People confusing and mixing titles

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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Hi room! I am happy to have input from anyone and everyone. My topic is about people around me who mix titles of healthcare professionals. We all have a role in healthcare. The moment we decide to take that first day of class/ training for what our goal is, we are important and vital to the community. But something puzzles me every time I go into work.

There seems to be a fad about becoming a nurse. Everyone is so unsure of what they want to study, so they immediately say nursing. It comes off as if that is a simple thing like saying you love someone so early and you haven't been giving enough time to sort out your feelings for a person. I try to be enthusiastic however, as well as supportive because I hated when people shut me down and told me "you know that's not easy, right?"

But back to the part about switching up titles of professions--I have friends who are siblings that work/ed with me at some point. One of them we'll call sister A, studied to be a medical assistant. The person who still works with me, let's call her sister B, is still very undecided. Now all of her group of friends at work are also in the same boat. They wanted to do nursing but keep changing to ultrasound, then cna, then so on and so forth , all the way back to nursing. So now, sister B is telling people who ask about her sister(A), what she is called now. She says to her friends, "She's a Nurse." That caught me a bit off guard because I already knew the answer. I knew that friends around her where going to continue on to ask about how to proceed if they were to take the nursing route....So I felt that as a person who is persuing my RN, and who has completed CNA training I would inform her that she is confused of her sister's title. Keep in mind that the girl who she was telling this to was one, if not my closest friend at work and was working for her RN as well at the same institution as me. I stated that her sister was in fact an MA, and that they are two different careers. She then replied that she meant to say MA, even though this wasn't the first occassion she has said this....She then said that CNAs are clearly not Nurses in comparison to MAs. My son sees several MAs at his Dr. They both play an important part in the basics of the basics in Nursing. Was I out of place to correct her? I am working hard, and know what I want, and to be told that what I have done was clearly no match to an MA. They are both important and upper level professionals and patients would suffer without them. I am not targetting anyone. Just wanting to educate people who want to become a part of the healthcare field.

Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
There is a distinction to be made here, as least on my humble opinion:

1. If a patient refers to an MA as a "nurse" I don say a word.

2. If a MA refers to himself as a nurse I speak up.

Good distinction/rule of thumb.

Well I actually wouldnt have pointed it out, but she was telling my friend this. My friend who is aspiring to be a nurse. I didnt want my friend who is in actuality wanting to be a nurse to get confused. I realize now that I could have told her myself afterward. It was just in the moment and she didnt seem offended in my correcting her. But I am a prenursing student and if I didnt graduate and earn a title, I myself will not claim anything more than being a nurse-to-be or a prenursing student. I wasn't offended when she said it. It might have if I were a nurse. But by the time I am one, I might not have the same opinions that I do now since I will be all the wiser in the future. Next time I will just tell my friend myself. But if I saw it to be a major issue down the line I would and WILL always call it how it is.

Specializes in Just starting out in a Nursing Home..

I think so long as you are happy in your shoe's can,nurse,ma..doesn't matter. I hear those things all the time..especially if you want to further your degree or get your rn..too each his own..

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
I think so long as you are happy in your shoe's cannurse,ma..doesn't matter. I hear those things all the time..especially if you want to further your degree or get your rn..too each his own..[/quote']

...as long as they are not portraying something they are NOT....see posts above. :yes:

You'll understand once you've earned your license and the responsibility that comes with it.

Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
I don't see what the big deal is. People hold titles to high! Let her call herself what she pleases. She went through schooling as we all have !

Yeah...I don't think so. Want to call yourself a nurse? Go to a nursing program. Graduate. Pass NCLEX. If you haven't done that, you're not a nurse.

Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
becoming a nurse, usually involves years of sacraficing

sleep, time with family, time for self and $$$

so when someone with a few weeks or even months

of technical training comes along and claims the title

it is bound to ruffle feathers

but how about taking it as a compliment

i believe the person who claims to be a nurse

wants to be like me, that person wants to have part

of what i have, they believe what i am is very desirable

i can live with that

​To me, it's the sign of a slacker. Someone who wants the title but doesn't want to invest the time and hard work to get it.

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
I don't see what the big deal is. People hold titles to high! Let her call herself what she pleases. She went through schooling as we all have !
Only that it is illegal to call oneself a nurse without the training and license that goes with it.
Restricting use of the title "nurse" to only those individuals who have fulfilled the requirements for licensure as outlined in each state's nurse practice act is a protection for the public against unethical, unscrupulous, and incompetent practitioners. Nurse practice acts describe entry level qualifications such as education, practice standards and code of conduct for continued privilege to practice nursing
Title "Nurse" Protection
Specializes in LTC, Memory loss, PDN.

i came across this

https://allnurses.com/nurse-colleague-patient/nursing-imposters-895231.html

can't live with that

Specializes in LTC, Memory loss, PDN.
​To me, it's the sign of a slacker. Someone who wants the title but doesn't want to invest the time and hard work to get it.

good point

Yes I can agree with that !!!! Never looked at it like that ! Scary

Specializes in Just starting out in a Nursing Home..

Does it really matter? You have whichever licence you earned. Healthcare should be a team of people at all different levels with all different jobs. The reason why people get bad care is it becomes a ******* contest. You do what you do..thats it. If you want to further your degree and you have the means to do it, do it. It's a personal choice. I don't think requiring a Bachelors Degree for RN's should be a "have to". Not in todays world. Some men and woman don't have that kind of time are still extremely good nurses with experience. Two years is hard enough never mind 4. I am only a C.N.A trying at a snails pace to get my RN..if I ever do...and there is so much...better than crap..and I know more..ridiculous.

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

This is about people who are USING "nurse", which is a protected title and is ILLEGAL to use when they are not a LICENSED nurse, NOT about CNA vs nurse, and it's not a ******* contest; it's a law and reportable to the BON...that is a FACT. :blink:

There is no doubt that healthcare is a team; the WORST a "teammate" can do is portal themselves as something they are NOT; that is called FRAUD; we adhere to ethics in this business.

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