why do many MAs and CNAs call themselves nurses?

ORDC · Sep 30, 2015

But as you have pointed out, you are not a nurse, and most of us decrying the use of the title nurse when it has not been earned are nurses. So maybe that is why we disagree with you.

If I passed the NCLEX-RN, am I nurse or no?

Serious question! I do not feel like one. I am the alpha male type, so I have been described. . .haha A male professor said, "You are a "murse."

AmyRN303, BSN, RN · Sep 30, 2015

If I passed the NCLEX-RN, am I nurse or no?
Serious question! I do not feel like one. I am the alpha male type, so I have been described. . .haha A male professor said, "You are a "murse."

You are, though you say you don't feel like one. Is that because it's still so new? There are so many different capacities for nurses....even big male alpha murses :) you'll find your niche!

AcclrtdBSNstudent · Sep 30, 2015

I think this brings up a good point about respecting patients perceptions. Patients don't know who she is who he is that just walked it. We need to 1. Attempt to wear uniforms that distinguish us.. (So if the pt says oh yes one of my nurses in the royal blue...) Magnet hospitals are required to do this. 2. We need to write out names in our pt rooms, and wear our badges not in the center out our boobs people, but up HIGH, so patients and families can see who we are if they forget and what our role is.

I can hardly remember peoples names etc when Im feeling my best so I can only imagine how helpful it is when we as their healthcare TEAM help out and differentiate. :)

Acclrtdbsnstudent :)

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.

ORDC · Sep 30, 2015

For my part, I think that CNAs and MAs who do this because being a CNA and MA may not be prestigious enough. As one of the posters said, it is about teamwork. They should be proud to be CNAs and MAs. I recall I was house sitting for my brother, and he is a big shot super rich dude with a huge home, etc. And I had a great time doing it! I remember friends of mine saying, "Do you tell these girls that this is your house?" I said, "Why would I do that?! Why would I lie? The truth is good enough." The truth should be good enough. But again, people insecure. After reading all these posts, my suggestion if you have to deal with one of these people, approach them. Let them know initially that they are a valued team member. They are unique and one of the best at what they do and should be proud of it. That you agree that they are underpaid and under appreciated. But that they cannot refer to themselves as nurses because it is a legal and liability issue. You may add by challenging them, are you embarrassed by your job title? Or ask if they want to be a nurse you can encourage them to find outlets that can work with their schedule and budget to become one.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Sep 30, 2015

I think this brings up a good point about respecting patients perceptions. Patients don't know who she is who he is that just walked it. We need to 1. Attempt to wear uniforms that distinguish us.. (So if the pt says oh yes one of my nurses in the royal blue...) Magnet hospitals are required to do this. 2. We need to write out names in our pt rooms, and wear our badges not in the center out our boobs people, but up HIGH, so patients and families can see who we are if they forget and what our role is.
I can hardly remember peoples names etc when Im feeling my best so I can only imagine how helpful it is when we as their healthcare TEAM help out and differentiate. :)
Acclrtdbsnstudent :)
Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.

How nice that you, an Accelerated BSN student, know all about how nurses should be conducting themselves professionally. My WORD, I don't know how I got past the first forty years of nursing without your enlightening words of wisdom.

Color coded uniforms do not distinguish us as nurses. Even with the color coding chart in their hands, patients and their family members cannot distinguish the nurse from the CNA from the dietary aide. Color coding is just one more way for Administration to demonstrate that their collective foot is firmly planted on our collective necks.

Magnet is a crock of bovine feces.

Writing out our names in patient rooms works only if patients can SEE the board, READ the board, and give a rip that your name is "Nancy" and not "Nursey." Patients and family members have demonstrated an uncanny lack of ability to read name tags as well, even if you put a 3 X 6 inch tag on your chest proclaiming "RN", they STILL don't know for sure who the nurse is. I doubt that's reading comprehension.

But I'm sure, since you know it all, you'll be jumping right in to tell me I'm wrong.

