Medical Assistants being called nurses

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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, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.

I'm at an office where they have "nurse's appointments" and they have a "nurse schedule" for patients...there are no nurses at the office. The staff are MAs. It is little things like that where I cringe. Yes, it is minor but it just furthers the lack of respect for the TITLE of nurse. If a nurse isn't seeing the patient it isn't a "nurse schedule". It can simply be called the "aid schedule" or the "MA schedule". The term nurse isn't respected as a title as it should be.

On another note...I'm watching MAs prepare immunizations and I cringe. They take the syringe out of the packaging and put it down, then pick it back up to put the needle on...no way. Heck some take all the packaging off the supplies before making the connection. I feel like there was no sterile technique taught. Oh and let's not forget none of them change the needle after drawing up the medications. These are all things I have never seen with any of my nurse peers.

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it just furthers the lack of respect for the TITLE of nurse. If a nurse isn't seeing the patient it isn't a "nurse schedule". It can simply be called the "aid schedule" or the "MA schedule". The term nurse isn't respected as a title as it should be.

I'm watching MAs prepare immunizations and I cringe. They take the syringe out of the packaging and put it down, then pick it back up to put the needle on...no way. Heck some take all the packaging off the supplies before making the connection. I feel like there was no sterile technique taught. Oh and let's not forget none of them change the needle after drawing up the medications. These are all things I have never seen with any of my nurse peers.

I totally agree with your statement about the title "nurse" not getting the respect and protection that it deserves. Us "real nurses" should do what we can to make sure it doesn't continue to lose its value.

On your other comment about immunizations....I WAS an MA at one time and that was how we were all taught to do immunizations in school. It wasn't until I became a nurse that I realized how screwed up our prep and technique really were.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.
I totally agree with your statement about the title "nurse" not getting the respect and protection that it deserves. Us "real nurses" should do what we can to make sure it doesn't continue to lose its value.

On your other comment about immunizations....I WAS an MA at one time and that was how we were all taught to do immunizations in school. It wasn't until I became a nurse that I realized how screwed up our prep and technique really were.

I was wondering if that's how they were all taught. I've seen several of them do it. Drives me crazy. My position there doesn't have me in a place where I can say "let me show you a better way to do that".

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That's too bad. It's terrible! I can't believe I did it that way!

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
Oh and let's not forget none of them change the needle after drawing up the medications.

Per our education department, no need to change the needle. One entry into the vial is not enough to dull the needle enough that it would make a difference. The only time I change out the needle is if I'm reconstituting, which requires three entries into vials.

FWIW, the MAs I work with have exemplary technique. So not all MA programs are deficient in that regard.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.
Per our education department, no need to change the needle. One entry into the vial is not enough to dull the needle enough that it would make a difference. The only time I change out the needle is if I'm reconstituting, which requires three entries into vials.

FWIW, the MAs I work with have exemplary technique. So not all MA programs are deficient in that regard.

Curious....is there literature to support not changing the needle?

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
Curious....is there literature to support not changing the needle?

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.

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I've been saying this for years! I'm currently in nursing school. I've been a CCMA for 10+ years. They educational difference is unbelievable! CRNP's with a doctrine are not permitted to be called Dr's because they may be mistaken as doctors!

I had an MA tell me that my cholesterol was so high I needed to completely alter my eating habits. And I thought I ate healthy. So I changed everything! My entire lifestyle. Just to find out that my cholesterol was so high because my HDL was 125!! My chol ratio was unbelievably low!! MA's can't just blurt out results because patients have questions, and medicine is not always black or white. There are situations like mine. I believed what this MA told me because she identified herself as a nurse. And I guarantee most patients feel the same way I did.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.
I've been saying this for years! I'm currently in nursing school. I've been a CCMA for 10+ years. They educational difference is unbelievable! CRNP's with a doctrine are not permitted to be called Dr's because they may be mistaken as doctors!

I had an MA tell me that my cholesterol was so high I needed to completely alter my eating habits. And I thought I ate healthy. So I changed everything! My entire lifestyle. Just to find out that my cholesterol was so high because my HDL was 125!! My chol ratio was unbelievably low!! MA's can't just blurt out results because patients have questions, and medicine is not always black or white. There are situations like mine. I believed what this MA told me because she identified herself as a nurse. And I guarantee most patients feel the same way I did.

Um NPs who have earned their doctorate can be called Dr. Heck I've told my husband if I do finish my doctorate my kids are going to call me Dr. Mom.

I actually had the same thing happen with cholesterol results!

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I said the same thing. And I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm just telling you what we learned in nursing school.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

And you learned in nursing school that doctorate-prepared nurses are not allowed to be called Dr.?

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Correct

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