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 home health.
I was a CNA for three years, and I never heard other CNAs refer to themselves as nurses. However, I met many medicine technicians and medical assistants refer to themselves as nurses...

I have actually heard this one- and even oddly, with a "caregiver". I was working under the title CNA, and it was on my badge as so. Caregivers had caregiver under their name, just as an RN would have if the credentials applied as so. I worked at a assisted living facility that would hire you as a "caregiver" if you were not a licensed CNA because for the most part, residents were more independent than not. And it was common at this facility to hear these young girls announce themselves as nurses (not sure if it was a confidence boost??) I found it to be rude and I ALWAYS spoke up- but if a fairly new resident would ask " Are you a nurse" to the "caregiver", she would say, yes I am, how can I help you? NOOOOOOO!!!! We are all important- caregivers work hard- CNAs work hard- MA's work hard, I think its common for the MA to feel more superior to the CNA, the RN to the LVN and so forth, but that probably goes with the territory of working with someone whos being big headed- regardless..I think its important to know your title, "caregiver" shouldnt feel less important from the "RN" as far as title- its more to do with education- the RN has more education and is able to branch out into specialties that a "caregiver" can not. Its all work to be proud of- however there are still those people who seem to find it necessary to generalize it as nursing

Specializes in OB.

I often am called "nurse" when I'm assisting in a delivery (I'm an OB Scrub Tech.) I always say "not a nurse....yet" . When couples mention they will plan for another baby in a couple of years, I say "hopefully I'll be a nurse by then and have you as my patient then". ?

My family will sometimes assume that I know more than I do. But it is my responsibility to not try to boast my own pride and admit that I am not educated on, nor am I qualified to diagnose anything. My mom literally sent me chest x rays....via text. I do like how confident people are in me but I will say it loudly and proudly once the time has come to wear the beautiful RN badge :)

Specializes in Just starting out in a Nursing Home..

I find it funny that people are so defensive about what they are called. I am a CNA who is aspiring to be a nurse. No one ever refers to me not do I refer to myself as a Nurse with my per diem clients or my nursing home job. In fact, I would be in deep sh*&(*& if someone did as I would not know what "to do"..lol..you can go in roaring and come out like a lamb..really? I just re read the initial conversation and well "air" who cares..people do what they do, do it well..enough said..

I find it funny that people are so defensive about what they are called. I am a CNA who is aspiring to be a nurse. No one ever refers to me not do I refer to myself as a Nurse with my per diem clients or my nursing home job. In fact, I would be in deep sh*&(*& if someone did as I would not know what "to do"..lol..you can go in roaring and come out like a lamb..really? I just re read the initial conversation and well "air" who cares..people do what they do, do it well..enough said..

Thank you. This is ridiculous. Who cares what someone refers to themselves as. I get it, it's illegal to call oneself a nurse, doctor, lawyer who is not one. HOWEVER, if you do not see this person "acting" as such, or "performing" duties, etc let it go. I would report a person if I witnessed it. If not, let it go.

I understand we are all entitled to our own thoughts, feelings, opinions, beliefs. I can also understand nurses feel that it is not right because of all the hard work they put in to become a nurse.

I have PLENTY of other things going on in my life to be worried about, than what someone else calls themselves.

Get a life

Specializes in Medical-Surgial, Cardiac, Pediatrics.
Thank you. This is ridiculous. Who cares what someone refers to themselves as. I get it, it's illegal to call oneself a nurse, doctor, lawyer who is not one. HOWEVER, if you do not see this person "acting" as such, or "performing" duties, etc let it go. I would report a person if I witnessed it. If not, let it go.

I understand we are all entitled to our own thoughts, feelings, opinions, beliefs. I can also understand nurses feel that it is not right because of all the hard work they put in to become a nurse.

I have PLENTY of other things going on in my life to be worried about, than what someone else calls themselves.

Get a life

Problem isn't necessarily performing or acting as a nurse. Even something seemingly benign like giving personal advice after claiming the title of nurse can have implications for what happens. Someone is going to put a lot more stock in the advice of a nurse (as they should) than the advice of say a CNA or MA, because the title of "nurse" comes with the weight of education, training, and official licensure.

It upholds the idea that being a nurse is a profession, not just a random title people can claim. You rarely see people frivolously claiming the title of "doctor", because there is a professional indication with the title. Having earned a nursing license myself, I am an advocate for protecting the title and the quality and trust that the profession represents. People trust nurses, and to have the trust betrayed by people who claim the title without the credentials is dangerous and misleading for the public.

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 !

What kind of MA programs are you in? MA programs and LPN programs are vastly different.

Here is how I feel...

It is completely and utterly disrespectful to represent yourself as a nurse or anything you are not, for that matter. You did not work your tail off, take an exam, and become licensed. You shouldn't call yourself what you are not.

Specializes in Just starting out in a Nursing Home..

The conversation is rather silly. If you don't have a licence to do it than your not it. So it goes..."whatever makes you feel better dear" just don't try to give any one medicine, a shot, etc etc..lol

Specializes in OB.

I may be too emotional about it but I busted my ass for a whole a year to become a Surgical Technologist and when I hear people say they are "surgical technologists" when what they do is pass a few scopes in "procedures" and don't have the first clue about sterile technique. Really bugs me. Just saying.

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I may be too emotional about it but I busted my ass for a whole a year to become a Surgical Technologist and when I hear people say they are "surgical technologists" when what they do is pass a few scopes in "procedures" and don't have the first clue about sterile technique. Really bugs me. Just saying.

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I have a friend who went through a surgical tech program that was two years excluding prereqs. Not only is she certified, she also has her sterile processing certification. Thought it was all the same. You can clean the instruments or pass them.

Funny how she's going back to school for nursing. She says she does as much as a nurse does. It's "basically the same thing", she tells me.

Ummmm its not. I don't want to hurt her feelings, but she has no idea of what she is saying.

So yeah, I can understand the anger lol

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