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.
I don't get it...because I would never dream of telling anyone I'm a doctor when I'm a nurse. Why the heck would anyone want to embarrass themselves by claiming they're a nurse when they're not??
You make the assumption that they do not identify themselves with nursing. Many MAs, CNAs, and caretakers do actually identify themselves with nursing, it is the RNs and LPNs who do not. On the same note, many RNs would not consider LPNs to be nurses either.
Most lay persons do not understand the subtleties with the various allied professions so they assume that many point-of-care healthcare workers are in fact "nurses."
I saw a JUDGE JUDY episode (who I love) not long ago and she ****** me off!.. I usually always agree with her choices to grill and humilate evil people. This episode was about some chic suing some dude and she had her mom testify as a registered nurse witness. She stood up and said " yes judge judy I'm a registered nurse, and I do this and that and i've take care of these patients and specialize in this and that" judge judy stopped her and said what kind of education do you have? she said "I have my associates in nursing." Judge judy said " are you kidding me?! sit down! " that isnt formal education.!!" i was SHOCKED AND disgusted with her..
I like Judy's show, but I've noticed that if you mention to her that you have an associate's degree..she looks down upon it. Big time. She's a bit of an education snob in my opinion.
Did anyone see the NYTimes article a few months ago that talked about nurses with doctoral degrees introducing themselves as "Dr. So and So" to patients? I'm not saying I don't agree with the OP, I actually do 100%, I'm just curious what you guys think of the article/issue. If you have a PhD in any subject you technically have the legal right to the title but how does one use it in the case of nurses without totally confusing the patient?
When I am finished with my DNP program and practicing you're damn Skippy I'll be introducing myself as Dr. W. Maru. Why? Because that will be my name and I will have earned it. It will however always be followed by "and I am a nurse practitioner, as in my introduction will go "Hello, I am Dr. W. Maru and I am a nurse practitioner. What brings you here to see me today?"
When I am finished with my DNP program and practicing you're damn Skippy I'll be introducing myself as Dr. W. Maru. Why? Because that will be my name and I will have earned it. It will however always be followed by "and I am a nurse practitioner, as in my introduction will go "Hello, I am Dr. W. Maru and I am a nurse practitioner. What brings you here to see me today?"
When I am finished with my DNP program and practicing you're damn Skippy I'll be introducing myself as Dr. W. Maru. Why? Because that will be my name and I will have earned it. It will however always be followed by "and I am a nurse practitioner, as in my introduction will go "Hello, I am Dr. W. Maru and I am a nurse practitioner. What brings you here to see me today?"
I guess I can understand the feeling behind that, but it seems overly confusing for no good reason. I earned the title Mrs., but I don't use it every time I introduce myself.
I think I'm going to start a movement for Master's Degree holders to call themselves Master. I think it's fair, and I like the ring of "Master Stephanie."
seems either everyone claims to be a nurse, or people are trying to make nurses invisible.
i read that in the ninties, some hospitals were trying to stop RNs from wear tags that said RN. they wanted everyone to have the same generic title like 'care techncian' from RNs to housekeeping. i think it was the nurses union that put a stop to it.
I guess I can understand the feeling behind that, but it seems overly confusing for no good reason. I earned the title Mrs., but I don't use it every time I introduce myself.
1) The years of effort are reason enough. I will not misrepresent myself, but I will use my name.
2) Any fool can get married, present company and the fool who married me included. Them there Docterates iz a liddle harder ta come by.
I think I'm going to start a movement for Master's Degree holders to call themselves Master. I think it's fair, and I like the ring of "Master Stephanie."
3) I think you should go for it! "Master Stephanie" sounds flippin' awesome as hell! :cheers:
You make the assumption that they do not identify themselves with nursing. Many MAs, CNAs, and caretakers do actually identify themselves with nursing, it is the RNs and LPNs who do not. On the same note, many RNs would not consider LPNs to be nurses either.
Most lay persons do not understand the subtleties with the various allied professions so they assume that many point-of-care healthcare workers are in fact "nurses."
What is your personal definition of "nurse?"
However the state in which the person misrepresenting themselves as a nurse defines it. I really don't care what a layperson thinks is a nurse, nor does a layperson's idea of a "nurse" qualify an MA or CNA to call themselves a nurse. That's lovely that they think they're nurses. If they'd like to pay $12,000 like I did and spend over two years in school to become a nurse like I did, then they'll be welcome to call themselves a nurse in my book. I EARNED my titles.
When I am finished with my DNP program and practicing you're damn Skippy I'll be introducing myself as Dr. W. Maru. Why? Because that will be my name and I will have earned it. It will however always be followed by "and I am a nurse practitioner, as in my introduction will go "Hello, I am Dr. W. Maru and I am a nurse practitioner. What brings you here to see me today?"
Welllllll I have a doctor of jurisprudence and I'd never dream of calling myself a doctor. Should I walk around the hospital saying "Hi, I'm Doctor Redhead_Nurse and I'm a Registered Nurse?"
But redhead you will not be treating the pt's condition as a dr/practitioner so what does your doctorate matter in this case?
The doctor of nursing also would not be treating a patient's condition as a doctor. They would be a nurse practitioner. Unless you are an MD or in the educational setting, calling yourself "Doctor so-and-so" is just douchy. And in the health care setting I'd find it a downright liability.
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Asystole RN
2,352 Posts
You make the assumption that they do not identify themselves with nursing. Many MAs, CNAs, and caretakers do actually identify themselves with nursing, it is the RNs and LPNs who do not. On the same note, many RNs would not consider LPNs to be nurses either.
Most lay persons do not understand the subtleties with the various allied professions so they assume that many point-of-care healthcare workers are in fact "nurses."
What is your personal definition of "nurse?"