I had a curious encounter at the doctor's office today. When I went in for my physical, a woman in scrubs came in ahead of the doc. She was wearing scrubs but no name tag. We hadn't met before, so I asked if she was a nurse. Yes, she replied.
I then presented her with paperwork outlining the shots I needed for school. As she looked over the paperwork, she volunteered that she was not a nurse but, in fact, a medical assistant. Oh, really? I replied. Where do you go to school for that? (I was genuinely curious.)
Well, she replied, she didn't go to school. She wasn't a "certified medical assistant," in her words, but "had a lot of experience." In fact, she'd been a CNA for 16 years, but this particular medical practice, as she explained it, "isn't like a hospital and doesn't care if you're ceritified." Hmm. Later on, the doctor sent her back to draw blood.
What would your reaction be? Obviously, she called herself a nurse, and she isn't one. (I wonder if she would have volunteered that info had she not seen my paperwork.) She called herself a medical assistant, then volunteered that she wasn't credentialed. I know nothing about MAs. Is that kosher? And what level of license does someone have to hold to be allowed to draw blood? (For what it's worth, this is the only person I've dealt with in many years at this doctor's office who wasn't wearing a name tag with credentials. Is there any kind of identification requirement?)
If it has become generic it's because people like that MA are using it falsely. When people stop lying about the fact that they are a nurse, the term won't be so generic anymore! And I would hope that most of us that are RN's and LPN's will continue to "jump on people for using it" until we get the message across! If we sit back and say nothing, then we certainly look like nothing. I know I will continue to speak up.
:yeahthat: :yeahthat:
CRNASomeday, no one is disputing that there needs to be a lot of public eddication about what nurses are and do. No one. But you seem to be arguing for the right for non-licensed personnel to keep calling themselves nurses because "they don't know any better". That's not true. Most MAs know better. They have been brainwashed by non-ethical schools to believe that they are "just like/just as good as nurses" but that still doesn't give them the right to claim they are one. Cattitude is right, the thread has gone off on another tangent.....this thread should be focused on the OP, which talks about an MA who started out as a nurse and she demoted herself step by step when she realized she was dealing with someone who knows what she's talking about. This particular MA, by virtue of having backpedaled, proved that she knew she is not a nurse and was using the term fraudulently.
CRNASomeday, no one is disputing that there needs to be a lot of public eddication about what nurses are and do. No one. But you seem to be arguing for the right for non-licensed personnel to keep calling themselves nurses because "they don't know any better". That's not true. Most MAs know better. They have been brainwashed by non-ethical schools to believe that they are "just like/just as good as nurses" but that still doesn't give them the right to claim they are one. Cattitude is right, the thread has gone off on another tangent.....this thread should be focused on the OP, which talks about an MA who started out as a nurse and she demoted herself step by step when she realized she was dealing with someone who knows what she's talking about. This particular MA, by virtue of having backpedaled, proved that she knew she is not a nurse and was using the term fraudulently.
No, not that at all. My beef is that fact that some poster's went off on this tangent saying " I'd never return there" and " I wouldn't let her touch me".
I just thought that was a bit much.
As far as a tangent, I am stating that not everyone purposely misrepresents themselves and some just don't know better.
The original poster's MA may have been being deceptive, but I don't even see why. I'll go with you though and agree that she was.
I've been doing my husband's financial records for years. I suppose I could say that in his mind and mine, I'm enough of a money whiz to be an accountant, but I surely don't refer to myself that.
In common usage "nurse" often means someone taking care another without regard to qualifications. It tends to be used a catch-all category for any kind of health-related assistance that isn't doctoring. Kinda like the term "customer service representative." This terms is vague. They could be referring to a cashier, salesperson, call center personnel, or the like.
