So I just got off the phone with my best friend, who is a RN in another state. She said that a CNA on the floor tells the patients she's a nurse. My friend said today was the last straw when she overheard the patient who sounded upset ask to speak to a nurse and the CNA said, "I am a nurse." I dont know the full details because I wasnt there, and Im trying to get her to join allnurses.com (maybe one day). Apparently, when she approached the CNA about this, she got defensive and my best friend was just trying to tell her that it would be more appropriate to tell the patients she is an aid and not a nurse, which offended the CNA because she said that she is a nurse (or they all are nurses - something like that). Anyhow, I just wanted to know you guys perspective on this, I know a couple CNAs who call themselves nurses (I mean I have a cousin who has nurse as her job on fb and she is a CNA), but this is different because its occurring in the field, not just in random conversation or on social sites. Is this a big deal? I personally think my best friend handled it the best she could (even though she said the CNA didnt seem to change her mind on the issue). I dont know if there is anymore she can do, should she just let this one ride?
My state is different. I guess I've been arguing apples and the discussion was about oranges. The word "nurse" is not protected in Michigan.
PUBLIC HEALTH CODE (EXCERPT)
Act 368 of 1978
333.17211 Practice of nursing or as licensed practical nurse; license or authorization required; use of words, titles, or letters.
Sec. 17211.
(1) A person shall not engage in the practice of nursing or the practice of nursing as a licensed practical nurse unless licensed or otherwise authorized by this article.
(2) The following words, titles, or letters or a combination thereof, with or without qualifying words or phrases, are restricted in use only to those persons authorized under this part to use the terms and in a way prescribed in this part: "registered professional nurse", "registered nurse", "r.n.", "licensed practical nurse", "l.p.n.", "nurse midwife", "nurse anesthetist", "nurse practitioner", "trained attendant", and "t.a.".
I am having an issue with a CNA who has been there "forever". She does not say she is a nurse but responds to patient's as if she is a nurse. If patients call her "nurse" she does not correct them. She uses her first name in introductions and doesn't say her position. No doubt this woman is a skilled CNA with a lot of experience. She has however attempted explanations to patients about their plan of care that have been inaccurate and/or incomplete. I go in and I hear "the other nurse said _____ is because _____" or similar. He is referring to what the CNA said. The patient gets confused (and annoyed) and it reflects poorly on EVERYONE. The other night she started to physically transfer a patient because the nurse on the receiving unit said to bring the patient "now" before her break. This CNA did not speak to anyone on our unit and was about to wheel the patient to the other unit. We had not called report because the patient had become unstable. It was unreal. So the patient and family thought we were all completely inept. I find this hard to deal with but it appears the other nurses lose their minds over it too.
So I don't think it is OK for someone to call themselves a nurse in a patient setting if they are not a NURSE. Nor do I think it is OK for someone to allow a patient to think they are a nurse by not introducing themselves.
the term nurse (standing by itself) means "a person trained to care for sick or injured people" and is not protected by law. the terms registered nurse and licensed practical nurse are specific to those who have taken state administered tests and are licensed by the state to use these titles. to present oneself as an rn or lpn when one is not licensed to do so is a criminal offense.
that being said, to avoid confusion cna's should refer to themselves as that. to avoid calling the rn or lpn away unnecessarily they should ask what the patient needs and do it if they can.
i haven't read through all of these posts, so forgive me if this is redundant but.....
i must respectfully disagree with the above statement. this is dependent on the indiviual state's nurse practice act. in georgia, for example, "nurse" was not a legally protected title until just this year, but newly-enacted legislation now states:
36 section 1a.
37 chapter 26 of title 43 of the official code of georgia annotated, relating to nurses, is
38 amended in code section 43-26-6, relating to the use of certain titles by licensed registered
39 nurses or advanced practice registered nurses, by adding a new subsection to read as follows:
40 "(d) no person shall use the title 'nurse' or any other title or abbreviation that would
41 represent to the public that a person is authorized to practice nursing unless the person is
42 licensed or otherwise authorized under this article or article 2 of this chapter."
43 section 1b.
