Medical Assistants being called nurses

Nurses Relations

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  1. Are you comfortable with MAs calling selves Nurses?

    • 56
      Are you receiving info in your MDs office from an MA who says they are Nurse?
    • 29
      Is it self to pose as a nurse if you are an MA in MD offices
    • 66
      Why are MDs allowing MAs to pose as nurses
    • 101
      Why is it not being addressed by BNE that MAs can not identify as Nurses
    • 31
      Who should give you diagnostic info if not md an MA?

13 members have participated

I have serious concerns about Md offices hiring medical assistants and calling themselves nurses. They are given diagnostic results and education to pts, but identify as nurses . I have had the experience and new immediately that I was not speaking to a nurse ended up calling 911 b/c the md would not return call, the MA was uncomfortable taking note to md and I was a post op pt. I am RN of 28yrs and out of 7 providers only one hires licensed nurses, were name badges. These other offices refer to the MAs as nurses and really have not seen this address. How long would it take if I said I was an md in an office before it would be addressed as a very serious matter? I think it is perfectly fine that Mds want to hire MAs, but is it ok that they say they are nurses and they are doing nursing duties? How comfortable are you with not knowing who is talking to you at the mds' office? I know it is not legal so why is this not a serious concern?

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
Correct

And what they are teaching you is erroneous information; does any of your professors have doctorates? They are allowed to be called Dr. As much as the NP who has a doctorate. :yes:

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Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.
Correct

Not correct.

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

Doctor does not = physician

Doctor = an individual that has earned a doctoral degree whether MD DO DDS DMD JD DNS DNP PhD EdD PsyD DSc DDiv DPT or any other doctoral level degree

DNP does not equal physician but nurse practitioner.

MD & DO = physician

It is a fallacy that a nurse who earned a doctoral degree is not entitled or "allowed" to use the title of doctor.

My sister doesn't use doctor. (though hard earned) as a title but prefers DDA or Esq instead. (She's a district attorney). My cousin uses the title doctor, she has a DPT and earned the degree, license and title. Perfectly legal. My other sister will use the title doctor as appropriate when she finishes her doctoral degree right now she's an MSN, PNP/APN, CNE trying to decide if she wants to go for DNP or doctorate in clinical nursing education.

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Perhaps if the MA and/or Physician, were arrested, and thrown in jail for a while, they would not do what they do.

When there are NO consequences for their actions, it will continue.

Perhaps a note on Craigslist, concerning this physician and his/her illegal office practices. Ask for current/former, patients, and ask the individuals if they were, "counseled", by these MAs. Get the groups together, and make a formal complaint to the Medical Board, and the BON. I would also contact the Department of Health, and the State Attorney General, who deals with fraud in the state.

That would get the attention of the physician and the Nurse Imposters. I would also contact the local news, and papers to get the information out there to the public.

JMHO and my NY $0.02

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN (ret)

Somewhere in the PACNW

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
If she maintains a license in any other state she may call herself a nurse

She was LAST licensed in Florida in 1998. Unless Florida issues 20 year licenses, it has probably expired. Unless she has an active license in the state where she is working, she cannot legally refer to herself as a nurse.

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Allnnmmia

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Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.
Well, the research goes both ways. Here's a study that found there was no difference in pain perception:

Does drawing up technique influe... [Aust N Z J Ment Health Nurs. 2000] - PubMed - NCBI

Here's one that shows it DOES make a difference in pain perception to change out the needle:

Effect on pain of changing the needle prior to ad... [J Adv Nurs. 2011] - PubMed - NCBI

I think the facility for whom I work (ha! take THAT, Brandon!) has decided that since the research is mixed, they're erring on the side of cost savings. The MAs with whom I work (shazam, again!) do switch out the needles. I only do if I'm entering the vial more than once.

Thank you for the info. I'll still continue changing and err on the side of comfort for the patient. It's still doesn't excuse them putting the syringe on the counter without a cap or capped needle on it. It's poor technique and makes me question MA education. It suggests they are taught tasks and no reasoning behind the task...and that can be a dangerous thing.

