Is it ok to call CNA's nurses?

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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.

Is there a difference between "certified" and "licensed?" If a certification is different than a license, then would a "certified nursing assistant" be considered Unlicensed Assistive Personel?

Yes. But then, so are LNAs. Go figger.

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Specializes in EMS, ER, GI, PCU/Telemetry.

no, CNA's are not nurses, just like CMA's are not nurses. part of the nursing team, yes, but not licensed nurses.

the general public though does think anyone with scrubs on is a nurse.

i have reverted to telling people i'm a hairdresser if i'm out in public with scrubs on. i'm tired of strangers asking me to check out their bunions.

and to the poster who doesn't believe LPN's are real nurses, i'm sorry you feel that way and i hope your attitude changes when you actually start nursing school.

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I have not heard of LNAs. As for LPNs, I have learned a lot from them during nursing school. I spent 26 clinical days at a site that employees LPNs as staff nurses, and as many of them were assigned to my patients, most of them were excellent resources when I had questions or just wanted to learn.

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Specializes in Med Surg.

Are CNAs nurses? No, but I'm not going to war because an uninformed media and public choose to refer to anyone in healthcare who isn't a doctor as "nurse". I have heard radiologic techs referred to as "the x-ray nurse" and the respiratory tech referred to as "the breathing nurse". People are going to use terminology they understand and are comfortable with. Good luck trying to change that.

I'm too busy and getting too old to spend time trying to educate every person I come in contact with on the difference between an RN, LVN, CNA, PT, RT, CRNA, or whatever. As long as we know what we are and what we are allowed to do with our specific credentials, I'm not going to worry about it.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

I don't think that CNAs should be called nurses, however, I also believe that this will never end. After a point, constantly correcting patients (I am thinking of the elderly ones in particular) can even insult them. Reality orientation is the proper thing to do, but I think we should keep in mind that we should not be offended if certain populations of patients such as the elderly or pediatrics will probably continue to call them nurses no matter how much correction is offered.

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You SO did not say that....I have a LICENSE as a NURSE. I am a nurse thank you very much.The State board considers me a NURSE..therefore I am one..ooooh.

Great....now calm down.

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What part of the word "nurse" do not not comprehend?

Ok....CNA stands for certified nurses assistant. Some people say certified nurse assistant. Does it make a CNA a nurse? And LPN is a licensed PRACTICAL nurse. Look....I've obviously pushed some buttons and I'm sorry. I've just never considered an LPN as a nurse....I've considered them LPNs. In my nursing book it states nurses as being RNs AND LPNs.....it's just something I've never considered.

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Perhaps once you are a NURSE yourself, you will realize that the "N" in LPN stands for nurse. I wish you luck at earning ANY respect with your crappy attitude. :down:

Oh kiss off! WOW....never realized there were so many nasty people on this site.

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A Licensed Practical.. Nurse?.... You don't think they're nurses? What exactly do you think they are?

Practically a nurse. I have no idea...I didn't make up the title. I never realized this was such an issue holy cow!

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Specializes in EMS, ER, GI, PCU/Telemetry.
Ok....CNA stands for certified nurses assistant. Some people say certified nurse assistant. Does it make a CNA a nurse? And LPN is a licensed PRACTICAL nurse. Look....I've obviously pushed some buttons and I'm sorry. I've just never considered an LPN as a nurse....I've considered them LPNs. In my nursing book it states nurses as being RNs AND LPNs.....it's just something I've never considered.

your argument doesn't make too much sense.

CNA=certified nurse's assistant/certified nurse's aide... which means, literally, they assist the nurse.

LPN=licensed practical NURSE, the practical portion not the emphasis.... you're missing the two most important words...LICENSED NURSE

RN=registered NURSE... see how the N in both abbreviations stands for the same word?

both RN's and LPN's have to pass the NCLEX to be granted a license to practice in the state where they work. LPN's go to school for 12-24 months depending on the program and are given a diploma and in some states a APN, RN's go to school for longer depending on diploma, ADN, BSN, MSN and have more training in pathophysiology, delegation, nursing dx and management. historically, the practical nurse position was created in the 2nd world war to help with the shortage of nurses. LPN's have a somewhat different scope of practice and set of responsibility but are still licensed nurses regulated by the board of nursing.

CNA's are monitored by the state and require usually a one semester training program, as well as a written and a skills test. they are assistants to the nurse they are assigned to and work collaboratively with the nurse to provide ADL's and direct patient care. i know here in florida they require a license number as does any other health care position such as EMT, paramedic, respiratory therapist, optometrist, physicial therapy assistant, etc... because the knowledge is available to the public.

i hope this helps you understand a little bit. buttons are pushed because those of us with an LPN license worked very hard for it, and have earned the right to call ourselves a nurse just as much as an RN. CNA's are wonderful, and a good CNA is worth their weight in gold, there are nights i could not have made it through without the CNA i was working with--but they are not nurses.

i hope you start considering us nurses. you may be stuck working with us one day--or actually have one of us caring for you as a patient.

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your argument doesn't make too much sense.

CNA=certified nurse's assistant/certified nurse's aide... which means, literally, they assist the nurse.

LPN=licensed practical NURSE, the practical portion not the emphasis.... you're missing the two most important words...LICENSED NURSE

RN=registered NURSE... see how the N in both abbreviations stands for the same word?

both RN's and LPN's have to pass the NCLEX to be granted a license to practice in the state where they work. LPN's go to school for 12-24 months depending on the program and are given a diploma and in some states a APN, RN's go to school for longer depending on diploma, ADN, BSN, MSN and have more training in pathophysiology, delegation, nursing dx and management. historically, the practical nurse position was created in the 2nd world war to help with the shortage of nurses. LPN's have a somewhat different scope of practice and set of responsibility but are still licensed nurses regulated by the board of nursing.

CNA's are monitored by the state and require usually a one semester training program, as well as a written and a skills test. they are assistants to the nurse they are assigned to and work collaboratively with the nurse to provide ADL's and direct patient care. i know here in florida they require a license number as does any other health care position such as EMT, paramedic, respiratory therapist, optometrist, physicial therapy assistant, etc... because the knowledge is available to the public.

i hope this helps you understand a little bit. buttons are pushed because those of us with an LPN license worked very hard for it, and have earned the right to call ourselves a nurse just as much as an RN. CNA's are wonderful, and a good CNA is worth their weight in gold, there are nights i could not have made it through without the CNA i was working with--but they are not nurses.

i hope you start considering us nurses. you may be stuck working with us one day--or actually have one of us caring for you as a patient.

Thanks for the education.

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Specializes in Cardiac.

This thread makes me curious to see whether some of the social websites dedicated to doctors have similar threads where there are countless heated postings over whether NPs should be called "Doctor".

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