Whether we like it or not, it's a linguistic reality and it seems some MA programs intentionally take advantage of this, implying that professional nursing education is a waste. Very unethical on their part. Still, I think it'd be easier to campaign to increase awareness of "Registered Nurses" and "Licensed Practical Nurses" than to fume over the loose usage of "nurse" in our language.
How about an ad campaign like this?... Lead in... "What's a nurse to you?" Soft music and a picture of Mom with a thermometer, a kindly-looking woman helping an elderly lady stand up from her chair at home... Then change music to fast beat and cut to a busy hospital ward hallway, one nurse rushes in with sick-looking patient on a gurney and is met by another nurse, the camera focuses on their badges... RN in big letters... another shot of a nurse on the phone "Pharmacy? We need that XXX Stat! then a hand-off of a med, a close up IV push, pan back up to the nurse's badge... RN... a patient surrounded by complicated medical technology just coming to, looks up and sees a nurse introducing himself "I'm your Registered Nurse".... Registered Nurses... we take care of you... brought to you by the Registered Nurses Association for Public Awareness....
Specializes in ub-Acute/LTC, Home Health, L&D, Peds.
In common usage "nurse" often means someone taking care another without regard to qualifications. It tends to be used a catch-all category for any kind of health-related assistance that isn't doctoring. Kinda like the term "customer service representative." This terms is vague. They could be referring to a cashier, salesperson, call center personnel, or the like.
Whether we like it or not, it's a linguistic reality and it seems some MA programs intentionally take advantage of this, implying that professional nursing education is a waste. Very unethical on their part. Still, I think it'd be easier to campaign to increase awareness of "Registered Nurses" and "Licensed Practical Nurses" than to fume over the loose usage of "nurse" in our language.
How about an ad campaign like this?... Lead in... "What's a nurse to you?" Soft music and a picture of Mom with a thermometer, a kindly-looking woman helping an elderly lady stand up from her chair at home... Then change music to fast beat and cut to a busy hospital ward hallway, one nurse rushes in with sick-looking patient on a gurney and is met by another nurse, the camera focuses on their badges... RN in big letters... another shot of a nurse on the phone "Pharmacy? We need that XXX Stat! then a hand-off of a med, a close up IV push, pan back up to the nurse's badge... RN... a patient surrounded by complicated medical technology just coming to, looks up and sees a nurse introducing himself "I'm your Registered Nurse".... Registered Nurses... we take care of you... brought to you by the Registered Nurses Association for Public Awareness....
Ummmmm LPN's are nurses too...not to start another topic just a reminder
Or how about "brought to you by the Registered/Licensed Practical Nurse's Association for Public Awareness"?
OP here, one more time. It's interesting to see how strongly people feel about medical personnel identifying themselves and displaying their credentials. Does anyone wear the (relatively) big patches put out by the Center for Nursing Advocacy? I would think that consumers would really appreciate them.
A couple of comments in response to a few statements made on this thread:
It's interesting to see how many people presumed my doc, who works with said uncertified medical assistant, is male. She is not. Nor is this a case of an MA being "grandfathered in." She was only recently hired to work at this particular practice, which has 15,000 patients. There are about 30 supporter staffers, including NPs, RNs and LPNs. I think there's a good chance that my doctor doesn't even know what the assistant's background is (or is not), which is all the more troubling given that the assistant was told to give me vaccinations. She is not legally permitted to do so in my home state.
Second, please don't shoot the newspaper reporter for referring to the CNA shadowed by John Edwards as a "nurse." I speak from experience: The reporter rarely if ever writes the headline, nor does the editor. It's up to a copy editor who's got to make the text fit. That's the person who needs to be educated.
Finally, if there's anything I've become conscious of since going back to school, it's that nurses need to raise their profile. I think a public service campaign that emphasizes the work nurses do -- and the education it requires -- is key if anyone is ever going to understand the difference between an RN and an uncertified medical assistant.
Specializes in ub-Acute/LTC, Home Health, L&D, Peds.
