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 guess I could say I'm a doctor inasmuch as I am performing my job duties with a view towards avoiding liability to the hospital, thus using my doctorly doctorate. Now I'm a doctor too, yayyyy. See how far we can stretch things? Best to stick to the state's definition of any particular title, if the state is threatening criminal actions for misusing said title.
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.
That's why I find this DNP thing so confusing:uhoh3:
I am in school for Nursing, and I am doing the ladder program. I have 3 weeks left of my PN (not licensed yet). Then I have to complete 30 weeks for my RN portion. It made me very happy to read "Once again I am a 'nurse.'" My friend who happens to be a medical assistant called me just the other day to inform me that I was wasting my time going to nursing school. She told me she could pass meds, take X-rays, draw blood, and DC an IV (in Michigan). From start to finish it took her less than one year to complete her training. It took me almost 2 years for all my prerequisites, and 1 year for the PN portion. She then said that it took her less than a year, and we both are nurses. Wow, thanks, if only I had known, I would be be nurse already!
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.
That's why I wrote "dr/practitioner", and an ANP does treat a pt just as a dr/physician would.
And, come on, best you could come up with was "douchy"?
And why would the title be a liablity? Defined as "the state of being responsible for something", the nurse practitioner is responsible, legally for the treatment of their pt's, and carry insurance for this very reason, whether they use the title Dr or not.
I guess I could say I'm a doctor inasmuch as I am performing my job duties with a view towards avoiding liability to the hospital, thus using my doctorly doctorate. Now I'm a doctor too, yayyyy. See how far we can stretch things?QUOTE]
Uhhhhh.....no.
And you are a doctor, just not a physician. Funny that professors of law were called doctors before physicians/md's were called doctors.
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.
You are equating the term "doctor" with medical doctor. The term doctor is an educational title, regardless of profession. This is akin to a LPN identifying themselves as a nurse. Do we retain the term nurse solely for the use of registered nurses? Of course not. One should never solely identify themselves by their educational title within the clinical setting but by their specialty. This debacle has already been resolved by the current trend in healthcare of the specialists to identify themselves by their specialty. I know at my hospital at least, this is mandated. In fact all of the name badges identify the individual not only by their educational achievement and licensure but also by their specialty.
"Hello, I am doctor Smith, your Cardiologist."
"Hello, I am doctor Jones, your nurse practitioner."
To say that a nurse with the educational achievement of DNP is not somehow worthy of identifying themselves utilizing their proper educational title is grossly ignorant, demeaning, and rather unprofessional. We are supposed to uplift our profession, not attempt to maintain the stereotype of "doctor's assistant." We are a profession, we develop and maintain professional standards, we hold advanced clinical certifications, and by god we are educated and hold prestigious educational titles.
Your hospital mandates a physician introduce himself according to a script?
All hospitals should have this policy. I have seen most doctors not even introduce themselves at all, and it is a simple line. It will clear up a lot of confusion on the part of the pt's, who may see multiple doctors in a day and have no clue who they are talking to.
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
All hospitals should have this policy. I have seen most doctors not even introduce themselves at all, and it is a simple line. It will clear up a lot of confusion on the part of the pt's, who may see multiple doctors in a day and have no clue who they are talking to.
I am in school for Nursing, and I am doing the ladder program. I have 3 weeks left of my PN (not licensed yet). Then I have to complete 30 weeks for my RN portion. It made me very happy to read "Once again I am a 'nurse.'" My friend who happens to be a medical assistant called me just the other day to inform me that I was wasting my time going to nursing school. She told me she could pass meds, take X-rays, draw blood, and DC an IV (in Michigan). From start to finish it took her less than one year to complete her training. It took me almost 2 years for all my prerequisites, and 1 year for the PN portion. She then said that it took her less than a year, and we both are nurses. Wow, thanks, if only I had known, I would be be nurse already!
Yep, you'd be a nurse with nearly the same amount of student loans making a third of the salary! Yay!
Just was talking to my brother about this yesterday and his wife jumped into the convo to say her friend just finished the MA program at a local CC, 3 semesters and an expected $11/hour pay... and sure enough, she's going around saying she's a nurse *with extra training*!
I agree that the word Nurse is thrown around freely. I am not taking away from others accomplishments but a RN, LPN, and MA are all different but respected and needed in the healthcare field. Question: Why is Nursing a profession that has no defined entry into practice? The only way to become a lawyer is to go to medical school but you can become a nurses through several different avenues. I believe the misconception starts there.
I agree that the word Nurse is thrown around freely. I am not taking away from others accomplishments but a RN, LPN, and MA are all different but respected and needed in the healthcare field. Question: Why is Nursing a profession that has no defined entry into practice? The only way to become a lawyer is to go to medical school but you can become a nurses through several different avenues. I believe the misconception starts there.
redhead_NURSE98!, ADN, BSN
1,086 Posts
I guess I could say I'm a doctor inasmuch as I am performing my job duties with a view towards avoiding liability to the hospital, thus using my doctorly doctorate. Now I'm a doctor too, yayyyy. See how far we can stretch things? Best to stick to the state's definition of any particular title, if the state is threatening criminal actions for misusing said title.