BON Section 301.251, which clearly states that it is illegal to present yourself as a nurse if you are not (or as a cna for that matter, but that is a different section...301.4525). I'm not sure about other state's specific laws but I'm sure that every state has a similar law. She should report them to that state's BON, they would investigate the incident and would deal with it accordingly.
I just did a class presentation on this subject in my BSN program, that's why I can give you a specific reference :-)
i asked her "wow you are really good at what you do...what is your position?" she said "im one of the nurses" i said "oh awesome lvn or rn" and she said ooo "cna" i was like ....hummm...what is not a nurse!!!!!
sometimes i wonder if these people just say that to keep people from quizzing them. "what's a cna? do you go to school for that? how long?" heck it is kind of tedious as a person who wears a badge that says "nurse extern" to have people quiz me for 5 minutes before they will believe what i'm telling them, lol.
No one can use the term nurse unless the are licensed as one - there are laws in place to protect the name - called a title act. Period.
If you are a nursing student then that is what you go by, and if someone addresses you as nurse, then you correct them. Because you might find yourself in a bad situation where you are expected to know more then you do as a student.
i agree with you that a nursing student at 3 months can't possibly understand what a rn goes through when it comes to misrepresentation. however i do feel that you took what was said completely out of context. it is possible for those who are working toward their degree in nursing to feel offended at impoisters becuase just working to even apply to nursing school is hard. we all share the hardwork that comes with applying to and going through ns! you, though have your work behind you and are now a nurse. thank you!
^^^ nor was i stating that i was trying to understand what an rn goes through. i am stating the way a nursing student feels about the issue! wowwza's (
Specializes in Peds, MH, Corrections, School, Tele.
I know exactly what you mean here. I have been a MA for 12 years and currently I am a nursing student. For YEARS I went around telling patients that I was a nurse, after all that was what the Dr and even the actual nurses would refer to us as. We did the same exact jobs as the nurses. I was the one that trained the new staff including nurses. I had NO IDEA this was illegal until I started nursing school. At that point I I immediatly stopped refering myself as a nurse and notified the supervising nurse of the issue at hand. I told the Dr about what I learned in nursing school and he just completely blew me off. I no longer work there but I am still friends with a few of the staff. From my understanding the MA's are still refered to as nurses.
Never in MA school did they warn us about this. I feel that it is the physicians fault for starting this practice. It is their license that the MA's work under so they have a responsibilty to know the legalities of hiring MA's to do the job of nurses.
^^^ nor was i stating that i was trying to understand what an rn goes through. i am stating the way a nursing student feels about the issue! wowwza's (
okay, you do realize that not every single person on this post is replying to you, right? no need to start attacking everyone because it wasn't all addressed to you. i see you are new here. i hope you will learn quickly about how people treat each other on this forum.
Gosh you do all get very upset over this, and about status. I am a nursing sister, who has a Master degree in clinical practice and a degree in nursing in Law. I agree its been a lot of hard work and I am proud to be a nurse, but it does not upset me if a nursing assistant calls herself 'nurse'. It happens and I am fine about it.
What is a degree in nursing in law? I haven't heard of this.
i am not new to this site! i choose not to comment on everything i see on here. yes, i do realize that not everyone is responding to me, where did i indicate that!? i am simply replying to what a few people had posted...like several others are doing on this thread! i am not the one attacking people although i love your stab at it! i don’t see you responding to people who have rude comments to me? which leads me to say, like i said before, you should find something better to do with your time! my original response to this thread is pretty similar to everyone else giving their feedback. somehow people, life yourself, decided to be rude to me! so please move on!
i agree with everyone ma's cna's should not call themselves nurses!! yes, i can make that statement...even if i am a nursing student.
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
I know exactly what you mean here. I have been a MA for 12 years and currently I am a nursing student. For YEARS I went around telling patients that I was a nurse, after all that was what the Dr and even the actual nurses would refer to us as. We did the same exact jobs as the nurses. I was the one that trained the new staff including nurses. I had NO IDEA this was illegal until I started nursing school. At that point I I immediatly stopped refering myself as a nurse and notified the supervising nurse of the issue at hand. I told the Dr about what I learned in nursing school and he just completely blew me off. I no longer work there but I am still friends with a few of the staff. From my understanding the MA's are still refered to as nurses.
Never in MA school did they warn us about this. I feel that it is the physicians fault for starting this practice. It is their license that the MA's work under so they have a responsibilty to know the legalities of hiring MA's to do the job of nurses.
Far more often it's motivated by lack of understanding or apathy by doctors and their staff than it is by willful misrepresentation. The fact that most doctor's practices are little worlds unto themselves, and the patients either don't know the difference or care, it will just go on until someone decides to make an issue of it.
I used to work at a gigantic multi-specialty clinic- each doctor had 1 main helper person, who was always called "Dr. _____'s Nurse". Now that I think back, some of them started as receptionists. It would've been confusing and difficult to know who was what, and refer to them that way, especially with our high turnover. Maybe everybody, including licensed nurses, should have been called "assistant"?
i am not new to this site! i choose not to comment on everything i see on here. yes, i do realize that not everyone is responding to me, where did i indicate that!? i am simply replying to what a few people had posted...like several others are doing on this thread! i am not the one attacking people although i love your stab at it! i don't see you responding to people who have rude comments to me? which leads me to say, like i said before, you should find something better to do with your time! my original response to this thread is pretty similar to everyone else giving their feedback. somehow people, life yourself, decided to be rude to me! so please move on!
i agree with everyone ma's cna's should not call themselves nurses!! yes, i can make that statement...even if i am a nursing student.
but you are being nasty to people who weren't even speaking to you. it doesn't even make sense as to who you are talking to. not to mention spamming. i wasn't being rude, just hoping you wouldn't get this topic shut down like the last one you commented on.
chacomom
54 Posts
As a nurse for over 30 years, I have always found this to be offensive. It demeans the profession and all the hard work that is required to be a real nurse. The facilities/doctors who promote this should bd notifed that this is fraud. Maybe they would get a clue.