Well, for one thing, the school isn't called medical assistant school. I don't know if I can say the name here or not. I never attended, but I don't think there is one book that said medical assistant on it.
Some people really do think, LPN,registered nurse, MA, CNA are the same despite your experience.
Hey, I thought RN's just gave out pills when I started. I don't even think I knew they assessed you. I didn't know you had nursing judgment to not give pills or that they had nursing diagnoses.
:crash_com Stop the insanity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No, not that at all. My beef is that fact that some poster's went off on this tangent saying " I'd never return there" and " I wouldn't let her touch me".
I just thought that was a bit much.
I'd never let her touch me because she was fraudulent!!! If she lied about her qualifications, then what else has she lied about??
No, not that at all. My beef is that fact that some poster's went off on this tangent saying " I'd never return there" and " I wouldn't let her touch me".
I just thought that was a bit much.
As far as a tangent, I am stating that not everyone purposely misrepresents themselves and some just don't know better.
The original poster's MA may have been being deceptive, but I don't even see why. I'll go with you though and agree that she was.
I might be the only one, but I agree with you!
I'm not concerned that the MA who calls herself a nurse is going to inject battery acid into me because she's an incompetent liar.
Specializes in UR/PA, Hematology/Oncology, Med Surg, Psych.
Sorry, but I have never met a MA that didn't know that they were a MA, and not a nurse. I wonder how MDs would respond if groups of people that were less trained and were unlicensed, began representing themselves as Drs? How would lawyers respond if paralegals represented themselves as attorneys? The proverbial poo would hit the fan....Why as nurses, have we allowed this unlicensed, largely unregulated group of people to practice in many ways as nurses? I've seen MAs give injections, call in drugs, even TRIAGE, provide wound care, give medications, do IVs, etc.....Honestly nurses should be ashamed for allowing this, we should of protected our patients and our jobs better. Yes, some MAs are great and very knowledgable, but they are UNLICENSED, and are not held to the professional standard of a nurse.
Well, for one thing, the school isn't called medical assistant school. I don't know if I can say the name here or not. I never attended, but I don't think there is one book that said medical assistant on it.
Some people really do think, LPN,registered nurse, MA, CNA are the same despite your experience.
Hey, I thought RN's just gave out pills when I started. I don't even think I knew they assessed you. I didn't know you had nursing judgment to not give pills or that they had nursing diagnoses.
Somewhere in the brocheure, the text books, the class codes for the school you will find the the words "medical assisting" somewhere. I won't even begin to get into the fact that you are saying that there are WORKING MA's out there that are dumb enough to NOT KNOW WHAT DEGREE THEY WENT TO SCHOOL FOR! :uhoh21: Again, I can't believe that anyone who has a 4th grade level of reading comprehension would not be able to understand that they are not an actual "nurse". They might want to get into the "i can do everything a nurse can do" debate, but they know that their title is not "nurse". It's like saying that a Physician's assistant is going to graduate PA school and suddenly think they went to medical school and are now physicians. The public needs education for sure, but the average person also is able to discern what their educational title is and what degree they went to school for. The fact that you are saying you know some people who honestly just can't figure this out is astonishing....and more than a little scary.
TazziRN, RN
6,487 Posts
:yeahthat: :yeahthat:
CRNASomeday, no one is disputing that there needs to be a lot of public eddication about what nurses are and do. No one. But you seem to be arguing for the right for non-licensed personnel to keep calling themselves nurses because "they don't know any better". That's not true. Most MAs know better. They have been brainwashed by non-ethical schools to believe that they are "just like/just as good as nurses" but that still doesn't give them the right to claim they are one. Cattitude is right, the thread has gone off on another tangent.....this thread should be focused on the OP, which talks about an MA who started out as a nurse and she demoted herself step by step when she realized she was dealing with someone who knows what she's talking about. This particular MA, by virtue of having backpedaled, proved that she knew she is not a nurse and was using the term fraudulently.