Medical Asst vs Nurse

[kellisdomain]

I noticed the Career Technical College near where I live has a medical asst program yet when the students graduated as a MA they can work as a nurse in doctors office. For me the gripe is that they are not the same. I mean nurses go to school to become nurses. Medical assts dont do the nursing aspects.

GRRR Just upset as to this :angryfire

Thanks for listening to me rant!!

[Jo Dirt]

I noticed the Career Technical College near where I live has a medical asst program yet when the students graduated as a MA they can work as a nurse in doctors office. For me the gripe is that they are not the same. I mean nurses go to school to become nurses. Medical assts dont do the nursing aspects.

GRRR Just upset as to this :angryfire

Thanks for listening to me rant!!

You're right, they are not the same. It is not even legal for a medical assistant to call him/herself a nurse. There was a very long disussion going on about this in a thread not long ago.

Why don't you contact the director of that MA program and inform him/her that it is illegal to call an MA a nurse?

[Kaelie]

alot of physicians call ma's nurses. (well, to their patients anyway.) i don't think it's right to tell patients, "i'll see you next week, just go and make an appointment with my nurse".......never understood that one. this happened to me when i worked in a dr's clinic way before i became an rn. geesh!!!!

[mattsmom81]

Trouble is too many doctors and administrators (as well as the nurse imposters) perpetuate this too. Many docs tend to feel that MD's created nurses as assistants to THEM thus own the term and have the right to call anyone in their office a 'nurse' who assists them.

It is illegal in my state and many states, but is a widespread sham. Patients in all practice areas are deluded into thinking they have a nurse when they don't. And these undereducated persons give REAL nurses a bad name....as too many folks out there think anyone can go to school for a few months and become a nurse.

We can't do much about the doc offices except point out what has already been said....point out its illegal to refer to yourself as a nurse when you're NOT. These people work under the doc's license and its legal for them to work there, but they are NOT nurses. Why they are ashamed to use their real title is at the root of the problem.

Nurses can also notify their state boards when they see this...my BON regularly investigates these imposters and refers to the DA for prosecution.

[Dsulyma]

Im a Medical Assistant and Phlebotomist. I would just like to say that I dont think I am a Nurse nor will I introduce myself as one. I am very proud of being an RMA. The nurses in my department that I work for now are very grateful that I am helping them any way I can. I am NOT looking to take there job or there title. The nurses I work for now are very secure and confident with themselves and dont complain about anything. If there is something that they would like to teach me, then I am more than willing to learn. We learn from each other. There were times that I knew something and they didnt. I would inform them of new things and they appreciated it.

Some nurses shouldnt think that they are all high and mighty because they have a higher title. I have worked with some really incompetent nurses in the past. You got good ones and you got bad ones. Hey, if my doctor wants to call me his nurse, then flatter me. Everyones knows what their titles are. also as long as I maintain a professional behavior and do the right thing, Im NOT giving REAL nurses a bad name. I consider myself educated. I worked for what I got.

Whenever a patient asks me what my title is, I tell them that I am a medical assistant. Its not like I just walked off the street and started to work there. I worked for my certification and I get the respect for it. Even the doctors I work for dont look down at me. I am there to help everyone. :)

[txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN]

Here we go again!!!!

[natpat]

I would like to say that I am a medical ssistant and I NEVER refer to myself as a nurce. For one thing it is illegal and because it is just nto right to mislead people. I am in school now to be LPN though and can't wait to refer to myself as a nurse!

[kellisdomain]

Pls dont take it out of context. I do agree with you about bad nurse vs good nurses. My point was just that if your a Med Asst then the colleges shouldnt be posting them as nurses. Two completely different spectrums there and one isnt better than the other. Sorry if I caused any hardship never meant too.

[SmilingBluEyes]

Here we go again!!!!

OH Lawd I was thinking the exact same thing. This subject was hotly debated a month or two ago, with most believing it was a violation of most State Nurse Practice Act for NON-nurses to call themselves such in any capacity. I support those NPA's that make it a punishable offense, myself. It's wrong for the unaware public to be lulled into believing they are receiving a standard of care they are not....and not fair to those of us who EARNED this title, rightfully.

[SmilingBluEyes]

Here we go again!!!!

OH Lawd I was thinking the exact same thing. This subject was hotly debated a month or two ago, with most believing it was a violation of most State Nurse Practice Act for NON-nurses to call themselves such in any capacity. I support those NPA's that make it a punishable offense, myself. It's wrong for the unaware public to be lulled into believing they are receiving a standard of care they are not....and not fair to those of us who EARNED this title, rightfully.

[URO-RN]

Again, license calling yourself a nurse.

[URO-RN]

Again, license calling yourself a nurse.