MA being called "nurse"

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Hi everyone,

I recently started a new job in the outpatient setting. One of our physician's always refers to the MA that works with her as a "nurse" and it makes me cringe every time (besides being illegal). I haven't specifically heard the MA refer to themselves as a nurse, however i'm sure patients assume so. Is it too far to make a complaint and tell the charge RN?

Thanks in advance.

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Specializes in ER.

Do not, I repeat, do not get me started!???

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Specializes in Community health.

It is so hard for patients to keep us all straight but the DOCTOR should certainly be able to!

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The next time you go in, when the physician calls you by name, correct him and have him call you "Dr. <your last name" . When he asks if you are a physician, tell him no.

Then ask him how he feels about other healthcare professionals using credentials they haven't earned.

I think the practice should be illegal and unfortunately, it isn't in all states.

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I'm just here for the comments. Carry on. ?

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Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.

It's my understanding that it's only illegal to falsely represent yourself as a nurse.

If the MA, upon hearing the doctor refer to him/her as a nurse, does not correct the impression being made...whelp, that's a gray area, right? Maybe more for us than for the MA.

Finally....and this is just my beef - my former PCP's practice had NO nurses. Just MAs. The Care-Sometimes-Now clinic I go to if I need care on a weekend has one RN (who does most of the pt education) and several LVNs. My new PCP and my new GYN - only one nurse apiece (patient education) and the rest are MAs.

So anyone who thinks the staff in the outpatient setting doing the h/p is an actual nurse is statistically likely to be wrong. We should probably be letting folks know that fact. For no other reason than it's a fact.

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Specializes in Corrections, Surgical.

It could be an inside joke between them. I had a professor that was a Dr call me Dr <insert my last name here>. Idk why, maybe it was just a joke and he thought I would do good in medical school and wanted me to get used to the name. I never asked him about it. This was in a classroom setting but I think it shouldn't be used in a professional setting where patients can hear and misunderstand her role. It can be viewed as an insult to the actual RN's that work there. If you have a good rapport with them I would ask one of them about it. Maybe he wants her to go to nursing school. You can joking say to him, 'If she is a nurse then I'm the CEO'.

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why don't you ask the MA that works with that doctor... hey that doctor keeps calling u as a nurse, is she joking or is there an inside joke or what?

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