hayest

Turn the office into the State Board of Healing Arts. It's illegal for an MA to indicate they are a nurse, not to mention giving advice, etc.

Thank you so much for your advice. It is very hard. She is ready for that next step and for a school not to accept applications because of a TEAS score and not looking at all the criteria as indicated on their website is very frustrating. She steps ahead only to be knocked back to the beginning, but she will overcome this. I'm confident in her and others are too.

Thank you. She has had accommodations since 1st grade and went into college. As I mentioned, she turned in her accommodations in the fall, but did not use them. ATI said she could use her accommodations and will be able to for the Nclex. I know for nursing school, she will use her accommodations. She will be applying to other universities in the area. Thank you again!

Thank you! She does have accommodations. She turned in her paperwork last year when she enrolled. She did not use her accommodations this past year and did very well due to the great support with her instructors and the one on one ability to ask questions. We didn't find out that she could use her accommodations for the TEAS until after her 1st attempt. She approached the school to let them know she could use her accommodations for the TEAS and would like to use them on her 2nd attempt. It was like asking to meet the Queen of England. The came back that she could not use her accommodations for the TEAS or NClex (but she informed them that she could), both ATI and the State Board of Nursing told her/us she could. Their demeanor changed with her. They were not the "helpful school" she knew this past year. They were rude, short answers when she would ask a question, put her on the back burner and it started with the Nursing Director and trickled down. We found out they never processed her paperwork for accommodations last fall and this was last minute to them, plus we feel they probably didn't know what to do. We had to send everything to their corporate office who were very helpful. Just the local campus was not the best. She knows nursing will be tough for her, but she is very dedicated and ready for the challenges. We have a tutor ready to be part of her action plan with studying. She enjoys her sciences and math. She does have a diagnosis with a disability and she WILL graduate with her BSN and plans to continue her education. The funny thing, there are other campus sites for this school and we have already been told she has an incredible package and they would accept her in a second. The TEAS is the last thing they look at. She has sent her n to the other campus sites. Unfortunately, she would have to move away, we just don't know how far yet. Thank you again for your comments.

Unfortunately, there are some people who are not very good test takers, but that should not stop them from pursuing their nursing career. Einstein was a poor test taker, as well as hundreds of other well-educated professionals. The TEAS score does not define a person and shame on the schools who look at the TEAS scores and automatically put a label on that student as a nurse or not!

Very nice post. The school is stopping my daughter from becoming a nurse. (At least at that school. There are others out there.) They would not accept her application packet because she did not have the score they wanted with her TEAS, yet, she has a 3.8, A's in all of her classes, and current student. The school is supposed to look at all the criteria and not just one piece of the puzzle. Very frustrating!

One of the Nursing Coordinators (who has her BSN) at the university said she took the test and did not do well. I would like to know if a BSN did not do well, will they take her license away?

I know your post is old, but I had to comment. My daughter is like you with excellent grades, etc. She was able to activate her accommodations that she had through college to take the TEAS. Unfortunately, her accommodations did not help her score. She took two practice tests. The second practice test she exceeded the score the school would like to see to be accepted. I watched her take the test (no cheating) and she did amazing. She wasn't pressured with a timed test, as she also received time and a half. She also doesn't perform well as another person posted when under pressure. We also were informed the school my daughter is applying to has accepted students with TEAS scores in the low 40's. They have changed their minds and only will accept proficient. Knowing they would accept lower scores lessened her anxiety on getting a high score. She studied and studied, but indicated the study guide and practice tests info were not on the actual TEAS she took. The school did a "bait and switch" on us and others. She really likes the school and teachers and did not use her accommodations for the classes she had to retake due to the classes not transferring. I might call an attorney or the state disabilities to see what can be done. She has done everything she needs to do. Completed all the required courses for nursing and for a TEAS test to be the deciding factor is not right.

I live in the Midwest and LPN's are not recognized by hospitals and other facilities. I have read where they are slowly being phased out and career colleges will be discontinuing their LPN programs. Honestly, I think they should keep the LPN programs and discontinue medical assistant programs.

