Nurse Imposters

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Hey there! I'm a nurse from Mississippi. I recently called a doctors office from the nursing home I work at and asked his receptionist to speak with the nurse to relay a message to the doctor in regards to the patient's care. Instead of letting me speak to the nurse she transferred me to the phlebotomist who answered "this is Doctor Bolder's nurse Jamie. Can I help you? I know her personally and am aware she is not the nurse and requested again to speak to the nurse. She replied "this is the nurse" i just ignored it and said ok well can you let the doctor know about this concern. She called me back a minute later a third time identifying herself as the nurse with a new medication order. She sounded confused as she was giving said order bc she said the medications name and gave no further details. I asked what dose? how often? How long? She sounded as if she was making it up as she went. This whole thing has made me uncomfortable. I was wondering your thoughts on this issue. I find it very disrespectful to claim you are a nurse when you have not underwent the amount of training, passed a licensure exam, and all the many other things it takes to be able to call oneself a nurse.

Okayyyy.

First, I think we all agree that this person is not an RN or LVN and therefore should not be presented as a nurse. Okay.

But she isn't a nurse. Not being a nurse, she probably doesn't know that the term "nurse" is protected. Why would she??

The responsibility for this should lie with the office manager and/or provider who should know better and continue to go on calling their staff "nurses" when they are not nurses.

Second, its not really fair to accuse her of being too stupid to be a nurse but then also be upset that she doesn't know how to diagnose a UTI in her child. She's not a trained medical professional, for goodness sakes. And even trained nurses often have blind spots when the issue is outside of their specialty or regarding a family member.

Kind of hard to disconnect the "too stupid to be a nurse" from "Oh andddd there's a big part of the story I initially left out. The way I know her personally is... she's my husband's ex and my step child's mother. " That kind of took the wind out of the sails of what was basically a reasonable complaint.

Okayyyy.

First, I think we all agree that this person is not an RN or LVN and therefore should not be presented as a nurse. Okay.

But she isn't a nurse. Not being a nurse, she probably doesn't know that the term "nurse" is protected. Why would she??

The responsibility for this should lie with the office manager and/or provider who should know better and continue to go on calling their staff "nurses" when they are not nurses.

Second, its not really fair to accuse her of being too stupid to be a nurse but then also be upset that she doesn't know how to diagnose a UTI in her child. She's not a trained medical professional, for goodness sakes. And even trained nurses often have blind spots when the issue is outside of their specialty or regarding a family member.

Sorry, not buying that. Before I went to nursing school, I didn't know "nurse" was a legally protected term. At the same time, however, I knew that since I'd never gone to nursing school, I wasn't a nurse.

Uhmm I saw a whole bunch of impostors just this past Halloween!!!

Should I be concerned about it?

I think I'm obligated to call BON CHON?!?

:nailbiting:

Okayyyy.

First, I think we all agree that this person is not an RN or LVN and therefore should not be presented as a nurse. Okay.

But she isn't a nurse. Not being a nurse, she probably doesn't know that the term "nurse" is protected. Why would she??

The responsibility for this should lie with the office manager and/or provider who should know better and continue to go on calling their staff "nurses" when they are not nurses.

Second, its not really fair to accuse her of being too stupid to be a nurse but then also be upset that she doesn't know how to diagnose a UTI in her child. She's not a trained medical professional, for goodness sakes. And even trained nurses often have blind spots when the issue is outside of their specialty or regarding a family member.

One of the arguments given by non-nurses who use the term is that they are both educated and qualified. Refer to the thread on an MA site I posted.

In that education, I am quite sure they learn roles and titles. And, I am quite sure no instructor tells anybody to use a title used by another profession.

1 Votes
It isn't fraud to call yourself a nurse when you aren't unless you are doing it for financial gain. This would not be a case of fraud. Not all lies are fraud.

In several states the term "nurse" is not protected by law.

I live in one of those. 😉

perhaps in your stte, but not in all, can be for personal gain, does not need to be financial.

looked up legal meaning, there are five criteria, this MA met the first four, if the OP is punished for following that order, then the MA has met all 5

Specializes in Travel, Home Health, Med-Surg.
The internet is a wonderful tool.

