Physicians Assistant Doesn't know what FEMA is?

[KarynicaRN]

i was talking to a lady today online who claims to be a physicians assistant. she was asking me about a male friend of ours and i mentioned the fact that he was not around this weekend because he had to attend fema training. she asked me what fema was?

excuse me, but shouldn't a physicians assistant know what fema is? i have been a registered nurse for 12 years and have had countless amounts of training in emergency services and what to do in case of a crisis or other emergency.

how can this physicians assistant not have a clue what fema is? my husband says i am being petty and that not everyone knows about fema.

anybody have any thoughts on this matter?

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

I know what FEMA is but only from the news and living in Florida where there are hurricanes. But we don't have "countless hours" of training either. In fact, I can't recall any training.

I wouldn't judge so harshly. I'm sure there are things this PA knows that you don't. :)

[ZippyGBR, BSN, RN]

i think the Op is wondering whether the claimed to be PA is in fact a PA or is in fact a "Walter Mitty" ....

things likeasking someone who claims to be in the USA what FEMA is or asking someone in the Uk what the BNF is are often used to root out the poorly prepared walt - infact asking someoen who claims to be from the Uk what the BNF is is probably more powerful as a indicator of at least working in healthcare

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

FEMA isn't a medical term so I guess why would someone who says they are a PA know what it is? Like Tweety said - he knows what it is from the news and living in FL. I only know what it is from the news. However, if it came right down to it, I wouldn't know what the initials stand for - only that it is a dept in the US gov't that deals with disasters. (I'm an APN BTW).

[ZippyGBR, BSN, RN]

i find it hard to beleive that someone working in healthcare in the USA wouldn't be aware of the Federal Emergency Management Agency ...

but the ignorance of some never ceases to amaze me

[sirI, MSN, APRN, NP]

Agree, FEMA is not a medical term. Only because of the hurricane catastrophes with lots of news coverage, am I familiar with FEMA. And, I'm an NP. :wink2:

I don't think being a PA (Physician Assistant) makes a bit of difference.

[nrsang97, BSN, RN]

Until hurricaine Katrina I had no freakin clue what FEMA was either. Before that no one would have know unless they lived in hurricaine areas or somewhere where a natural disaster had hit.

Not everyone knows EVERYthing so let it go.

[FA to CRNA2b]

It's just as surprising that many nurses don't know what NIH is.

[tvccrn, ASN, RN]

Maybe she is a PA that works in something other then emergency medicine. I have been a nurse for over 13 years and not until Katrina did I learn what FEMA was. As for the "countless hours" of training, never had that either.

[lpnflorida]

As a person who hates abbrevations... My reason there is no possible way I can possibly recall what every abbreviation which comes along actually stands for. Think about it.

SBAR

JACHO,, was has recently changed

NIH

CARF

RACE

WHO,, and no it is not the World Health Organization, it is Wrist hand orthotic in this case lol.

Only the small few we deal with daily. No measure to me whether a person is the heathcare or not as to whether they know what they mean. sheeeeeeeeeesh. There is not a one of us who can not throw out an abbreviation which is common knowledge where we work, yet someone else hasn't a clue what it is as it is not common to where they work.

[racing-mom4, BSN, RN]

It's just as surprising that many nurses don't know what NIH is.

Count me as one of them..have no idea what NIH is.

[ZippyGBR, BSN, RN]

As a person who hates abbrevations... My reason there is no possible way I can possibly recall what every abbreviation which comes along actually stands for. Think about it.

SBAR

JACHO,, was has recently changed

NIH

CARF

RACE

WHO,, and no it is not the World Health Organization, it is Wrist hand orthotic in this case lol.

Only the small few we deal with daily. No measure to me whether a person is the heathcare or not as to whether they know what they mean. sheeeeeeeeeesh. There is not a one of us who can not throw out an abbreviation which is common knowledge where we work, yet someone else hasn't a clue what it is as it is not common to where they work.

there are certain common abbreviations that you'd expect people to know

the BNF example for us rightpondians is one - it;s the British National Formularly and it's one of if not THE most commonly used reference book for meds and doses ...