why do many MAs and CNAs call themselves nurses?

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As I was taking care of a pt, she mentions she's also a nurse. I asked what her specialty is and where she works at. She says she works at a clinic as an MA. In my head, in what universe is an MA a nurse?!

Not all CNA's and MA's do this!! You are making it seem like it happens majority of the time. When I am quite sure that this is not the case!! Quite a few nurses that I have worked wiith are very lazy and think that they are up and above PCT's and I would NEVER feel the need to lie about being one of them!!

In terms of education, training, and legal liability, they ARE. Just as a NP is "above" an LPN/RN in those same ways. But a smart nurse knows that we all play important roles in the team and doesn't go out of his/her way to lord it over others.

The "big deal" is that in most states "nurse" is a legally protected term for very good reasons. It's no "honor" when someone who does not have the training/education/and legal liability tries to pass themselves off as a nurse or does not correct the notion that they are nurses. It's also illegal.

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Just as other professions outside of nurses save lives. I never even implied that saving lives only happens in acute care hospitals. OrganizedChaos first said that medical assistants only work in clinics and are never in a position to even perform CPR or save lives. An obviously ignorant and demeaning statement.

Also - patients that are circling the drain are not forbidden to enter clinics. I've also seen patients code in clinics. All I'm trying to say is these generalizations from OC are not respectful.

Moms, teachers, flight attendants, waitresses have all "saved lives" people who are not medically trained do cpr and inject epi pens daily.

I'm not sure what that has to do with anything.

Until you pass nclex you are not a nurse. You don't have the knowledge of the nurse. You aren't doing the same job as a nurse. You are not a nurse of any kind.

Why is this such a difficult concept for some people.

Maybe you should start an MA message board, so you can quit telling nurses how great you are.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
lol, really?! yet, nurses turn to techs for everything but you think it's laziness!!!??... ok.

Huh? We're not calling techs/aides/anyone lazy. We just don't like/it's illegal when they call they call themselves nurses. We're not talking about the care they give. Also, we don't turn to techs for *everything*.

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I've been a CNA for 20+ years, usually if someone asks me if I'm a nurse I say, "No, but I play one on TV" with a big smile and then explain to them that I am a nurse aide. I am studying to be a nurse, but there is no way in heck I would want nursing responsibility in a clinical setting.

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I worked in a facility that went to color coded scrubs for all staff & i threw a fit, mostly because I didn't want to wear the same color scrubs EVERY DAY and I didn't think housekeeping, maintenance & dietary should be in scrubs at all (uniforms yes, scrubs, no) of course it didn't get me far & a couple years later they started letting people wear whatever color they wanted again...

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

I remain hospitalized in a LTACH. I have been hospitalized for 7 months......both acute care when I battled for my life and Long Term Acute care where I continue to recover.....here is what I learned. Nurses and CNA's/PCT are all important to the chain of care that leads to the patient.'s

My life has been saved by the EMT's for driving me to the hospital and the Paramedics they met with because of my deteriorating condition who saved my life. To the ED tech who was able to draw my blood and placed my foley and the RN traveler who was able to find the one and only vein I had. To the paramedics who transported my critical behind to the higher level of care/ICU at a world known facility where I battled sepsis that was missed by those of higher education ie: my surgeon for a SBO. To the ICU tech who lovingly washed my hair and made me feel human once again....to the any number of CNA's PCT's RN's who assisted me in my personal needs after the use of a bedpan/commode.....to the brand new CNA who found my hr of 30 and notified the nurse who found complete heart block that resulted in the placement of a permanent pacemaker.....and yes....saved my life again.

What I KNOW! I know that it takes a village of people to care for the patients. Whether it is the transport aide to the xray tech to the CT tech to the cath lab to the IR lab....... Each person just as important as the last and the next who will care for you. There are those who love what they are doing and those who hate what they are doing and I will tell you that the patient knows which is which with little to no effort.

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Even sick you still run circles around us, Esme.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

Now....there are laws in most states that protect the title of RN. Most of these laws state that no one may use the term RN or nurse without graduating from a school and has passed the NCLEX granting licensure. Title "Nurse" Protection

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

So do doctors use MA's instead of nurses in the office? Yes they do. Do they call them "the nurse"? Yes they do. When I have heard this I corrected the MD and the MA that in my state it is unlawful to call oneself a nurse without proper schooling and licensure.....they at least had the decency to look embarrassed however I am sure nothing changed.

We as nurses have allowed this to slowly take over our profession and when there were enough jobs no one cared...well someone should have cared. The more we say isn't our job the less we will be needed at the bedside. We need to be very careful in educating ourselves that we do not educated ourselves out of a job.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Even sick you still run circles around us, Esme.
LOL Thanks......LOLOLOL
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I have seen clinics where "primary nurses" that work one-on-one with the doctors are MAs. It is confusing to have an MA be titled as a "primary nurse".

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I personally think it's because they want to seem higher up than they actually are.

What I've experienced most is people saying they're licensed when they're a CNA...and as you all know, CNAs don't have licenses, they have a certification, hence the title CNA (CERTIFIED Nursing Assistant). But I hear "Oh I'm getting my CNA license" all the time!

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