why do many MAs and CNAs call themselves nurses?

A&Ox6, MSN, RN · Oct 11, 2015

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?!

Just wanted to let you know that ok now a few nurses who work as MAs because they had the job during nursing school and haven't found a job as an RN yet. In my metro area, there are a number of nurses in a his situation. I have interviewed a few of them for positions, and some fulfill nursing tasks but have not been given the job title nurse because of salary issues. Others continue to only complete MA tasks.

OCNRN63, RN · Oct 11, 2015

I am a proud CNA, 27yrs and CNA 2 for 3yrs in NC. None of us (NA,MA, LPN,RN) are paid what we are worth. I've worked in 3 states, in hospitals, in pvt,state and unionized.Patients (in my experience don't care who takes care of them) really don't know the difference. The person they see the most (CNA) is the nurse and the least is the doctor. Explaining doesn't seem to matter to them. Acute care isn't for everyone. Flippant attitudes are also received from nurses as well.The comments of "what they didn't go to school for". It seems they forgot they had to do CNA work before Nurses' work. I'm that CNA that would remind them of this. Team work is always easier than "me" or "you". Hospitals aides do work too. Nurses sit on their butts as well. Nursing today sucks, too many have forgotton about the PATIENTS. Hoping never to become one of those nurses. I'm sure I won't because I plan on keeping my CNA certification current as a reminder(working as one).

Patients do indeed care about who is providing their care. I'm not sure how you can state that "nursing today sucks" when you have not had to bear the responsibility that a licensed professional nurse does. Aides are important, but they are not nurses.

Tenebrae, BSN, RN · Oct 12, 2015

. Nurses sit on their butts as well. Nursing today sucks, too many have forgotton about the PATIENTS.

This is what I did yesterday when I was sitting on my butt.

- write and send the referral for the patient who is cognitively declining, so much so having previously been very tidily dressed now wondering around naked. (30 minutes)

- write up the wound documentation from the day before for the patient with a grade 1 pressure ulcer (20 minutes)

- write up the wound documentation from the patient with bilateral leg ulcers (30 minutes)

- Clinical review of patient B, approx 90 minutes for the review. Started rewriting the care plan which needs to be done (30 minutes)

- Interrai review assessment (approx 50 minutes)

Total time 4 hours and 10 minutes. Not necessarily getting at you persay. Many of my HCAs also complain about these pesky nurses who sit on their butts. They dont seem to understand exactly what we are mandated to do in our roles as RNs and assume that any sitting down time must be "nurses being lazy time).

Add to that 4 hours and 10 minutes admin, another 90 minutes to declog a badly clogged catheter, liasing with the doctors because of the patients acute condition and having to write those notes.

We havent forgotten about the patients, its simply a case of we are drowning in all the admin we are expected to do for the patients. I could easily fill up my entire shift with required admin without doing any hands on nursing care

SleeepyRN · Oct 12, 2015

I am a proud CNA, 27yrs and CNA 2 for 3yrs in NC. None of us (NA,MA, LPN,RN) are paid what we are worth. I've worked in 3 states, in hospitals, in pvt,state and unionized.Patients (in my experience don't care who takes care of them) really don't know the difference. The person they see the most (CNA) is the nurse and the least is the doctor. Explaining doesn't seem to matter to them. Acute care isn't for everyone. Flippant attitudes are also received from nurses as well.The comments of "what they didn't go to school for". It seems they forgot they had to do CNA work before Nurses' work. I'm that CNA that would remind them of this. Team work is always easier than "me" or "you". Hospitals aides do work too. Nurses sit on their butts as well. Nursing today sucks, too many have forgotton about the PATIENTS. Hoping never to become one of those nurses. I'm sure I won't because I plan on keeping my CNA certification current as a reminder(working as one).

In my state and I know in many others, one is not allowed to simultaneously have a license in nursing and a nursing assistant certificate.