MAs can be great but I am overall concerned with how quickly we have our tasks that were once nursing only. There is a reason for our education and why tasks are done certain ways. I don't know that task teaching is always the best answer. They why is so important. The solid foundation is so important.

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It is called, "deskilling the nursing profession to point of extinction". The ultimate goal of the PTB.

JMHO and my NY $0.02

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN (ret)

Somewhere in the PACNW

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It is called, "deskilling the nursing profession to point of extinction". The ultimate goal of the PTB.

JMHO and my NY $0.02

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN (ret)

Somewhere in the PACNW

Yes, then more workers of the variety that ask where is the toilet to be cleaned, can be hired to do nursing. That actually was a remark made to me by a home health client who wondered where the employer was finding their "nurses".

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I have said " please don't use the title of nurse in front of me unless you are licensed to practice nursing in the State of Massachusetts."

I wonder if i could use the title nurse in front of you even though i am not licensed in Mass,but i am in South Carolina,Delaware and Nj?(All Non -compact states)

Also,can someone who was a nurse in Canada refer to themselves as a nurse in Nyc even though they are not licensed yet?

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I wonder if i could use the title nurse in front of you even though i am not licensed in Mass,but i am in South Carolina,Delaware and Nj?(All Non -compact states)

Also,can someone who was a nurse in Canada refer to themselves as a nurse in Nyc even though they are not licensed yet?

If you're licensed, you're a nurse.

However, if you're working in Massachusetts, you are not entitled to refer to yourself as a nurse at your place of employment unless you are actually licensed in Massachusetts.

I could visit my mother-in-law in her Boston-area nursing home and tell everyone I'm a nurse -- because I am licensed as a nurse in several states. Not (at this time) Massachusetts. However, I could not apply for work at that nursing home as a nurse without getting a Massachusetts license, and if they were to hire me without one, I could not refer to myself as a nurse.

But I think you knew all that and were just picking at the poster.

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Specializes in retired LTC.
Perhaps if the MA and/or Physician, were arrested, and thrown in jail for a while, they would not do what they do.

When there are NO consequences for their actions, it will continue.

Perhaps a note on Craigslist, concerning this physician and his/her illegal office practices. Ask for current/former, patients, and ask the individuals if they were, "counseled", by these MAs. Get the groups together, and make a formal complaint to the Medical Board, and the BON. I would also contact the Department of Health, and the State Attorney General, who deals with fraud in the state.

That would get the attention of the physician and the Nurse Imposters. I would also contact the local news, and papers to get the information out there to the public.

JMHO and my NY $0.02

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN (ret)

Somewhere in the PACNW

To me it seems like the only time there's any hooey-ha about an imposter/faux nurse is when he/she is caught doing something terribly egregious or illegal. Then there's a newspaper article or internet story about it and the fact comes out the perpetrator was NOT a truly licensed nurse.

But many times, news info is in error when it reports some wrongdoing committed by 'a nurse' when the offending party in reality is an HHA. CNA, orderly. or some other type of caregiver.

I agree with lindarn that there should be some type of investigation with prosecution and penalty for fraudulent representation for nurse wannabees. The title is protected by law, just as the position of physician and law officer. I bring this up because in my home-area counties, there has been a recent spate of incidents of men being charged with falsely posing as cops/sheriff officers. These guys are also charged with other crimes of assault/theft, etc. But they are CHARGED with impersonating an officer.

It may seem as nuisance/trivial in our over-burdened legal system, but the point needs to begin being made to the general public and other professionals in healthcare that only a LICENSED NURSE is a NURSE. Maybe if there were some type of system with BONs to report the misuse of our title (like the anonymous phone notification for pt abuse to DOHs/Ombudsman Offices).

In NJ, our BON falls under our NJ Division of Consumer Affairs who issues all kinds of licenses. Hey, just an official letter from the State to some doctor offices et al. might be enough to shake up the system!!!

Ya' think??? JMHO & worth 3 cents

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