Nursing without license

Mulan · Jun 18, 2005

I recently went to a skin specialist for some minor surgery. The woman with the white M.D.'s coat prepped the area, and before you could blink an eye started the surgery. I asked where the doctor was, she said she did these proceedures for him. I aksed if she was a NP, no was the answer, well I said surely you are an RN with a specialty, no she said, LPN I asked, nope was the answer......she said "I am a CNA, all nurses do is wipe butts and babysit, I can do surgery". I kid you not. I left right after she had to call the real doctor in there to stop my bleeding. They billed my insurance for "surgery at $600.00. I found out later she is the doc's wife! (By the way, she's young, blonde, giant boobs and gorgeous, he of course is not).

Did you inform your insurance company that it wasn't done by the doctor, what did they have to say about that?

RN4NICU, LPN, LVN · Jun 18, 2005

I recently went to a skin specialist for some minor surgery. The woman with the white M.D.'s coat prepped the area, and before you could blink an eye started the surgery. I asked where the doctor was, she said she did these proceedures for him. I aksed if she was a NP, no was the answer, well I said surely you are an RN with a specialty, no she said, LPN I asked, nope was the answer......she said "I am a CNA, all nurses do is wipe butts and babysit, I can do surgery". I kid you not. I left right after she had to call the real doctor in there to stop my bleeding. They billed my insurance for "surgery at $600.00. I found out later she is the doc's wife! (By the way, she's young, blonde, giant boobs and gorgeous, he of course is not).

I hope you reported the fraudulent activity to the insurance company, the negligent MD (who should not be allowed to practice medicine if he will let some flunky operate on his patients) to the medical board, the stupid $hit CNA (that doesn't know the role of a CNA, a nurse, or an MD and should not be allowed near patients)to the BON, and the both of them to the police as it is quite illegal to practice medicine without a license.

Letting it slide only enables it to continue.

donsterRN, ASN, BSN · Jun 18, 2005

Exactly what I was thinking... This is the scariest thing I've ever heard.

I even thought the police should be notified FIRST; this is so obviously illegal. RUN!

HillaryC, RN, CRNA · Jun 19, 2005

I recently went to a skin specialist for some minor surgery. The woman with the white M.D.'s coat prepped the area, and before you could blink an eye started the surgery. I asked where the doctor was, she said she did these proceedures for him. I aksed if she was a NP, no was the answer, well I said surely you are an RN with a specialty, no she said, LPN I asked, nope was the answer......she said "I am a CNA, all nurses do is wipe butts and babysit, I can do surgery". I kid you not. I left right after she had to call the real doctor in there to stop my bleeding. They billed my insurance for "surgery at $600.00. I found out later she is the doc's wife! (By the way, she's young, blonde, giant boobs and gorgeous, he of course is not).

I don't know where to start! That's horrible! What state are you in? Do you know what happened to the MD?

NiceNurse · Jun 19, 2005

I did indeed call BCBS of GA. They could have cared less. Told me I could fill out a complaint, which I did and never heard from anyone about it.

They said MD's often train personnel to do procedures under their tutoring.

I don't know where to start! That's horrible! What state are you in? Do you know what happened to the MD?

Stitchie · Jun 19, 2005

I did indeed call BCBS of GA. They could have cared less. Told me I could fill out a complaint, which I did and never heard from anyone about it.
They said MD's often train personnel to do procedures under their tutoring.

And surgery qualifies as a 'procedure'? OMG!!

That doc should have his license revoked :angryfire

RN4NICU, LPN, LVN · Jun 19, 2005

I did indeed call BCBS of GA. They could have cared less. Told me I could fill out a complaint, which I did and never heard from anyone about it.
They said MD's often train personnel to do procedures under their tutoring.

The insurance company would have been the last people I worried about (my list in my other post was in no particular order). The police and the medical board would have been my first calls.

Just one of the many reasons why insurance companies are a total PITA. They are clueless about most aspects of health care. I mean COME ON - it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that a "procedure" and SURGERY are two different things. That is a total no-brainer, so if they don't get that, I'm not at all surprised that they don't understand that a surgical procedure is WAY beyond the scope of practice of a nursing assistant :uhoh3:

SmilingBluEyes · Jun 19, 2005

Like others said, the next call I make would be to the Medical Board of your state. I can SCARCELY BELIEVE MY EYES READING THAT STORY. Unreal.

z's playa · Jun 19, 2005

There's something fishy about this thread.

How does an experienced practicing LPN (the OP) not know a nurse can't practice without a license? :rolleyes:

Z

RN4NICU, LPN, LVN · Jun 19, 2005

There's something fishy about this thread.
How does an experienced practicing LPN (the OP) not know a nurse can't practice without a license?
Z

Why not? Apparently there is at least one MD out there that doesn't know that a CNA trophy wife can't perform surgery...:uhoh21:

Seriously, though, I had the same thought.

rach_nc_03 · Jun 19, 2005

What about those women who dress up as nurses and ask for contributions? I've seen these women in front of Wal-mart dressed up in white nursing outfits and they all wear white nursing caps too. They ask for money for their charity but to me it seems that they are trying to pass themselves off as "real" nurses.

whoa! what charity is that? i thought the state nurse practice acts specify that 'no pin, insignia, cap, etc. can be used to represent an unlicensed person as a licensed nurse'?

rach_nc_03 · Jun 19, 2005

You can work as a student nurse under the supervision of a registered nurse, and you can work as a graduate nurse (if you are one) under the supervision of a registered nurse, but you cannot represent yourself as a registered nurse if you are not.

not always-you can't work as a gn here without your license...some places will let you do cna-type duties while doing orientation and waiting to take the nclex, but not mine.