Once again.....I'm a "nurse".....

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Long time no see! I haven't visited here in ages (lots of things going on personally), but when I saw this the other day, I knew I had to share....you folks here will understand it in a way no one else in my life will!

It was Thursday afternoon, I was watching Judge Joe Brown in the background as I got ready to go to work. Some lady was suing some dude for money for something (that's what happens when I half-watch something, LOL). Anyway, Judge Joe is asking the plaintiff lady what she does for a living..."you're a bus driver, right?" Lady: "Yes, and I have two jobs, I'm also a NURSE."

Joe: "Are you an RN or an LPN...?"

Lady: "I'm a medical assistant....REGISTERED."

Joe: "So, you're a bus driver and a nurse....(continues to discuss case, talks about how hard it is for her to support herself even without kids, blah blah blah).

You guys know where I am going with this. It's been discussed countless times here, I know. This was just a different forum for me to hear it in, and it made me MORE mad because all I could do was watch....and think, "THIS is how the misconceptions happen, dang it!" Anyone watching who doesn't know any better assumes that yes, this lady is a nurse.

I'm not saying her job isn't important, or that she doesn't have a role in healthcare. Of course she does. But that role is NOT of a nurse.

I know there are posters here that don't get/don't care about other people using the title "nurse," and that's fine. To each their own, no big deal. I'm just one of those people that it DOES bother, and hearing that exchange fired me up a little. The way she had to tack that word on the end...."REGISTERED"....like THAT is what makes the difference here. I realize that some MA's are registered and some are not, yes....it just has nothing to do with being a nurse either way.

End rant. :)

Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.
....and you don't get an msn in education, and that she should never exaggerate her credentials because they do check/ stay tuned.

um, my msn is in nursing education.

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Specializes in Home Health (PDN), Camp Nursing.

I was in EMS before nursing. Any EMT who misrepresented themselves as a medic would get a stern talking to from the nearest provider. If this behavior continued they would be talked to by the supervisor. If that didn't solve it we threw them a blanket party. Never had anyone who continued to misrepresent themselves after that.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
i was in ems before nursing. any emt who misrepresented themselves as a medic would get a stern talking to from the nearest provider. if this behavior continued they would be talked to by the supervisor. if that didn't solve it we threw them a blanket party. never had anyone who continued to misrepresent themselves after that.

what's a blanket party?

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Specializes in Home Health (PDN), Camp Nursing.
what's a blanket party?
you sneak up on them. throw a blanket over their head, and hit them with something that won't leave bruises. there was only one person i knew who needed and got one, everyone else caught on quicker. it's just so wrong and disrespectful to claim more training than you have, we were told to be proud of what we were and what we do. that's the same attitude i took to being a lpn as well, i'm proud to be an lpn and will strive to be the best on i can be, it's frankly embarrassing if i would feel the need to claim to be something i was not.
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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
i've missed you guys, too! the site sure has changed, wow....just noticed there isn't a multi-quote feature for replies anymore, bummer (so sorry for not addressing any posts directly, it would take a whole page lol).

what made me the most mad about the lady on tv was the fact that there was nothing i could do about it. when talking to someone face to face, at least you can educate them. in this case, all i could do was watch. and...fume. :nono:

i do know in my state it's also a legally protected title (and i thought i read in regards to just rn's, even, which didn't make sense to me, because an lpn is a nurse, but i digress).

i'll try not to be a stranger. :)

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you sneak up on them. throw a blanket over their head, and hit them with something that won't leave bruises. there was only one person i knew who needed and got one, everyone else caught on quicker. it's just so wrong and disrespectful to claim more training than you have, we were told to be proud of what we were and what we do. that's the same attitude i took to being a lpn as well, i'm proud to be an lpn and will strive to be the best on i can be, it's frankly embarrassing if i would feel the need to claim to be something i was not.

​i think it's pretty wrong to steal up on someone throw a blanket over them so they can't see what's going on, then hit them. i guess giving them a suspension or terminating them wouldn't be as fun.

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.
Do you mean like this?

Exactly. Good job, OCNRN. :)

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.
Sweet. Thanks for the info. :)

You are welcome. :)

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Specializes in Intermediate care.

i watched late night TV....tyra banks was on (Ya, don't judge!) and it was about this girl who is a stripper. she talks about her life as a stripper.

Anyway....she was like "I am an educated person. I went to college for 6 months and i became a nurse. I worked as a nurse in a hospital for 2 years."

My fiance happened to be in the room at that time:

Fiance: "Why did it take you 5 years? it only took this stripper 6 months! :argue:

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

GrnTea, I would actually give that person you were speaking with a pass. While pursuing a bachelor's degree, it is possible to minor in any number of things, some of which would also lead to certification of some sort.

And when I look at the MSN program websites for a dozen different universities in my region, each degree track/concentration is generally described separately in separate sections of the website and the curricula are quite different. So while the diploma says master of science in nursing ... many students go through those programs focusing exclusively on their particular track and it is continually reinforced that Student A's degree is in nursing education while Student B's degree is in nursing administration.

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Specializes in Managed Care, Onc/Neph, Home Health.

I have an AS in Nursing and a BS in Community Health Education....

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The MA's at the physician's office I go to all call themselves nurses. I even asked one of them once while she was taking my blood pressure "Are you a nurse?" and she said yes. I didn't say anything bc I was kind of shocked that she would just blatantly lie. Next time I'm going to start asking them medical questions and see what happens.

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Specializes in Intermediate care.
The MA's at the physician's office I go to all call themselves nurses. I even asked one of them once while she was taking my blood pressure "Are you a nurse?" and she said yes. I didn't say anything bc I was kind of shocked that she would just blatantly lie. Next time I'm going to start asking them medical questions and see what happens.

Wow. Ask to see her license number. it's public record...

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