44 said chapter is further amended in code section 43-26-33, relating to the use of certain titles
45 by licensed practical nurses or applicants, by adding a new subsection to read as follows:
47 represent to the public that a person is authorized to practice nursing unless the person is
48 licensed or otherwise authorized under this article or article 1 of this chapter."
the title "nurse" is also protected in the state of south carolina:
section 40-33-30. licensing requirement; use of title "nurse"; exceptions; establishment of policies to cover special health care needs.
(a) a person may not practice nursing without an active license issued in accordance with this chapter. a south carolina license as an advanced practice registered nurse or registered nurse is required for a person located in another state to provide nursing services to a recipient located in this state at the time nursing services are provided. a licensee located in this state who provides nursing services to a recipient located in another state must be properly licensed in this state and comply with any applicable licensing requirements where the recipient of nursing services is located at the time the services are provided.
Again I must respectfully disagree. In the state of New Hampshire, nursing assistants are issued a license by the State Board of Nursing and bear the title Licensed Nursing Assistant (LNA).
cnas do not have licenses. they can not assess, plan, implement,or evaluate care . a nurse must give specifics for individual patients. (turn schedules for specific needs, thickened liquids, fluid restrictions, o2 flow rates, medication administration - unless certified as a certified medication aide in some states for non-injectable meds-, diets, mobility, skin programs, etc).
this is "nurse" as a noun- not a verb..... gerbils nurse their young.... that doesn't make them nurses
cnas have very specific and necessary roles in healthcare, and are immensely important- that doesn't make them nurses. if they represent themselves as such, they are committing a crime of false representation, which can eliminate them from consideration for nursing schools.
a sitter is not a cna (sometimes)...and can't say he/she is a cna because they are not "certified".... big difference.
my state is different. i guess i've been arguing apples and the discussion was about oranges. the word "nurse" is not protected in michigan. how do you figure?
public health code (excerpt)
act 368 of 1978
333.17211 practice of nursing or as licensed practical nurse; license or authorization required; use of words, titles, or letters.
sec. 17211.
(1) a person shall not engage in the practice of nursing or the practice of nursing as a licensed practical nurse unless licensed or otherwise authorized by this article.
(2) the following words, titles, or letters or a combination thereof, with or without qualifying words or phrases, are restricted in use only to those persons authorized under this part to use the terms and in a way prescribed in this part: "registered professional nurse", "registered nurse", "r.n.", "licensed practical nurse", "l.p.n.", "nurse midwife", "nurse anesthetist", "nurse practitioner", "trained attendant", and "t.a.".
licensed and certified are not interchangeable. :) an rn can't say she's an lpn (haven't taken the lpn boards). nurses can be considered as cnas because their fundamental care class covers the same info as the cna class, and more.
accoording to the college of southern idaho website that you linked above, they are not licensed.
the state board of nursing in the state of new hampshire issues licenses to nursing assistants and entitles them "licensed nursing assistants." this statement is a fact and is not up for debate. the scope of practice for that particular license is limited and well-defined, by the way.
someone...anyone...quick! run tell new hampshire they are breaking the law of the college of southern idaho by issuing licenses to unlicensed nursing assistants.
i am not disagreeing with the op or with the majority of posters here. i made that clear in a previous post. i realize that this was an old thread, and yeah...i did it...i reopened the can of worms....but my motivation for doing so (though not blatantly stated as such) was to conter erroneous assumptions with facts that can be verified. i see it all the time on an. for a "vocation" that wishes to be recognized as a profession co-equal with other healthcare professions, the constituents of the nursing profession oftentimes don't behave as professionals. allowing and condoning a uap (or lap, as it were, in nh) who misrepresents him/herself by using the title of nurse in a healthcare facility....that is unprofessional. no wonder we are struggling. making assumptions and broad generalizations based on what one has experienced only in one's own backyard...unprofessional! no wonder other healthcare professionals still do not view us as co-equal members of the interdisciplinary healthcare team.
i did not get on here to argue the op's question. i got on here to point out what should be abundantly clear already....and that is that if we as nurses don't behave as professionals (e.g can't properly vet and reference information before posting on a forum for all the www to see), then we do not deserve that elusive professional status. if we...even one of us...doesn't care about and isn't willing to claim ownership of and defend the title we have earned, then we don't deserve to have the distinction of "professional" added to that title, much less be viewed as belonging to a professional discipline.