"Nurse" is a protected term in Mississippi and it's a misdemeanor to claim otherwise with a whole load of possible punishment if convicted. However, who knows how often the MS BON pursues these types of cases if something agregious doesn't happen?

Link to Mississippi Nurse Law:

Laws

Section 73-15-33 Offenses and Penalties: https://www.msbn.ms.gov/Documents/Laws/22%20-%20Section%2073-15-33%20Offenses%20and%20penalties.pdf

I wonder if you could be held liable for not reporting this person especially if something big went wrong?

Each violation counts as a separate offense, apparently. I think I might FYI the BON just to cover myself since neither the MD office nor your supervisors have a clue.

And I'm not a lawyer, I don't play one on tv and I didn't sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last night. But I'm sick and can't sleep, so here I am.

This is good advice. I would write a letter to the office manager and also the BON and let them know this person is calling themselves, and acting as a nurse (you need to CYA). And, because of your personal relationship with this person I would just give them (and your husband) a heads up what you are doing, and explain that you are obligated to do that because of your license. Better to cover yourself, especially since this is your husbands ex and you don't know what can happen in the future, you might get dragged into something just out of spite.

1 Votes

the fax machine is your friend, you do not need most orders immediately, fax the request to the doc's office, and have him fax it back, with HIS signature on it. make sure you have a copy of his signature to compare it to.

1 Votes
This is good advice. I would write a letter to the office manager and also the BON and let them know this person is calling themselves, and acting as a nurse (you need to CYA). And, because of your personal relationship with this person I would just give them (and your husband) a heads up what you are doing, and explain that you are obligated to do that because of your license. Better to cover yourself, especially since this is your husbands ex and you don't know what can happen in the future, you might get dragged into something just out of spite.

I really think reporting the mother of your husband's child to an official agency for something trivial like that is, plain and simple, a bad idea. It will come across as petty and vindictive. As far as being obligated- not really. If every nurse who encountered this reported it, there would have to be a separate agency just to deal with it. I encounter it often, and haven't reported it, and it is highly likely the OP has as well.

Also, I understand the reports and prosecution of non nurses who have practiced as nurses, or harmed people. But not what she is describing.

How would it work?

  • Report goes to the BON.
  • BON contacts the District Attorney, and let's them know that Nurce Nancy clamies that MA Kylie has identified herself as a nurse.
  • The DA contacts the sherrifs department, and sets up a sting operation.....

I just don't see it going anywhere other than creating grief and anger.

Specializes in Travel, Home Health, Med-Surg.
I really think reporting the mother of your husband's child to an official agency for something trivial like that is, plain and simple, a bad idea. It will come across as petty and vindictive. As far as being obligated- not really. If every nurse who encountered this reported it, there would have to be a separate agency just to deal with it. I encounter it often, and haven't reported it, and it is highly likely the OP has as well.

Also, I understand the reports and prosecution of non nurses who have practiced as nurses, or harmed people. But not what she is describing.

How would it work?

  • Report goes to the BON.
  • BON contacts the District Attorney, and let's them know that Nurce Nancy clamies that MA Kylie has identified herself as a nurse.
  • The DA contacts the sherrifs department, and sets up a sting operation.....

I just don't see it going anywhere other than creating grief and anger.

In general I agree that we can't report everyone that does this. I haven't reported either. In this particular case I think that because of the personal relationship I would report just to CYA. I wouldnt expect it to go anywhere, but because of the state statute and because of the potential for issues to arise from the personal aspect (this person may want to cause trouble either now or in the future) I would just write the letters, keep proof, and be done with it.

Nurse impostors.

I worked long and hard to get my BSN. I resent anyone who feels free to use any title they have not earned.

I stopped going to a Dr who could/would not educate his staff. I wondered if he knew what the issue was.

1 Votes
In this particular case I think that because of the personal relationship I would report just to CYA.

The CYA action would be to refuse to take verbal orders from this person.

Specializes in Travel, Home Health, Med-Surg.
The CYA action would be to refuse to take verbal orders from this person.

(h) Willfully aid or abet any person who violates any provisions of this article

But would not reporting be "aid or abeting" ?

I really don't know what the legal definition of that is.

1 Votes
+ Add a Comment