MA saying she's "the same as an RN"

[RedSox33RN]

At my job, we are offered classes each month for our CEU's as LNA's. We were at one the other day for some psych training, and we were asked what we wanted to be doing in 5 years. Myself and another woman said that hopefully we be all graduated and working as RN's, since we're both in nursing school.

Another woman said that she was graduating next week from an Medical Assistant program, and how it was "exactly the same as being an RN", but she got her degree faster, but won't get the same money (and she proceeded to b!tch about that).

Now, I've seen the debate here in the General Nursing discussion, but this just chapped my rearend. I think MA's are great - as are LNA's and LPN's and RN's and everyone that works in healthcare. A friend of mine is an MA, but she does not pass herself off as a nurse. Another friend is a Surgical Tech, and while she doesn't say she's an RN, her son calls her a nurse, saying his mom told him she did "more" nursing in the OR than the nurses do. I've corrected him twice about it, but don't anymore. It just bugs me that I'm busting my hump to become an RN, yet anyone that works in healthcare feels they can call themselves one.

I'm so careful, I don't even call myself an SN while at work, and don't call myself an LNA while in clinical!

I don't know why people can't be proud of what they are. Some of the best tips and knowledge I've gotten on the job has been from the LNA's, many of which are career LNA's. THey're damn good at what they do! It's bothersome that some feel it all comes down to you're either a nurse, or have to claim to be one to be recognized.

Anyway, I kept my mouth shut when this LNA/MA was going off, but I so wanted to say, "So if you're the same as an RN, why won't the hospital or the state recognize you as one? Why? Because you aren't. You may as well call yourself an astronaut. You aren't one of those either!"

Okay, back to the regularly scheduled programming.

[AmericanRN]

hoping not to get lynched.....I was a CMA that called myself a nurse. Now that I am actually about to graduate from nursing school, I am incredibly ashamed that I ever did that, or even thought that what I had amounted to any kind of nursing education. Don't get me wrong, I was very good at my job, skill wise and knowledge wise, but no where close to where I am now. No they are not the same, and NO ONE that has not gone thru what we go thru in order to be pinned deserves to call themselves a nurse.

I think it was awesome that you admitted to doing that and felt bad about it. Maybe some can learn from your post and you do not deserve to be flamed. We all make mistakes.

With that being said people should learn from your mistake and be aware that there are job descriptions that will brook no lies (small or otherwise) when it comes to the law and that's stating one is a nurse, judge, doctor, a member of any of the special forces or law enforcement officer.

These are felony offense and usually enforced by jail, steep fines, and supervised 4-5 year long probations or paroles. Also with the advent of the internet fakes are being plastered all over many sites and one can be banned for life from many career fields.

Knowlege of a job and it's duties can never be replaced by book learning and paperwork alone but the cold, hard fact is that without the proper licenses, certifications to back the knowlege up it is fraud.

Like I said though you should be applauded not flamed for your honesty.

[jelorde37]

I think it was awesome that you admitted to doing that and felt bad about it. Maybe some can learn from your post and you do not deserve to be flamed. We all make mistakes.

With that being said people should learn from your mistake and be aware that there are job descriptions that will brook no lies (small or otherwise) when it comes to the law and that's stating one is a nurse, judge, doctor, a member of any of the special forces or law enforcement officer.

These are felony offense and usually enforced by jail, steep fines, and supervised 4-5 year long probations or paroles. Also with the advent of the internet fakes are being plastered all over many sites and one can be banned for life from many career fields.

Knowlege of a job and it's duties can never be replaced by book learning and paperwork alone but the cold, hard fact is that without the proper licenses, certifications to back the knowlege up it is fraud.

Like I said though you should be applauded not flamed for your honesty.

very well written. i could almost feel a feeling of mercy as i was reading that post. but the truth is that one cannot claim to be something they are not. these titles that we possess are here to inform the public of our duties and accountablity. i believe in cost effective healthcare, and as much as i respect MAs for being cost effective, they are not nurses and their education, although quite similar in procedures, differs greatly from nursing education. for one thing, we nurses can be held accountable for our actions or actions of people under us.

heres a little story, im an lvn, my friend is a CMA. ive been a nurse for about two years and shes been an MA for a little over 10 years. about 2 months ago, we were at school waiting for class to start when this guy breaks out into a grand mal seizure. my friend gets anxious and panics, while my nursing education kicks in and i quickly turn the guy on his side and untighten his shirt/necklace/anything that will compromise the respiratory system. my friend continues to panic due to the fact that the guy is seizing, shes never been in this kind of situation, and doesnt know what to do. so here i am trying to calm her down while caring for this guy and making sure he's not having any respiratory problem. eventually he stops seizing, goes into his postictal period, and i continue to monitor for status epilepticus until EMTs and the school nurse arrives. this just shows how nursing is adaptable to any situation, and that not all people can be called nurse.

so thats just my two cents.