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

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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.

Specializes in Emergency Dept, M/S.

I agree that everyone in scrubs starts to look the same, at least with the nurses and aides in our dept. The food service staff all wear blue aprons over their regular clothes, and housekeeping wear the same color scrubs (though staff know this, patients probably do not).

At one hospital I did clinical at, all the LNA's wore the same print for scrub tops/jacket. Nurses could wear whatever they wanted. Our school scrubs make it pretty easy to identify us. Bright blue scrubs (we look like smurfs!) and not only our hospital badge says "Student", but our scrubs are embroidered with our college name, and we have to wear a college ID pin with our name.

I'm not one that wants to go back to white uniforms, but I agree that hospitals should put some effort into making people more identifiable (like lab coats for lab personnel, etc). I think most don't want to spend the money on uniforms - I know mine doesn't. I try to make sure my badge is always visible when I'm working (it turns around all the time), and I always say that I'm a nurses aide. I don't even use the term LNA, since many people don't know what that is.

I just remembered something that was really helpful, from when I was hospitalized last winter for a few days. There was a small dry erase board in the room by each bed, and on it was my RN's name and my LNA's name. When shift changed, the new RN and LNA would each change their name on the board when they came in to see me. I think something like that would be helpful for confused pt's, family, whomever.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Pediatrics, Geriatrics.

The identifying factor is definitely an issue, but even so, one SHOULD (not saying it always happens but should) be taught not to falsely represent themselves as something they are not.

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I am proud to say I am an SPN.

Student Practical Nurse :) Tracy

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Specializes in Critical Care, Pediatrics, Geriatrics.
I am proud to say I am an SPN.

Student Practical Nurse :) Tracy

Yes! Be proud of what you are. If you are an MA, then you went through training and studied and have a valuable scope of practice that many MDs find desireable. No need to try and make yourself appear more important by referring to yourself by another more advanced title. I am one proud nursing student myself....at this point, I certainly do not want to be mistaken for an RN!!!!! I need some more time and experience:rotfl:

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Specializes in Emergency Dept, M/S.
Yes! Be proud of what you are. If you are an MA, then you went through training and studied and have a valuable scope of practice that many MDs find desireable. No need to try and make yourself appear more important by referring to yourself by another more advanced title. I am one proud nursing student myself....at this point, I certainly do not want to be mistaken for an RN!!!!! I need some more time and experience:rotfl:

EXACTLY!! On all points! LOL

It makes me wonder how many lawsuits have stemmed from a non-nurse medical person misrepresenting themselves as a nurse. Probably quite a few! Same with a non-MD misrepresenting themselves as a doctor.

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Specializes in OR.
My brother's GF is a surgical tech. I asked her how she liked working surg and how it compared to working on as an RN on a Surg floor. She said the surg tech's get to do the "fun stuff" and the nurses more or less played fetch for the docs. Now, I don't know if this is true, but the statement was kind of condescending.

As for the MA thing, I always thought an MA was like a CNA that worked in a doctor's office. I think these people probably have a chip on their shoulder for not getting the ADN and maybe realizing it would have been worth it after the fact. Who knows?

Suzi

I'm a surg tech and a nursing student and I hope to be an OR nurse. Trust me, they do more than "fetch" for the docs. Also, depending on where you work-the R.Ns get to scrub and circulate. I agree with this-I think all OR nurses should know how to scrub. The RNs position patients(which is important-you can injure someone permanantly if you do it wrong) assess patients, interview them pre-op, and act as the patient advocate. I think you are right about some people being resentful that they didn't go to nursing school-I sure wish I had done it sooner!!!:uhoh21:
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Oh MAs - this topic boils my blood. My doctors office has "medical assistants" that are nothing more then biology majors who intend to go to med school who are trained to do vitals, etc. at my doc's office. They do not, as far as I can tell, have any certification or training. They let them take blood, do TB skin tests, give injections, etc. The RN on duty "supervises" them. So I go in to get my Hep vax for nursing school and I overhear the "MA" aka biology undergrad major getting instructions from the RN outside the door on how to do an IM injection. When I heard the RN tell her to be careful "not to hit the bone" I grabbed my coat and left. I called the RN a bit later and explained to her why I left. She was very nice about it, apologized and offered to give me the shot herself. Each time after that when I when in to finish the series, I specifically asked that the RN or LPN on duty give me the shot. They don't even let us do IMs until second semester - there is no way I was going to let this 19-year-old "MA" aka biology major who asked the nurse "what is an IM shot?" give me an injection. Needless to say, whenever I asked for a nurse to give me the injection, I got a lot of attitude.