AmyRN303, BSN, RN · Sep 30, 2015

How nice that you, an accelerated BSN student, know all about how nurses should be conducting themselves professionally. My WORD, I don't know how I got past the first forty years of nursing without your enlightening words of wisdom.
Color coded uniforms do not distinguish us as nurses. Even with the color coding chart in their hands, patients and their family members cannot distinguish the nurse from the CNA from the dietary aide. Color coding is just one more way for Administration to demonstrate that their collective foot is firmly planted on our collective necks.
Magnet is a crock of bovine feces.
Writing out our names in patient rooms works only if patients can SEE the board, READ the board, and give a rip that your name is "Nancy" and not "Nursey." Patients and family members have demonstrated an uncanny lack of ability to read name tags as well, even if you put a 3 X 6 inch tag on your chest proclaiming "RN", they STILL don't know for sure who the nurse is. I doubt that's reading comprehension.
But I'm sure, since you know it all, you'll be jumping right in to tell me I'm wrong.

*****standing up, applauding*****

BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN · Sep 30, 2015

Studies show that color-coding scrubs actually does not "work". Patients still believe anyone wearing scrubs is a nurse. I've never heard of magnet hospitals being REQUIRED to do this.

I think this brings up a good point about respecting patients perceptions. Patients don't know who she is who he is that just walked it. We need to 1. Attempt to wear uniforms that distinguish us.. (So if the pt says oh yes one of my nurses in the royal blue...) Magnet hospitals are required to do this. 2. We need to write out names in our pt rooms, and wear our badges not in the center out our boobs people, but up HIGH, so patients and families can see who we are if they forget and what our role is.
I can hardly remember peoples names etc when Im feeling my best so I can only imagine how helpful it is when we as their healthcare TEAM help out and differentiate. :)
Acclrtdbsnstudent :)
Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.

thenursemandy · Sep 30, 2015

A girl that I worked with was a no call, no show.

A few days later she showed up. Her excuse for not coming? A tornado pushed her car off the road and she need stitches on her scalp. I sympathized and tried to look at her scalp. I don't know why she wouldn't let me see!!!

AcclrtdBSNstudent · Sep 30, 2015

*****standing up, applauding*****

I actually enjoyed reading your response. I 100% agree, that all the 'crap' and rules and administration behind healthcare cannot measure or distinguish a nurse. What I CAN tell you is that you don't respect my response because I'm not even graduated. Fine. I respect that. All I can tell you is I have been in healthcare, my whole life, since my best friend died in elementary. I've been in this field since then. Aside from other positions I worked my way up and worked in risk management and had the most intense, sad, miserable, depressed time of my life for that 2 years. Processes were changed, and improved but at near misses, or with some form of patient harm done. I investigated when things really did go wrong. I backed our patients, nurses, doctors, techs, etc. I spoke with families, to their face, when something went wrong. As far as the name tag thing goes.... I would rather a patient know my name. In situations I got names from patients for example: I heard "That nurse in the green" (That told me an aint or as we called, Patient Care technician) That nurse in the "royal blue" outfit on Saturday in the day......" that uniform color told me right then it was the nurse he is talking about. It's just another piece to that puzzle. Not to blame but to understand the patients perception. I have been and am committed to this field since I was a child etc. I don't need to prove to YOU that I can and am and WILL understand what my patients need.

Again, I do like your response though, I appreciated hearing your insight. Change is hard, magnet is real, it is here and it is backed by research. But all in all, I do agree, I have been in some areas of "Magnet" status places and I'm like this is a joke this is not magnet (And yes, I've talked to my state leader in VA about it).

Back to the point though about nursing assistants calling themselves nurses, yes there is a legal issue, but if we can do what we can to let them understand what we are doing and why and what our role is then hey, cool. What harm is there in that? We are a TEAM. Without the nurse aid there is no NURSE. Without the nurse there is no doctor etc.

meowmeowchirp, BSN · Sep 30, 2015

How nice that you, an accelerated BSN student, know all about how nurses should be conducting themselves professionally. My WORD, I don't know how I got past the first forty years of nursing without your enlightening words of wisdom.
Color coded uniforms do not distinguish us as nurses. Even with the color coding chart in their hands, patients and their family members cannot distinguish the nurse from the CNA from the dietary aide. Color coding is just one more way for Administration to demonstrate that their collective foot is firmly planted on our collective necks.
Magnet is a crock of bovine feces.
Writing out our names in patient rooms works only if patients can SEE the board, READ the board, and give a rip that your name is "Nancy" and not "Nursey." Patients and family members have demonstrated an uncanny lack of ability to read name tags as well, even if you put a 3 X 6 inch tag on your chest proclaiming "RN", they STILL don't know for sure who the nurse is. I doubt that's reading comprehension.
But I'm sure, since you know it all, you'll be jumping right in to tell me I'm wrong.

