Medical Professional?

Nurses General Nursing

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There was a conversation at work on who is considered a "medical professional." Specifically are CNAs considered a health-care or medical professional? One nurse at work stated that CNA are health-care professionals, while the another nurse disagrees because a CNA doesn't require 2-4 years of education?

Specializes in Rodeo Nursing (Neuro).

When I was in my unlicensed position, I figured I was a healthcare worker and nurses were healthcare professionals because I did the work and they got the glory.

I've had to re-evaluate that position.

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A good CNA/Tech is worth their weight in gold. I'd rather work with an extra patient or two and have that back-up than have a lighter load with an all "professional" staff. (the fact that we have to choose one or the other is a pet peeve of mine; each of us has our place in patient care, we shouldn't have to forgo one for the other--- but that's another debate)

Are they (by definition) 'professionals'. No. Do I consider them 'healthcare professionals'? Absolutely. Many more so than a number of nurses I've worked with.

Are nurses 'professionals'? I'm not sure. Both sides of this issue make good points. In the strictest sense of the word I'd say probably not, except for those who are in independent practice.

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One definition of "profession" that I saw once stated a profession is an occupation with enough responsibility and education requiring members to regulate their peers. Those outside of the particular profession would not be able to regulate members due to lack of specific knowledge and experience. This makes sense to me. For example, lawyers serve on their state bars to regulate their members, same with medicine, nursing, engineering, insurance agents, and teaching, etc.

Under this definition, CNAs would not be professionals because their peers, other CNAs, do not self-regulate and license fellow workers.

CNAs do sit as members on state Boards.

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Nurses, even LPNs/LVNs have at least a college education, that leads to a professional license. Training courses for CNA's, Med Techs, MA's are, for the most part, on the job training. I consider it nothing more than delusions of granduer for these individuals to consider themselves to be "health care professionals". If you want the title, than go to college and earn it like the rest of us did.
Wow.

Just...wow.

http://www.dhp.state.va.us/nursing/leg/excerptsforcnas2007.doc

http://www.dhp.state.va.us/enforcement/cdecision/boardresults.asp?board=14

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Specializes in LTC, MNGMNT,CORRECTIONS.
CNA's are your co-workers in a professional setting. IMO they should not be bad-mouthed but looked at as team players. Team players get the already stressful job done together with health professionals.

Addressing a co-worker according to their job title is not bad-mouthing.

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Specializes in LTC, MNGMNT,CORRECTIONS.

Works for me. Any further debate?

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Unlicensed staff are still professionals. Just as anyone who does their job in a professional manner. Being rude is unprofessional, whether it comes from a CNA, CMA or RN!

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Specializes in IM/Critical Care/Cardiology.
Addressing a co-worker according to their job title is not bad-mouthing.

NOTHING MORE than delusions of granduer for these individuals is not an appropriate statement regarding the different levels of healthcare individuals. Respecting their specific titles in their appropriate scopes is much different than making a generalized statement as the one I just quoted.

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Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.
CNAs do sit as members on state Boards.

Thank you. I didn't know that.

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Thank you. I didn't know that.

Ours currently doesn't have a CNA on Board, but they have in the past. Snooping around, I found this:

The Nevada State Board of Nursing is a seven-member board appointed by the governor of Nevada consisting of four registered nurses, one licensed practical nurse, one certified nursing assistant, and one consumer member.

Not sure how many other states have it mandated as such. It would be great if they did...

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.
I think different nurses are giving their thoughts. I interpreted LindaRN's "if you want the title" to be referring to the royal "you"--not you personally.

I think her take was spot on. We all have a role--and important ones each. But it is a reality that we have those delineated roles for a reason. Unlicensed personnel are definitely part of the team but are not considered "health care professionals." I hope they do bring a sense of professionalism to their job, though. I hope we all do.

But sometimes that's a different story :)

I'm going to ditto this. I've been a CNA. An exceptional one, I might add. And while I was great at my job, I always knew that I was a member of the support staff, not a clinical professional.

To steal a quote from Grey's Anatomy, "there's a reason we have a hierarchy in the hospital; it saves lives." I knew several CNA's who called themselves nurses. It was not only ethically wrong, and confusing for the patients, it was dangerous for them as well.

I think that CNA's are an intergral part of the healthcare team, but I don't consider them to be health care professionals.

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CNA's, Medical Assistants, CMA's, and other career fields like that, are considered unlicensed assistive personnel. They are in NO WAY "health care professionals", or even "allied health care professionals". Nurses, even LPNs/LVNs have at least a college education, that leads to a professional license. Training courses for CNA's, Med Techs, MA's are, for the most part, on the job training. I consider it nothing more than delusions of granduer for these individuals to consider themselves to be "health care professionals". If you want the title, than go to college and earn it like the rest of us did.

Sort of like CNA's calling themselves, "nurses", and becoming offended when they are corrected. If that wasn't bad enough, now they have gone past calling themselves, "nurses", and considering themselves, "health care professionals". I suppose that the boy scout who knows how to bandage cuts should call himself a surgeon. What next?

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

please don't confuse educational achievement, with professionalism.

obviously, you have attained a level of the former.

leslie

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