Is it ok to call CNA's nurses?

Nurses General Nursing

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this is not an offence to those who are cna's, were cna's or yet to become cna's. i was just wondering if it's ok to call a cna a nurse. i've heard a lot of educated people as well as non educated call then nurses, even on cnn, a few days ago, a gentleman was on tv who apparently was changing his career i think from a sales rep. to nursing, according to him, but during the interview i heard him say he's a cna and how he's aspiring to advance his education with an adn or even pa. however, during the conversation, he was been portrayed as someone who's changed his career to nursing. as said earlier, i've heard this time and again. just wondering.

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CNAs are in the nursing field but they are not nurses. They are unlicensed assitive personnel. I think calling CNAs nurses confuses patients as well.

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Specializes in neurology, cardiology, ED.

Um, no. Only an RN, or LPN can legally be called a nurse.

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Nope. If resident calls me a nurse I always say " I am not a nurse, I am just your helper" :) Also, I am trying to keep everything as it should be and on the beginning of the shift I go from room to room saying "hi" to my residents with adding that for the today evening I am theirs aid.

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

No. CNAs are not nurses.

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No, CNAs are not nurses.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

This is not an offence to those who are CNA's, were CNA's or yet to become CNA's. I was just wondering if it's ok to call a CNA a nurse.

If the CNAs possess state issued nursing licenses, go for it!

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When I worked as a CNA I did not want to be called a nurse, nor do I think a CNA should be called a nurse. I do think CNAs are a very import asset to the team and many CNAs are highly skilled at what they do. But I think that the term nurse implies a certain level of training and scope of practice. As a CNA I did not want there to be any misunderstanding, especially because I could not legally provide the same care as a licensed nurse.

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Specializes in Ortho, Neuro, Detox, Tele.

CNAs are not "nurses"...however, it could be said that they are changing their career to "nursing" because it is a description of the field as a whole...I make sure that patients know I'm their nurse, and their CNAs are my assistants...they are helpful...but certain things I will have to do/help them with.

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Specializes in NICU.

No way! How scary is that?

When I was a nurse tech, I always made sure to let whoever I was taking care of that I was only in nursing school, not a nurse if there was ever a question.

I earned my right to be called a nurse.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.

op: i saw this interview too; he is not even a cna!!!! he is a student trying to obtain his license to be a cna from what i could see. so it is not even ok to call him a cna.... i wish the news reporter respected titles with licenses. if i knew how to complain i would because that student was neither a cna nor a nurse. not to mention, the report did not mention that there is no nursing shortage in many areas of the country at this time so these students may not find a job when they graduate.

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Specializes in Psych, EMS.

I think it's fair to say that CNA's are in "nursing". It is ambiguous, but not inaccurate in my opinion.

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