Med assistants are nurses?

So the secretaries at this specialty clinic call the medical assistants "nurses". Three times they told me about the "nurses" who are actually medical assistants.  I am a patient there.Never in my life has this occured. Can I assume the doctor knows this or told them to say they have nurses?  He told me they are assistants, later.  Odd, isn't it?

[unreal, ASN, RN]

I was a medical assistant in a doctors office many many years ago... before I became a nurse. I always introduced myself as a medical assistant and my name tag specified that, as well. Still, there was always at least one person...usually a front office person who referred to the MAs as nurses even after being corrected. I think that is just the 'go to' title for clinical staff who work in the back office and assist the doctors...at least it was in my situation.

[beachynurse, ASN, BSN]

That is true, however, the Nurse Practice Act clearly states that the only people able to call themselves nurses are RN's and LPN's. Calling a Medical Assistant, CNA's nurses can be considered fraudulent, and can be reported to the Boards. That needs to be corrected immediately. When I go to the MD, if they are a medical assistant that is how they are addressed, at least by me. They really don't like it, they prefer the Nurse title, I have reminded more than one that this can be construed as fraud.