"bugya90" -- great reply. You replied with a factual answer. Also in our area, if the physician is not in the office, the MA's are only allowed to take vitals and collect urine and sputum. They are not allowed to do any other testing or administer any injections without direct supervision. Unfortunately, the MA's perform a lot of duties without direct supervision. They administer injections and will draw labs and perform other tests on patients. They do triage and should not. They definitely do not have a book with questions to ask a patient who would call in with a problem. They always call themselves nurses, which is against the law in all states and if reported the office can be fined and closed for a period of time. I would also suggest finding another provider or inform your provider that you will not have any contact with the staff.

Hello! I know of a student who took their TEAS and didn't do as well as the school would like. The student purchased the practice tests and first try improved her score a little. The second practice test, she increased her score above the score for proficient; however, when she took her 2nd attempt with the TEAS, her score was basic. She has several associate degrees, GPA is 3.8, has all her gen ed and prerequisites out of the way. Her grades are great. She is a model student, dedicated, enthusiastic, never missed a class and attended all the meetings in regards to nursing. She will be turning in her application, but doubts her acceptance. She has high anxiety when it comes to tests. She knows the material, but draws a blank during "pressured" tests. If she didn't know the TEAS was a timed test or was a test that will make or break your acceptance, she probably would have excelled with the test. The 2nd attempt was harder than the first and she felt the study guide or the practice tests did not help with taking the real test. Many students have taken their ACT's or SAT's, gone to college and have taken all the classes necessary. It's hard to believe that a test that is over information a student has already been tested for throughout their educational career and then again with their ACT or SAT tests, would be the deciding factor on acceptance into a nursing program and/or any degree program. The TEAS Test does not determine if a person will be a good nurse or not. Some people are book smart and know what nursing actually is. Nursing school might be a little more difficult for those who know what nursing is, but having a basic score on the TEAS does not define who a nurse is or what kind of a nurse. I'm sure there are many nurses out there, even doctors, who would not get a proficient on the TEAS. Does that mean the State Board will take their license away? No - they would still be the nurses and doctors they are today when they didn't have to take a TEAS test to be accepted into a nursing program. I overheard a conversation between two doctors many years ago. One was an orthopedic doctor and the other was an internal medicine doctor. Without going into detail, the orthopedic doctor had no idea what the gallbladder did. He said "I work with bones, not internal organs". He literally forgot a lot of what he learned in medicine, as he is now so focused with orthopedic injuries. The TEAS test or other tests will not determine if a student will survive nursing school.

LPN's and RN's are nurses! Be proud of your knowledge and skills. You learn from each other. LPN's and RN's can use the title of "Nurse". Unfortunately, "Nurse" has been misused by so many professionals and patients. It really ticks me off when I hear MA's calling themselves a "nurse", as well as an MD calling their MA's nurses. They are NOT nurses and do not have the right to misrepresent themselves to patients. They should be corrected out in the open. LPN's and RN's education, skills, knowledge gives them the honor as "nurse". Shout at the top of your lungs "I am a NURSE"!!

I agree that there must have been an incident or a new policy in place for the LPN to have an MD on site; however, there must be an MD on site for MA's to draw labs. The ONLY thing MA's can do without DIRECT SUPERVISION (MD on site) is collect urine, sputum and BP check. Unfortunately, more offices than we realize do not follow the law.

I understand what you are saying and yes, there are many initials that come with the education; I agree there are patients who don't ask in advanced for a NP or PA; but I know many who do ask. When patients ask for a doctor or nurse, they might get a physician assistant or medical assistant. I blame the practices for not correcting patients in regards to misleading the patients to believe that a medical assistant is a nurse when they are not or that a physician assistant is a doctor when they are not. It's illegal for MA's to indicate they are nurses and so many do as well as other employees of the physician practices. I just feel patients need to be made aware who their caregivers are and the differences. I applaud and hold the highest regards for the nursing profession. My daughter is in nursing school and I know how hard it is for her. Patients don't understand they can speak up and ask questions in regards to their medical care. I've seen so many patients throughout the years who believed they were treated by a doctor and they were not. Patients need to be made aware and understand they can ask questions.

We don't get past initials because there are differences in the Initials! You made a true statement, most patients do not understand, but they need to learn. Physician Offices, Hospitals, other facilities need to make it clear who will be the caregiver to a patient.