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?!

Specializes in Women's Health.

I do not like when MA's and CNA's call themselves nurses. It is offensive. They do not take the NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN exam and have not been adequately trained as nurses. This practice is very common in outpatient settings based on personal experience. At the last practice where I worked, I saw a MA put nurse on her business card and giving it to patients. I feel this is equivilant to an NP or PA putting MD on their business card and calling themselves a doctor. Words are one thing but to start putting it on documents and letterhead is another. In my opinion, I think these types of issues should be addressed by the state board of nursing and subject to penalty.

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In my opinion, I think these types of issues should be addressed by the state board of nursing and subject to penalty.

In many states, they ARE. I think there is a very good case to brought against any MA handing out business cards with the title "nurse" on it in any state in which "nurse" is a legally protected title. It's one thing to not correct a mistaken patient. It is another thing altogether to impersonate a nurse and pass out the evidence to every Tom, Dick, and Harry.

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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

Thank you!!! This drives me up the wall!

The majority of people think we are having "down time" or being lazy when we are sitting.

There is SO MUCH behind the scenes computer and paperwork, phone calls, receiving and ordering meds, charting, ordering labs and radiology, reviewing labs and radiology and relaying to MD/NP....

I want a sign at the nursing station that says "No, we are not just sitting, we are working." Not really but I wish people knew how hard we work for them and their family members.

So many times I'm out 2-3 hours after shift because of admissions, codes, family taking up so much of my time like I have no other patients.... I would love to be home with my family, but I don't complain about staying late. I know I signed up for that. But the perception people have of us, God forbid, sitting....incredibly angers me.

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In my state, Texas, you can call yourself a nurse if you work in a doctors office. You can do this with even wirhout getting a high school education much less any further training. It is an old old loophole the doctors used to use to get inexpensive help in their office. Legally the doctor is responsible for everything they do. And they are working under the doctor's license not their own.

I run into it all the time and I hate it.

So you backpedaled on this later, but I am going to respond to this again in the event others didn't realize you addressed this again (you didn't include quotes so not everyone would have known to what you were referring).

I emailed the Texas BON about this issue. There is no "loophole" and never has been. From the response I received:

Please note, medical assistants or staff that are delegated to perform tasks under a physician are not licensed in the state of Texas. However, Rule §217.10 states only a person who holds a valid current license as registered nurse or a vocation nurse may be referred to as a nurse. Rule 217.10(7-8) states no other person may use the title or abbreviation with the word nurse” and if someone uses the title or abbreviation to mislead or imply that the individual is licensed as a nurse may be subject to potential violation or prosecution under the applicable law.

Now, do MAs do this and get away with it? Yeah, I'm sure this happens on a daily basis.

The Texas BON web site has links to help report things like this. While it may not lead to any significant action, it wouldn't hurt to report a doctor's office where this is a problem and let them know that you have done so. If enough people do it, it MIGHT make an impact.

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Specializes in ER/Tele, Med-Surg, Faculty, Urgent Care.

I work in an urgent care/primary care clinic. A few years ago one of the other NPs came out of an exam room & asked, "where are the nurses?" To which I replied, the only nurses in this clinic are you & me! He said, you are right. The medical assistants are not nurses. But they were saying to patients, " the nurse will call you back". I talked with office manager & explained it is illegal to say you are a nurse when you are MA. She promptly ordered name tags for the MAs that read Medical Assistant & further instructed all the MAs to stop saying they were nurses. She did not know it was illegal to say nurses. 7 years later they still identify themselves as MAs.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses

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My fb friend I was speaking of earlier just called herself miss nurse. Ugh I'm so irritated. I did just ask if she was an lvn/RN because that's an "awesome accomplishment". I da*n well know she's a CNA and there's nothing wrong with that!

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A CNA is a certified nurse assistant, granted we don't administer meds or shouldn't, yet we are trained in the medical field with procedures and terminology yes the studied should continue to become licenced but everyone starts somewhere and I think it's a unity like cops brothers in blue, yes I am an x police officer, it's giving back and tending to the care of the patients that is a common goal so not to take credit away from RNs or LVNs ,CNA and MA do have a place in the nursing realm. ..Together we stand, divided we fall.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
A CNA is a certified nurse assistant, granted we don't administer meds or shouldn't, yet we are trained in the medical field with procedures and terminology yes the studied should continue to become licenced but everyone starts somewhere and I think it's a unity like cops brothers in blue, yes I am an x police officer, it's giving back and trending to the care of the patients that is a common goal so not to take credit away from RNs or LVNs ,CNA and MA do have a place in the nursing realm. ..Together we stand, divided we fall.

You are missing the point. Yes we all work together but this is all about CNA/Techs/med aides/medical assistants calling themselves nurses.

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Specializes in Telemetry.
A CNA is a certified nurse assistant, granted we don't administer meds or shouldn't, yet we are trained in the medical field with procedures and terminology yes the studied should continue to become licenced but everyone starts somewhere and I think it's a unity like cops brothers in blue, yes I am an x police officer, it's giving back and tending to the care of the patients that is a common goal so not to take credit away from RNs or LVNs ,CNA and MA do have a place in the nursing realm. ..Together we stand, divided we fall.

Actually, if a Medical Assistant has any formal training (not all do) that training is under the medical model NOT the nursing model.

And a CNA, though very important, is not any type of nurse. Only Registered and Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses are nurses and no one else should claim the title.

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My fb friend I was speaking of earlier just called herself miss nurse. Ugh I'm so irritated. I did just ask if she was an lvn/RN because that's an "awesome accomplishment". I da*n well know she's a CNA and there's nothing wrong with that!

Except in her mind, obvs. And on her FB page.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.
A CNA is a certified nurse assistant, granted we don't administer meds or shouldn't, yet we are trained in the medical field with procedures and terminology yes the studied should continue to become licenced but everyone starts somewhere and I think it's a unity like cops brothers in blue, yes I am an x police officer, it's giving back and tending to the care of the patients that is a common goal so not to take credit away from RNs or LVNs ,CNA and MA do have a place in the nursing realm. ..Together we stand, divided we fall.

I serve on a team of medical professionals to tend to the care of the patient. But I only call myself what I am - not a doctor, not a CNA .......an RN. Doing so does not take anything away from teamwork, fellowship, camaraderie, or service to the patient.

What does ruin a sense of teamwork is a member who fails to observe his or her proper place on the team. Pretense toward a higher position or role simply indicates a poor self-worth and/or inability to recognize reality. Neither of which attribute is helpful in the workplace.

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Ok just to clarify I do agree one should not claim to be something they are not if your a CNA then be proud of that that doesn't undermine you in any means in the medical profession but don't disillusion yourself thinking your an RN title does matter.

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