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?

I can't say I've had too much of a problem with CMAs being identified as nurses whether it be by themselves or the MDs. In most cases the MDs refer to their nurse or MA by their first name. And I can't recall a time when any CMA called themself a nurse.

I have seen nurse techs introduce themselves as a nurse. The place where I used to work staffed nurse techs and had them working as floor nurses. I heard one of them introduce herself as a resident's nurse for the evening. And another time when there was a very upset family member who had spoken to one of the nurse techs regarding his mother's declining condition. He did not know at the time that he was in fact talking to a nurse tech and not a licensed nurse as she never introduced herself as a nurse tech but as his Mom's nurse. He was pretty upset when he found out days later.

Specializes in MICU, SICU, CICU.

It has been my experience that the physician who refers to the CNA that he trained to work in the back, or CMA as his nurse, has a very low opinion of nurses in general. When the office staff misidentifies themselves as nurses it makes me uncomfortable. I dont like dealing with this. My employer and occupation is right there in the chart. It is disrespectful. Either they dont know better to even identify themselves correctly, or they are deliberately using a title that they have not earned. It does not inspire a whole lot of trust.

Specializes in NICU.

I'm a nursing student but I work in an urgent care currently. I have a question (which I think I know the answer to but I'd like to ask!)

I work with someone who WAS an LPN last licensed in '98 in another state then moved to Florida where she has never been licensed. She continues to refer to herself as the nurse. I read the previous comment which redirected to the ANA and wanted to confirm that since she's technically not licensed in our state... It's illegal.

Whenever patients refer to her as "the nurse" I correct them and say we're all medical assistants here- not nurses. The only reason why I even bother to correct them is she's making mistakes and not telling them the correct info regarding their health and medications (one of my female patients had BPH the other day- I laughed out loud).

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
I'm a nursing student but I work in an urgent care currently. I have a question (which I think I know the answer to but I'd like to ask!)

I work with someone who WAS an LPN last licensed in '98 in another state then moved to Florida where she has never been licensed. She continues to refer to herself as the nurse. I read the previous comment which redirected to the ANA and wanted to confirm that since she's technically not licensed in our state... It's illegal.

Whenever patients refer to her as "the nurse" I correct them and say we're all medical assistants here- not nurses. The only reason why I even bother to correct them is she's making mistakes and not telling them the correct info regarding their health and medications (one of my female patients had BPH the other day- I laughed out loud).

If she maintains a license in any other state she may call herself a nurse
Specializes in NICU.

She does not maintain a license. Hasn't since '98.

Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
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.

They would have to take and pass the CMA exam to use that title. It already is being used by people who are certified.

I've had this discussion on a physician website. When they start to inveigh against "Doctor Nurses," I remind them that many of them use unlicensed staff in their offices and refer to them as "nurses."

Specializes in ICU.

My PCP also employs medical assistants. They have name badges on that refer to them as medical assistants. Not once have they ever introduced themselves as anything other than by their name. I also have never really run into anyone at any hospital doing this either. But I guess with any profession it occurs. You see it all the time in law enforcement and other fields. EMTs, paramedics. People just like to make themselves sound important.

As an MA and nursing student myself, I definitely see a huge difference in the 2 careers. I have heard other MAs call themselves nurse before and it got under my skin as well. While my time as an MA certainly helped direct me towards my pursuit of nursing, I can absolutely say that an MA is nowhere near a nurse in education or duties.

First off let me say this:

Any MA who calls themself a nurse is breaking the law in most every state and so is the MD.

Second: MA are just as important as nurses are so get off the typical RN high horse.

I have been in this business for more than 30 years and nurses, particularly RN are ruining it for everyone. You want too much money, too much power for very little work.

As a medic AND an MA I see so many RNs who are so egocentric its just sickening.

Get over yourself. Maybe its time to retire and let someone else carry on.

What you're describing (sometimes) happens because we are talking about human beings, not just RN's.

Specializes in MICU, SICU, CICU.

to sailor frog:

What is your scope of practice as a medic?

What is your scope of practice as a medical assistant?

Wow that is so wrong. They should not be claiming to be nurses. Nurses have to be registered with a body and they have to do CPD. Assisstants don't have to do they? I'm not being funny but isn't this actually dangerous? If they are doing the duties of a nurse then shouldn't they need to be trained to do so?! Then there's the legal issues if something goes wrong, this assistant and indeed the practice/office that they work for are going to face serious consequences for 1. Allowing someone falsely claiming they are a nurse. 2. Carrying out procedures despite the fact they are not a nurse 3. If something goes wrong they may seriously harm someone. Something definitely needs to be done about this. In the UK it is much easier to distinguish between assistants and nurses (thankfully) because they wear completely different colour uniforms as do student nurses.

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