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Hi

I just wanted to comment (I guess I should have done that in my above post) I went to school for MA right before getting accepted into nursing school. I am a certified Phlebotomist, EKG tech, and CMA. We did learn injections, but I even said during the course, I would never let a CMA give me a shot!!

In my Dr. office as well, they pass of the MA's as Nurses. So since I am in nursing and the present themselves as nurses, I ask oh LPN or RN. They say no MA. I feel like saying so you know you aren't a nurse then right? But I dont'. Also the great thing is that my CMA teacher always STRESSED how we were MA's and not nurses and never to misrepresent ourselves. Be proud of what you are.

I love being a nursing student. It is so great. Take care, Tracy

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.
Hi

I just wanted to comment (I guess I should have done that in my above post) I went to school for MA right before getting accepted into nursing school. I am a certified Phlebotomist, EKG tech, and CMA. We did learn injections, but I even said during the course, I would never let a CMA give me a shot!!

In my Dr. office as well, they pass of the MA's as Nurses. So since I am in nursing and the present themselves as nurses, I ask oh LPN or RN. They say no MA. I feel like saying so you know you aren't a nurse then right? But I dont'. Also the great thing is that my CMA teacher always STRESSED how we were MA's and not nurses and never to misrepresent ourselves. Be proud of what you are.

I love being a nursing student. It is so great. Take care, Tracy

Would be interesting to point out the legal implications to this, and report it annonymously. Good luck in your studies :)

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This issue bothers me, too. My sister-in-law is a MA. For several years (and to this day) she referred to herself as a nurse. I didn't know she wasn't until I overheard her tell someone that 'she does what the RN's do - she just didn't want to get the degree because that means more responsibility.' No kidding!! I guess I assumed she was a 'nurse' because she said she was. I never questioned her credentials. Since I've been in school, I have come to realize what a mistake she is making saying that! It has become a major peeve of mine and I don't hesitate to correct her when she misrepresents herself in front of me. I didn't think about the legal ramifications, though. Maybe I should bring this to her attention :rolleyes:

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
I didn't know she wasn't until I overheard her tell someone that 'she does what the RN's do - she just didn't want to get the degree because that means more responsibility.'

Se when i read this, it doesn't make a bit of sense, because if she really DID do what the RNs do, then that WOULDN'T be more responsibility.

Seriously, there may be laws against false representation, but if they were actually enforced, THAT would be key. :stone

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Specializes in Me Surge.
As far a time frame, CNA (where I live) take one course (basic patient care) that is one semester (6 units). CMA goes through a program taking several different courses (many requiring pre-[As a CMA I do patient intake, where I take vitals (weight, B/P, pulse, resp, temp) I draw blood, give injections, remove sutures, run office tests such as glucose, test urine for bacteria and do bacteria count of spun urine under a scope, hematocrit/hemoglobin, ]

Anyone can be trained to test a hgb and hct but a nurse can look at the result and interpret if anemia is present and what type. Can you tell is folate, B12 or iron deficiency anemia? Can you look at differential and tell what type of infection is present?

[puls-ox, EKGs, strep screens, mono screens, pregnancy testing, steralizing etc. I also set up for and assist with office procedures, paps, excisions, sigmoidoscopys, complete physicals (have to get all vitals plus do a hearing exam, check for color blindness and peripheral vision.]quote

Anyone can be trained to perform these tests but a nurse can tell oyu the pathology and management of mono for example.

[i also do all the paper work for labs done in the office, I do referrals, make appoint ments for patients at the hospital for tests we do not run (ex. x-rays, glucose tollerance tests etc) call in medication, and call patients with test results, basic patient education etc.]quote

Do you realize that patient education is outisde the scope of practice of an MA? An MA can perform all these tests but only a nurse can educate the patient regaridng their illness, medication and treatment. Maybe in your state its allowed but I've never heard of it.

[We have to know a lot of stuff that nurses might not (partly because they do not need it) such a all the current medications, since we have to call in RXs and refills, so of course we have to know all the abbr.

I'm sorry tell me I'm reading this wrong. You need to know stuff nurses don't need to know like medications?!! I have no idea what they told you MA school about what nurses do but it seems you have some misconceptions.

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