respond to this hypothetical scenario, those of you who see no problem with a uap introducing herself as a nurse to your patient....
pretend you are a layperson. you visit a privately-owned clinic with several physician partners, pas and nps. the person who rooms you makes the following introduction: "hi! my name is joe blow. i am the new physician's assistant. what brings you in today?" (interview ensues...vitals are taken...an abbreviated "assessment" is performed....etc...etc...) before exiting, "joe" states, "once again, i am joe, the new physician's assistant. the physician on duty today is dr. doe, and she will be in shortly."
dr. doe than comes in and does her doctor thing. before leaving, she asks, "so, what did you think of my new assistant?" you respond favorably, as he was polite and listened to your chief complaint patiently. you get your rx and billing router and go on your merry way. now...do you think joe is a physician assistant or a medical assistant?
we all know that pas are physician assistants, not "physician's assistants." but in this scenario, do you think a layperson would catch the difference? is joe wrong for introducing himself this way? after all, he is an assistant to the physician, right? do you think the pas in the practice would have a problem with this?
as to the information vetting stuff, just check your information, please. state laws differ. if i assume in this instance without doing my homework, how can i be trusted to verify accuracy on the really important things? should i take your word for it just because you said so? because that's the way it's always been done? the poster for michigan was right! in his state, "nurse" is not a protected title. he then assumed that it isn't protected at all anywhere and proceeded to educate us on the various meanings of the noun nurse. all of you that insisted that nurse is absolutely a protected title were wrong as well. it may be protected in your state, but that is not the case across the board; same with the nursing assistant designation as certified vs. licensed. the new hamshire bon website clearly states the following:
"
nh has a mandatory licensing law. no person may practice as a nurse or nursing assistant without a license.
it requires someone who uses RN to have graduated from a specific RN program and passed the NCLEX..... that is not a CNA. (same for LPNs- and their boards). Nothing about CNAs in the thing. :)
But whatever floats your boat. It doesn't have to be such a production.
i just had to look this up. i think it might be a . the things you can learn on allnurses!
a homonym is one of a group of words that share the same spelling and the same pronunciation but have different meanings. (stalk (part of a plant) and stalk (follow/harass a person) and the pair left (past tense of leave) and left (opposite of right).
heteronyms are words that are spelled identically but have different meanings when pronounced differently. for example:
it requires someone who uses rn to have graduated from a specific rn program and passed the nclex..... that is not a cna. (same for lpns- and their boards). nothing about cnas in the thing. :)
but whatever floats your boat. it doesn't have to be such a production.
the condescention is unbelieveable here. in addition to missing the point of my post entirely, you seem to have also missed the fact that i am a registered nurse.
and since you like them so much, here's another emoticon:
one last thing, xtxrn...i have lurked enough and read enough of your posts to say that i am really quite surprised by this lack of comprehension and the reaction it has provoked from you . is everything ok with you today?
Great Question! In my opinion No a CNA should not call themselves a Nurse. Their title is nurse assistant....I was a cna and i would not have felt comfortable calling myself a nurse.
nevermind... 
Woodenpug, BSN
734 Posts
My state is different. I guess I've been arguing apples and the discussion was about oranges. The word "nurse" is not protected in Michigan.
PUBLIC HEALTH CODE (EXCERPT)
Act 368 of 1978
333.17211 Practice of nursing or as licensed practical nurse; license or authorization required; use of words, titles, or letters.
Sec. 17211.
(1) A person shall not engage in the practice of nursing or the practice of nursing as a licensed practical nurse unless licensed or otherwise authorized by this article.
(2) The following words, titles, or letters or a combination thereof, with or without qualifying words or phrases, are restricted in use only to those persons authorized under this part to use the terms and in a way prescribed in this part: "registered professional nurse", "registered nurse", "r.n.", "licensed practical nurse", "l.p.n.", "nurse midwife", "nurse anesthetist", "nurse practitioner", "trained attendant", and "t.a.".
History: 1978, Act 368, Eff. Sept. 30, 1978 ;-- Am. 2006, Act 409, Imd. Eff. Sept. 29, 2006
Popular Name: Act 368