My LVN job considers me as an MA...feeling unappreciated and very stressed...NEED ADVICE!

Cream and sugar LPN · Nov 21, 2015

Whoever hired you- did they hire you as an LPN or MA? Was your license communicated with the Drs? I only ask because you mentioned they refer to you as the MA. I wouldn't just quit but I would Keep looking... Soon you will be able to say you have pediatric experience and then maybe look into home nursing?

OCNRN63, RN · Nov 21, 2015

I would reinforce to the doctors that you are a licensed vocational/practical nurse, not an MA. Make sure the parents of your patients know you're nurse, too.

elkpark · Nov 21, 2015

I also wonder whether the OP was hired as an MA, perhaps (since s/he is a new grad with no work experience) not realizing it makes a difference. That would certainly explain the low pay and being referred to in the office as "the MA."

caliotter3 · Nov 21, 2015

Office nurse jobs typically pay less than other nursing jobs and $16 an hour is not out of the ball park for LVNs. Many traditional LVN positions pay only $16 an hour. My only advice is for you to continue to remind your supervisors that you are a nurse and not an MA and if you decide the job is not for you, then continue your job search. Meanwhile, hold on to your first nursing job until the next one turns up. Good luck.

Ubi Quity · Nov 25, 2015

Are there any other LVN's / LPN's in the clinic? If there are, then they should know your standard of practice. You are a license nurse and not an assistant. Stand firm on your ground. The clinic must utilize you within your scope of practice: you being an LVN. Don't hold back. You work hard for this. It might take much convincing especially if you are the only LVN, but don't let them deter you.

This is is a problem in some, if not many, cases of LVN's. Some practitioners (MD's, RN's) are still confuse about the role of the LVN's. This confusion sometimes leads to displacement of the LVN's in the nursing profession. So sad. LVN's are an important asset in the nursing profession. Their bedside skill are by far better than some of the RN's.

Stay steadfast and I hope one day you'll pursue your education beyond the realm of an LVN. In the meantime continue on learning.

mariamarro321 · Nov 26, 2015

They needed a nurse to do telephone triage( which I should mention turns out I will be trained and to report to a MA for that, in which honestly I'm risking my license there) so they know I'm an LVN but they consider me an MA. And the MA there act like they are nurses, call themselves nurses which I politely tell them they are not licensed so they shouldn't call themselves nurses. The thing that is holding me back is the fact it'll be too soon( little over a month) and it might look bad in my record. But if im definitely considering looking for another job. I just needed advice because I'm Inexperienced and i do plan on going back to school to get my RN :)

LPNtoRNin2016OH, LPN · Nov 26, 2015

If you wouldn't have said a pediatric office, I would have assumed we had worked at the same place. I had the same thing happen to me when I went to work for an occ health clinic. It wasn't my first job, I had 3 years experience at that point. The job was listed as MA but LPNs were encouraged to apply. During my lengthy interview and on boarding process, I was never told I would be referred to as an MA. My pay was in line with an office LPN so I never had reason to question it.

Until I started being reffered to as an MA. I was skipped over by my company on Nurse's day (not a big deal it was just the point it made). Everyone knew I was an LPN. They had tried to make me wear a name tag with an MA title on it and I refused because, UH, I am not one. So the put LPN underneath MA :no:

I should have left then. What made it worse was that the actual RN in the clinic was terrible at her job so little by little, I was taking over ALL of it. And I was making thousands of dollars less than her. Eventually, I was doing her whole job and still being paid $15 something an hour. I was done at that point. I had been there a year, this RN had repeatedly made mistakes with patient care that was never addressed, and literally read the catholic newspaper all day. I loved my boss but I told her I could no longer be taken advantage of and put in my two weeks. She came back to me later that day with my job title in HR changed from MA to LPN and a $3/hour raise. She wasnt the one who put me in that way anyways but I was grateful for her anyways.

Anywho, it was very demoralizing and I should have said no way when they put MA about my LPN title. I am not sure why they keep doing this to LPNs because they hardly stay in these positions for more than 6 months because they are not MA's and will not be referreed to as one. So they spend all this money on training LPNs for MA positions who quit weeks later.

There is nothing at all wrong with an MA, I worked along side a terrific one. But we do have more critical thinking skills and more skill training, etc. We are NOT MA's.

My suggestion would be this: Look for a new job. When you have a new position, go to your nurse manager, put your two weeks in and tell her in a respectful way why you are leaving,.

You ARE a nurse, you didnt give that title to yourself.

LPNtoRNin2016OH, LPN · Nov 26, 2015

Oh and I should add I no longer work there. My boss left and crap rolled down hill fast. I am back in LTC while I finish out my bridge program and back to being a nurse.

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B · Nov 30, 2015

They needed a nurse to do telephone triage( which I should mention turns out I will be trained and to report to a MA for that, in which honestly I'm risking my license there) so they know I'm an LVN but they consider me an MA. And the MA there act like they are nurses, call themselves nurses which I politely tell them they are not licensed so they shouldn't call themselves nurses. The thing that is holding me back is the fact it'll be too soon( little over a month) and it might look bad in my record. But if im definitely considering looking for another job. I just needed advice because I'm Inexperienced and i do plan on going back to school to get my RN :)

As a licensed nurse, I am not sure that you can report to an MA as far as triage. Because at the end of the day, it would be on you.

If you continue in this position, I would make 100% sure you get malpractice insurance. (good to get regardless)

Do you have a boss who is an RN? Is this a group that has a parent company?

There are many LPN's who take on the role of an "assistant". For instance, in acute care, there are many LPN's who are put in the role of a tech/CNA as opposed to nurse (even seasoned LPN's who work acute for years). An MD office is different, as the MD is ultimately held in liability for what the MA's do and don't do. You are held at an alternate standard, as you have a nursing license.

The scenario that I can think of is that you are triage. Parent calls with a significant issue. You say one thing, MA says another. What the MA "advises" parent causes patient harm. I would bet the farm and all the horses in it that the MA says "the LPN allowed this".

I would be very leary of being the only licensed person (besides the MD) who is responsible and held to a standard that MA's are not. Most especially with someone's kids.

SororAKS, ADN, RN · Dec 1, 2015

Uh uh. You worked hard for that license. Look for another job where they will recognize you for your license and hard work.

mariamarro321 · Dec 2, 2015

As a licensed nurse, I am not sure that you can report to an MA as far as triage. Because at the end of the day, it would be on you.
If you continue in this position, I would make 100% sure you get malpractice insurance. (good to get regardless)
Do you have a boss who is an RN? Is this a group that has a parent company?
There are many LPN's who take on the role of an "assistant". For instance, in acute care, there are many LPN's who are put in the role of a tech/CNA as opposed to nurse (even seasoned LPN's who work acute for years). An MD office is different, as the MD is ultimately held in liability for what the MA's do and don't do. You are held at an alternate standard, as you have a nursing license.
The scenario that I can think of is that you are triage. Parent calls with a significant issue. You say one thing, MA says another. What the MA "advises" parent causes patient harm. I would bet the farm and all the horses in it that the MA says "the LPN allowed this".
I would be very leary of being the only licensed person (besides the MD) who is responsible and held to a standard that MA's are not. Most especially with someone's kids.

There is no nurses there only me. And that's exactly what I think, that if I do triage there and have to report to the MA, I'm risking my license there. I'm supposed to have a meeting with the bosses (which are pediatricians) to see I've gotten "faster" and " more efficient", and I'm going to voice this concern because like all of us on here, we've worked hard to get our licensures to just lose our license and let alone get someone hurt.