Actually we're being taught in nursing school the importance of returning to coloured uniforms. Many associations have reviewed studies and are coming forward recommending hospitals return to uniforms, with the discussion of implementing nation wide standards again. It's become a serious concern in recent years that patients are misidentifying health care workers, and that both time and potential accidents can be saved by making the identification easier across the board. Of course we are also being taught the importance of properly introducing yourself (including your credentials) at all times as part of this.

Now I'm in Canada so perhaps this isn't being discussed in the states.

It may also be your opinion that coloured uniforms serve no purpose, however that is not one shared with nursing associations, regulators or researchers.

lilleyrose · Sep 30, 2015

error in post location sorry

How nice that you, an accelerated BSN student, know all about how nurses should be conducting themselves professionally. My WORD, I don't know how I got past the first forty years of nursing without your enlightening words of wisdom.
Color coded uniforms do not distinguish us as nurses. Even with the color coding chart in their hands, patients and their family members cannot distinguish the nurse from the CNA from the dietary aide. Color coding is just one more way for Administration to demonstrate that their collective foot is firmly planted on our collective necks.
Magnet is a crock of bovine feces.
Writing out our names in patient rooms works only if patients can SEE the board, READ the board, and give a rip that your name is "Nancy" and not "Nursey." Patients and family members have demonstrated an uncanny lack of ability to read name tags as well, even if you put a 3 X 6 inch tag on your chest proclaiming "RN", they STILL don't know for sure who the nurse is. I doubt that's reading comprehension.
But I'm sure, since you know it all, you'll be jumping right in to tell me I'm wrong.

Ruby Vee, yes, you are wrong. My intelligence is higher than to waste my time answering your rude post to that person.

lilleyrose · Sep 30, 2015

error in post location sorry

I actually enjoyed reading your response. I 100% agree, that all the 'crap' and rules and administration behind healthcare cannot measure or distinguish a nurse. What I CAN tell you is that you don't respect my response because I'm not even graduated. Fine. I respect that. All I can tell you is I have been in healthcare, my whole life, since my best friend died in elementary. I've been in this field since then. Aside from other positions I worked my way up and worked in risk management and had the most intense, sad, miserable, depressed time of my life for that 2 years. Processes were changed, and improved but at near misses, or with some form of patient harm done. I investigated when things really did go wrong. I backed our patients, nurses, doctors, techs, etc. I spoke with families, to their face, when something went wrong. As far as the name tag thing goes.... I would rather a patient know my name. In situations I got names from patients for example: I heard "That nurse in the green" (That told me an aint or as we called, Patient Care technician) That nurse in the "royal blue" outfit on Saturday in the day......" that uniform color told me right then it was the nurse he is talking about. It's just another piece to that puzzle. Not to blame but to understand the patients perception. I have been and am committed to this field since I was a child etc. I don't need to prove to YOU that I can and am and WILL understand what my patients need.
Again, I do like your response though, I appreciated hearing your insight. Change is hard, magnet is real, it is here and it is backed by research. But all in all, I do agree, I have been in some areas of "Magnet" status places and I'm like this is a joke this is not magnet (And yes, I've talked to my state leader in VA about it).
Back to the point though about nursing assistants calling themselves nurses, yes there is a legal issue, but if we can do what we can to let them understand what we are doing and why and what our role is then hey, cool. What harm is there in that? We are a TEAM. Without the nurse aid there is no NURSE. Without the nurse there is no doctor etc.
Acclrtdbsnstudent :)
Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.

Very true. Research out shows that uniforms that are standardized between one role to another has it's benefits to our patients. Ignore the rude reply you got. It was just misinformed.