I'm going to be very honest. When I was a CNA at a hospital, I thought the nurses were b*tch*s and seemed uncaring. Now that I AM a nurse, I see the picture more clearly now. They were simply BUSY, sick of pt. load, and tired. I came across some nurses that just seemed to have terrible attitudes. Then I saw some of them behind closed doors, and they left their problems at the patient's door and we're wonderful to the patients.

Gotta love when Non-nurses come here and tell us what our attitudes and behavior be.

Nibbles1 · Oct 12, 2015

I was reading on the Texas Nurse Board that SB1753 requires name badges to say REGISTERED NURSE, LICENSED VOCATIONAL NURSE, NURSE MIDWIFE, CLINICAL NURSE SPECIALIST not just RN, LVN, CNS, etc... it goes on to state that hospitals have until 09-01-19 (3yrs) to implement this.

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · Oct 12, 2015

Nurses sit on their butts as well.

Not at my facility. We don't have stools or chairs. Even our computers for charting are the stand up kind, so we don't even get to sit down while charting. The only time I ever get to sit down is if I'm lucky enough to take a lunch.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Oct 12, 2015

Unless she's Alicia Keys' twin sister, LOL....it ain't her! Name....probably not either.
As for the rest of her post, it was just too poorly written for me to even understand what it was she was attempting to say. Made no sense. So I scrolled on by... :)

Thanks for the info about the picture -- and here I thought she was one of those young, beautiful posters . . . .

**Elektra6, ASN, BSN, RN** · Oct 12, 2015

The problem, as stated numerous times, is that patients are trusting that they are receiving accurate information from somebody who went to school and obtained a degree.
Even though I am a Registered Nurse, I know only the very basics about, say Neurology. If I had a neurology appointment and was made to believe that the MA is a nurse with a work background in neurology, I'm going to be inclined to listen to and maybe believe his/her patient teaching.
A non-healthcare professional would have no idea to question this patient teaching. That is incredibly dangerous.

Yes! I have a real problem with this too.

sailornurse · Oct 12, 2015

We have a repeat visitor here who has posed as an RN under three different screen names in the past few months. She is delusional and likes to rant about how CNAs are mistreated and equal to Nurses. I am reasonably sure that she is crazy enough to pose as a nurse inside and outside of work as well.

And that brings up nursing imposters! Texas BNE has pictures of them in newsletter.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses

typoagain · Oct 12, 2015

Oh don't get me wrong, they get mailed if they use the title RN or LVN. The states mail's out a list to all nurses every quarter of people who are in trouble and being prosecuted for just that.

What they let them get away with doing is saying quote "I am a nurse." As long as they don't say "I am an RN" or "I am an LVN" they let him get away with it.

I don't know about you, but I never introduced myself to my patients as "I am your registered nurse" Instead I just walk in tell them my name and say "I am going to be one of the nurses caring for you tonight."

typoagain · Oct 12, 2015

I've been doing this long enough now that I think I actually know what happens. The fact is the only time anyone gets in trouble for calling themselves a nurse is it they are lying and actually working as a nurse without a license.

It does happen. And people are prosecuted for that.

Sadly enough, it is left up to the local district attorney to prosecute. All the all the board does is make a referral. Many times people are fired from jobs where they have been working claiming to be a nurse for several months and are never prosecuted. That is, until they've done it 2 or 3 times.

I just find it very difficult to believe there are so many long-term care facilities that don't check to make sure a person has an active license when it is so easy to do!

aqua_clementine · Oct 12, 2015

My FNP refers to her Medical Assistant as her "nurse" and it irks me so much. I am an RN, my NP knows this and she worked for a long time in hospitals and such and *should* know the difference. If I were in her position, I'd say--"the tech (or assistant) will be taking your vitals, then I'll be with you soon." Not, "my nurse..."

I've put years into my education, and my license reads "Registered Nurse." I was also a LPN and my license read, "Licensed Practical Nurse." and before that I was a CNA, and my certification stated, "Certified Nursing Assistant." I agree that if your license states that you're a nurse, you can call yourself a nurse--otherwise, you're not a nurse and it's fraudulent to call yourself one.