Legally Protect the word "Nurse?"

[applesxoranges]

Should the word "nurse" be a legally protected title? I am mixed on it. Personally, the word nurse is vague and could mean many different things. It could mean an LPN and it could mean an RN. It does not signify a credential. However, a lot of people assume nurse = RN.

It is kind of like a "doctor" in my opinion. A doctor could be a doctor of anything whereas it is illegal to say you are an MD or DO without being an MD or a DO.

My state does not currently regulate the use of the word nurse. Hence why we have graduate nurse interns or nurse techs (which are PCTs/CNAs).

So what are your thoughts on the issue?

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

Definitely should be protected.I have been researching the scope of practice for APRNs vs NPs and my head is spinning. And when I started looking at nursing programs I was confused as to whether a BSN was the equivalent to have a BS (non nursing) and an ADN. The nursing field has expanded rather rapidly and the scope of practices have been ill defined to the public, in my opinion.

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Nursing scope of practice ill defined to the public? How about nursing scope of practice being ill defined to nursing??? As you said, you were researching scope of practice and your head was spinning. Me too!! I've been a nurse for 15 years and I have no clue what some of the alphabet soup after RN means without looking it up. Ridiculous!

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

I just looked at the protection for the term nurse and I had forgotten that in my state [WI] apparently you are only a nurse if you are an RN???? I know a lot of great LPN's that would and should take offense to that. Maybe its time to update that language.

[BrandonLPN, LPN]

I just looked at the protection for the term nurse and I had forgotten that in my state [WI] apparently you are only a nurse if you are an RN???? I know a lot of great LPN's that would and should take offense to that. Maybe its time to update that language.

That's crazy. I wonder if Wisconsin's BON would actually do something if someone "reported" a LPN for calling himself a nurse? I bet they wouldn't dare.

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

HeHe! BrandonLPN, what a great idea! Catch me on a good night after a glass or two of wine and I might just have to report my non nurse LPN co-workers to the BON for having the nerve to call themselves nurses [lol]! Of course the BON would either ignore me or worse flag me as some sort of troublemaker. I doubt if they would have the sense to actually change the language of the statute, since that probably takes a committee, followed by meetings followed by debate followed by whatever legal mumbo jumbo it takes for any legislation to change.

[Jory, MSN, APRN, CNM]

To me:

RN = Nurse

LPN = Nurse

CNA, MA or my personal favorite, RMA (Registered Medical Assistant

[Asystole RN]

HeHe! BrandonLPN, what a great idea! Catch me on a good night after a glass or two of wine and I might just have to report my non nurse LPN co-workers to the BON for having the nerve to call themselves nurses [lol]! Of course the BON would either ignore me or worse flag me as some sort of troublemaker. I doubt if they would have the sense to actually change the language of the statute, since that probably takes a committee, followed by meetings followed by debate followed by whatever legal mumbo jumbo it takes for any legislation to change.

The board of nursing has little to nothing to do with the nurse practice act.

The board might not do anything but keep in mind that criminal violations of the NPA are pursued by the DAs office, not the BON.

The BON oversees and regulates licensure, it is not a law enforcement agency.

[NOADLS]

I don't mind CNA's using the title "nurse." Often patients and their family members ask "the nurse" to change them or toilet them. Sorry, I just give out and watch you take your pills

[sapphire18]

I don't mind CNA's using the title "nurse." Often patients and their family members ask "the nurse" to change them or toilet them. Sorry I just give out and watch you take your pills [/quote']

Nurses provide personal hygiene and toileting care, too, last time I checked.

[applesxoranges, BSN, RN]

I do remember one time this kid freaked me out. He was in my microbiology class and now new students have to take the class before they even started. A clinical classmate and I didn't have to because we were admitted under the old criteria. Anyway, I work at a psych hospital and this kid behind us heard us talking about our clinical project we had to do.

So he told us that he was a nurse at (my hospital). I asked him where. He repeated the name (my hospital). I asked him where again. He repeated the name. I said "I know that, what floor?"

He then told me psych but he floated to the ER frequently. I worked in the ER about 4-5 days a week in 12 hour shifts. I said something along the lines of "Really? I've never seen you." His response was that he worked night shift. I said I work night shift. So I started asking him some basic questions which he was not answering appropriately. Then the girl and I asked him why he was in a micro class and he gave us some BS answer of it was to fulfill CE credits.

When I went back to work, no one knew who he was or even heard of him. I looked up all the male names in my class against the board of nursing site and no one registered as a nurse. Then someone suggested that it was a CNA and sure enough, there was one CNA who worked at a LTC facility since the CNA website lists where they are employed at.

It was more of a "rolling eye moment" since no one remembered this kid if he had ever worked at the hospital (even the psych supervisors that I talked to often).

[ixchel]

I don't mind CNA's using the title "nurse." Often patients and their family members ask "the nurse" to change them or toilet them. Sorry I just give out and watch you take your pills [/quote']

This post makes your screen name ironic.

It is never, ever, ever, ever, ever, EVER okay for a CNA to call themselves a nurse. Never, ever, ever.

Ever.

Do you think doctors would mind if you started calling yourself Doctor? Unless you're the 14th incarnation of Doctor Who, I'm pretty sure that'll land you in trouble.

Never, ever, ever, ever.

Ever.

[smartnurse1982]

The word "nurse" is a generic word in common usage with many meanings. Protecting such a word legally would be like trying to legally regulate the use of the word "manager." The titles "registered nurse" and "licensed vocational (or practical) nurse" are designations with legally defined meaning as determined by state or provincial government. However, the state does not issue "nurse" licenses because the word is too vague to regulate.

It is illegal to represent oneself as an RN, LVN, LPN, etc. if not licensed by the state, even if one does not actually use a formal title. For example, it is illegal for someone without a license to submit an application for a job as an RN, LVN, or LPN, even if they never write the word "nurse" on the application. In that context, they are misleading whoever reads the application, and that is illegal.

What bothers me is when workers portray themselves as nurses in a professional context, for example, a receptionist in a doctor's office referring to herself as "nurse." It is the context that gives the word meaning, and in a professional context, use of that term would be misleading. I believe that every patient and family has a right to know the qualifications of anyone providing services to them, especially in a health care context. So, only those who hold an active license as RNs, LVNs, or LPVs should call themselves nurses at work. Out in the world, however, you really can't control what people say in the unregulated context of the street. Not everything that is wrong is illegal.

Is it illegal for an Lpn to sign something that says"Rn signature"?

i did that for the EMT's when a pt had to be transported out of the ltc i wad working at.

i was the only nurse there.

Plus,when a pt came back into the facility from the hospital,and an assessment had to be done,there were no Rn's around.

So we lpn's had to sign where the note said"Rn signature".

[Paws2people]

There is one situation where the nurses on my unit gladly allow the CNA's to be the "nurse..."

When the confused patient (or a&o x0, 1:1, annoying family member, pain speaking pt, etc etc) yells, "Nurrrrrssseeee, Nurrrrrssseeee!!" down the hall repeatedly at 3 am. Then you go in there and they want the same thing they've been asking for all night. (Their mom who died 30 yrs ago, meds, breakfast, a scissor to cut their restraints (lol), the pillow out from under their being treated pressure ulcer, etc etc)

After the real nurse has answered this patient 10 times, yes, in this situation the nurses gladly allow the CNA to answer to "Nurrrrrssseeee!"