Medical Assistants being called nurses

Nurses Relations

Published

  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?

Thank you for the info! Good point sir or ma'am

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Wow...anyone can be called a Nurse regardless of whether they went to school or not. One can only be called a Registered Nurse (RN) after completing the requirements. Grossly misinformed individuals on this site. Some with lengthy nursing careers too.
Yes I agree that there are grossly misinformed individuals everywhere....

As per the ANA

At least 39 states are known to have language in their Nurse Practice Act; either explicit in restricting use of the title "nurse" to only those who are licensed or implicit language restricting use of any words implying the individual is a licensed nurse.
There are states since this was updated that have enacted legislation and the remaining states have pending legislation.....Which INCLUDES LPN's.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.
Wow...anyone can be called a Nurse regardless of whether they went to school or not. One can only be called a Registered Nurse (RN) after completing the requirements. Grossly misinformed individuals on this site. Some with lengthy nursing careers too.

Exactly, and one should be careful to look to oneself before correcting others.

Word.

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Wow...anyone can be called a Nurse regardless of whether they went to school or not. One can only be called a Registered Nurse (RN) after completing the requirements. Grossly misinformed individuals on this site. Some with lengthy nursing careers too.

While that may possibly be true in your state, it is not true in most states.

Meh it doesn't bother me so much as my PCP who introduces themselves as Dr. Smith rather than Dr. Smith, nurse practitioner. If you don't follow up with the second part the lay public WILL confuse them with a physician. Don't worry I corrected her...

Unfortunately tons of personnel are presenting themselves as something more than they are. One time I was in the ER for a broken leg and a man came in to tell me my x-ray results, and he was an ER tech. For at least an hour I had assumed he was the doctor or PA, until he the actual professional came into the room.

Techs aren't supposed to read x-rays, only radiologists, right? I'd report him. I knew a guy who went to the ER with a swollen ankle and the rad tech told him it looked okay, so he (the guy) wrapped it and left. The next day he went back and the radiologist told him it did have a fracture and needed a cast and crutches. Granted, the idiot shouldn't have left the first time without getting more info, but he was reassured by the rad tech's assessment.

I understand why the office staff call them nurse - because traditionally offices are staffed with nurses and most people expect that. The title of MA may be confusing.

But it doesn't mean it's right. They could just say "my assistant."

Meh it doesn't bother me so much as my PCP who introduces themselves as Dr. Smith rather than Dr. Smith, nurse practitioner. If you don't follow up with the second part the lay public WILL confuse them with a physician. Don't worry I corrected her...

Although I agree that doctorate holding NPs ought not to introduce themselves as 'doctor', I don't think that it compares to MAs calling themselves 'nurse'. MAs using the title of nurse is fraud and illegal. Someone who has a doctorate in nursing IS a doctor.... although we all know to 99% of the population, doctor=physician. Misleading?, yes..... Illegal?, no.

I understand why the office staff call them nurse - because traditionally offices are staffed with nurses and most people expect that. The title of MA may be confusing.

But it doesn't mean it's right. They could just say "my assistant."

Yes, one could, but heaven forbid that then anyone think that the physician's assistant is and ACTUAL physician assistant!!

Then heads would roll!!

Seems like there's more and more ads on "becoming a medical assistant" showing scrubbed people in wonderful offices conferring with a doctor who is hanging on every word. The reality is that then they get into an MD's office, and the MD can make their staff into anything they would like, as and UAP's are under the practioner's license. To keep their jobs, they do things that they have not a clue about--especially in offices where there is no licensed nurses--like immunizations to children, lab results, medication refills, task oriented without any sense of outcomes--as outcome is not priority.

And if they identify with "office assistant" then it becomes a matter of people thinking that they are receiving care from the clerical staff.

MA's should not be called "office nurses". How about "Certified Medical Assistant"?

It is not only a possible unfamiliarity with completing the task at hand, it is the interpretation of data that could be of great importance. And ultimate patient harm.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

This is one of my pet peeves, always has been. There's nothing worse than having to explain to a patient that while Dr. So-and-So's "nurse" told them that 1+1=5, it just ain't so.

There is hope, however. In my area, once the MD practices are bought up by the ginormous hospital corporation, everything becomes standardized and everyone is required to wear a badge that identifies them as RN, LPN, MA, Tech, etc. Now to just get the patient to pay attention to the badges....

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

I have been fortunate that my previous physician always stated "The Certified Medical Assistant will be with you to ....blah, blah, blah"; I'm was starting to think that she did it because I'm a nurse though... :unsure:

The practice I go to now is part of a large health system, so they have nurses and MAs; they wear color coded scrubs to ensure "identification", however, my physician will say the same line my previous physician said; I guess I will chalk it up to making sure there is no confusion, because there are nurses that work there; but then again, they know I'm a nurse too. *shrugs*

Glad I don't have to correct anyone. :yes:

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