nurses with no RN license practicing as a nurse?!

Nurses General Nursing

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I didnt believe this was happening until I went to the dermatologist last week and the nurse who was wearing a nurses name tag that said her name and her title as charge nurse. She was talking to me about nursing while giving me a shot for pain, telling me she never finished nursing school because it was too hard. I was in disbelief that she was administering meds into my leg!

Then she assisted the doctor with sewing my stitches. I talked with my mother in law who has worked for many surgeons over the years as an office manager, she told me that this happens all the time. She said if the doctor feels the person is competent then they will hire them as a nurse.

I find this to be unethical and I certainly do not think she should be wearing a nurses badge. I know its illegal to pose as a doctor, why not a nurse? Does anyone find this as crazy as I do? :no:

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

I knew there are some nurse imposters but I didn't think there were people who admitted to not being a nurse working as a nurse. Unbelievable! I would file a complaint with your BON.

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Specializes in EMS, ER, GI, PCU/Telemetry.

there are two girls i work with who do this. one was in nursing school and failed out and never went back. but she still calls herself a nurse.

another has a degree in nutrition and is getting experience for PA school application. she introduced herself to me as Dr. X's new "nurse". then she proceeded to ask me how to take a blood pressure.

i give up. i might as well get a job at lowe's an call myself a plumber.

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I would report this incident to the BON and the AG of your state. The state medical board may also be interested in this Dr.s medical practice.

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Specializes in ER/ICU, CCL, EP.

Agree with above posters. Isn't it illegal to represent yourself as a nurse when you are not?

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.

You need to report it. You will be making a difference in many patient's lives by doing so and a service to the rest of us who ARE nurses.

You can do this annonymously, btw.

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here is the problem I may be working for this hospital in the fall so I do not want my name on any of the complaints. Its actually a highly regarded hospital Im sure there arent many people that know about her. Not sure how to do this annonymously. Any ideas?

THANKS!

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What's the point of reporting this to the BON? They aren't nurses, so they can't lose their licenses anyway. If they have been practicing like this anyway, what's going to stop them? Not the doctor's office they work in of course. He/she thinks they are getting a crazy bargain I'll bet! An almost trained RN for the price of a medical assistant. If they aren't refering to themselves as an RN, I don't think there is much you can do. If anyone actually challenged them they would just say, well I'm the "office nurse", not an RN. And they are working under the auspices of the doctors license anyway.

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Specializes in Peri-op/Sub-Acute ANP.
there are two girls i work with who do this. one was in nursing school and failed out and never went back. but she still calls herself a nurse.

another has a degree in nutrition and is getting experience for PA school application. she introduced herself to me as Dr. X's new "nurse". then she proceeded to ask me how to take a blood pressure.

i give up. i might as well get a job at lowe's an call myself a plumber.

There is a fair chance you would earn more money as a plumber!!! I say go for it, it seems like anyone can call themselves whatever they want so why not you too?

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Specializes in CCU & CTICU.
I didnt believe this was happening until I went to the dermatologist last week and the nurse who was wearing a nurses name tag that said her name and her title as charge nurse. She was talking to me about nursing while giving me a shot for pain, telling me she never finished nursing school because it was too hard. I was in disbelief that she was administering meds into my leg!

Then she assisted the doctor with sewing my stitches. I talked with my mother in law who has worked for many surgeons over the years as an office manager, she told me that this happens all the time. She said if the doctor feels the person is competent then they will hire them as a nurse.

I find this to be unethical and I certainly do not think she should be wearing a nurses badge. I know its illegal to pose as a doctor, why not a nurse? Does anyone find this as crazy as I do? :no:

I know we don't need to be medical professionals to give someone else meds an MD prescribed via certain routes. My great-aunt was trained by nurses to give her late husband his Lovenox injections. And we do teach people to give themselves their insulin injections. I'm not sure about IV meds, I do remember having a pt whose daughter flushed her port everyday, but I wasn't sure if that was ok.

There was another topic recently talking about how "registered nurse" was a protected title in some states and "nurse" by itself wasn't.

I recall reading in the NY Daily News a few years ago about a lady claiming to be a "baby nurse," and the baby she took care of died and there was an uproar b/c she wasn't really an RN or LPN. I think the ANA had responded with something about how the title of "nurse" should be protected.

I also had a VIP pt the other year who had "nurses" taking care of her 'round the clock. They weren't even aides, let alone RNs or LPNs. I have to admit, I felt some annoyance when the introduced themselves as "her nurse."

I think the title of "nurse" needs to be protected. For these people's sake as well. Can they get insurance to "practice" since they're not really professionals? What happens if something goes wrong? And people sue for everything these days, what if someone sues them for something they did in this "practice?" What if the pt tells them something that an RN/LPN would know is a problem, but these people don't because they don't know?

It really is unsafe.

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.
What's the point of reporting this to the BON? They aren't nurses, so they can't lose their licenses anyway. If they have been practicing like this anyway, what's going to stop them? Not the doctor's office they work in of course. He/she thinks they are getting a crazy bargain I'll bet! An almost trained RN for the price of a medical assistant. If they aren't refering to themselves as an RN, I don't think there is much you can do. If anyone actually challenged them they would just say, well I'm the "office nurse", not an RN. And they are working under the auspices of the doctors license anyway.

Trust me, the BON would love to hear about it. Her nametag states "charge nurse".

Calling youself "office nurse" is still unacceptable unless you are a licensed LPN or RN.

Misrepresenting yourself as a nurse, when you are not is a class 6 felony in my state.

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I guess it upsets me because I am working my butt off to get my license and learning as much as I can so I know what I am doing and then there are people working under this same title who didnt. :cry:

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