Fox News calls CNA a nurse

[Emergent]

Sorry, this really irritates me. Fox seems to be the most sensationalist of the major outlets.

An unfortunate 20 yr old woman died in a bungee cord accident in Colorado. Fox listed her as a nurse. I was suspicious because of her age, so I looked her up and she's a CNA.

My heartfelt condolences to the family, by the way. But, this thread is about the all too common practice of calling MAs and CNAs nurses. I know the news media is generally sloppy with their facts, but this burns my britches.

Colorado nurse, 2

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

I work with a CNA who refers to herself as "a nurse". At first I questioned her use of the term, but as I've thought about it more ANYONE could call themselves a "nurse". A "nurse" is someone who gives medical care to someone in need no training required or necessary to use this word. My English major sister was a "nurse" to my mother for months while she was on home hospice. The hospice nurse came for 1 hour per day and my sister was "the nurse" for the other 23 hours/day. The CNAs on my unit check blood sugar, perform EKGs, collect vital signs, assist with daily care and provide emotional support to patients. This IS nursing care! And if she wants to call herself a "nurse", I'm okay with that. Perhaps she's been disrespected when she's called herself a "tech" or an "aide" and when she says "I'm a nurse", she feels more respected and proud. It's semantics.

I am a "registered nurse" and I don't have an issue with it. I need my aides and techs and I can't do my job as well when I don't have one, so if s/he wants to call themselves a "nurse" I'm cool with that. :)

Bolding is mine. While I have no issue with a news outlet referring to a CNA that tragically dies in an accident a nurse you are not correct in this statement. There are several states that hold "nurse" as a protected title and it is actually illegal to call yourself a nurse if you are not one. My state of Wisconsin goes so far as to retain the title "nurse" for RN's only though it sure isn't a law that ever enforced. I have never nor do I think I ever will hear of an LPN being disciplined by the BON for using the title nurse.

I'm sorry for the accident that took this young ladies life, complaining about something as small as the media misrepresenting her as a nurse seems a little petty to me.

[DoGoodThenGo]

Seems to be? I think that ship has officially sailed and become "is" as evidenced by the current occupant of the Oval Office.

The CNA/RN thing annoys me too but there's nothing much we can do about it.

Road has been travelled down many times before....

Things began to slide when nurses stopped wearing caps, then came everyone got out of whites and into scrubs. Media now simply has latched onto the same sentiment you find from a good part of the general public; anyone who is not a doctor must be a "nurse".

Matters aren't helped with the creation of a vast and growing array of techs that perform tasks that general public associate with professional nurses. Medication aides come to mind.

Final nail in that proverbial coffin is the while not prevalent in a majority of techs/aides but exists in enough; "I do everything that a nurse does....".

On the face of it then you can hardly blame some news media for rolling their eyes and saying "whatever" when a "member of the nursing staff" previously identified as a "nurse" really is an assistant or tech.

[NurseSpeedy, ADN, LPN, RN]

It's usually unlikely. I saw the same article pop-up on my iPhone's newsfeed, and wondered the same thing, although I assumed she just got her ADN. Most nurses I know, and even CNAs, are older than 20.

If it wasn't for the waiting list for my LPN I would have just turned 19 when I graduated but since there was one, I got my license and was employed right after my 20th birthday. A few of my classmates were within a year or two of my age. Most of the CNAs I worked with could have been, well, my mother if they had me in their 40's...this is one of the reasons we have our young nurses coming here and complaining that they look too young, have a baby face, whatever...

[OyWithThePoodles, RN]

FWIW, I was a nurse at 19

[crashcartqueen, BSN, RN]

I became a nurse at 20, but I realize that is not the usual timeframe. I must agree with others that there are bigger fish to fry out there than getting upset over them calling a CNA a nurse in this instance. I even look at it as a complement, they likely included her assumed and publicly favorable title in the header to reel in more readers. We do work in an honorable position.

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

For me, it depends on the the context of the story. In this instance, the story has to do with her tragic death and really has nothing to do with her being (or not being) a nurse.

If the story was "nurse convicted of abusing patients," and it turns out she was a CNA, MA, etc., then I would have and issue with the article referring to the person as a nurse.

[Mulan]

Would you be as upset if CNN had reported it?

[RNBSN116]

My ex-boyfriend always told me his mom used to be a nurse. I was super suspicious of this because she didn't know the difference between Ibuprofen and Tylenol. I later found out she was a unit secretary for 2 years and when I confronted him about it he said "whatever its the same thing". Good thing he's now my EX-boyfriend.

[applewhitern, BSN, RN]

My ex-husband put his fiancée on his Linkin page, stated she was a "nurse." I looked her up, and she was not a nurse, but had a few years experience as a nursing assistant, with an inactive license. Kinda ticked me off! If you aren't a nurse, don't claim to be one!

[lhflanurseNP, APRN]

This happens ALL the time! Seems ANYONE who cares for patients are "nurses". Maybe some truth to "fake news". The problem is the headlines are MUCH more "grabbing" if it says "nurse" rather than "aide or assistant", or in this case "20-year old woman". Truly a shame!

[JBudd, MSN]

Only a licensed health-care professional, when the word nurse is used along with with Registered or Licensed is a protected title. .

Actually, in my state, it is the word "nurse" that is protected, not just when paired with Reg. or Lic.

[Crystal-Wings, LVN]

It's Fox news, what do you expect? My dad watches that crap.