"Wait for the nurse"

[brido]

Hello,

I am not a nurse nor a nursing student. However, I brought this up with a few nurse friends and just want some more feedback.

I've been dealing with my doctor's office quite a bit with visits and follow-up calls. It seems like they refer to every employee as a nurse. "Wait for the nurse", "the nurse will be right with you", "you need to talk to a nurse."

I have no experience in the medical field, so I didn't think much of it. I was talking to my friend who is an ICU nurse. She was saying how she is stressed at work and wants 9-5 hrs. I briefly mentioned how nurses work at my doctor's office and maybe it would be a good fit for her. She said "nurses? They're most likely medical assistants." She asked me what they do there. They take my history and vitals and then the doctor comes in. She was highly offended that they would call themselves nurses and wanted to report them. I asked her to explain, but she told me I wouldn't understand.

I told another RN friend of mine the story and she thought it was strange that my friend would react that way and kind of brushed it off. I didn't pursue it further.

But I'm a little concerned that my doctor's office can be reported. It makes me lose trust in them that they would call medical assistants nurses. Can they be reported? What would happen? Should I even concern myself with this?

Thanks for your time and btw, nurses rock!

[CaitlynRNBSN]

They could be nurses. Nurses and medical assistants work at doctor's offices. I've never seen or had an MA introduce themselves as a nurse. But I suppose it COULD happen.

[HippyDippyLPN]

I have worked in two separate clinics. Many of us were LPN's and RN's, it was a speciality practice, but we did have MA's that they referred (they being the office staff) to as nurses as well. We didn't have name tags either so it was hard to separate. When a patient asked if I was the nurse I would say I am an LPN here. My other job was very specific about separating the ma titles from the nurse titles and we had name tags. My former MA coworker actually told her family and everyone around her she was a nurse, kinda odd.

[squatmunkie_RN]

I know an LVN who got fired for calling herself a PA. The doc she worked for allowed her to give so many orders without speaking with him. Never misrepresent yourself in the medical field. When people ask what I do, I say I'm a registered nurse. Just saying "nurse" is so broad.

[CrazierThanYou]

I seriously doubt they're nurses. Like everyone else said, most offices don't have actual nurses. There is a doctor's office in my town, my doctor's office in fact, where everyone from the MA's, the CNA's, EVERYONE calls themselves a nurse. My sister in law works there in billing and sometimes does reception and calls herself a nurse!

My doctor has an actual nurse but that's only because he is the doctor's son. The other doctor who has a "nurse" who is an MA.

I also have a friend who is a CNA at a nursing home but she calls herself a nurse and has her occupation on Facebook listed as "RN".

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

I seriously doubt they're nurses. Like everyone else said, most offices don't have actual nurses. There is a doctor's office in my town, my doctor's office in fact, where everyone from the MA's, the CNA's, EVERYONE calls themselves a nurse. My sister in law works there in billing and sometimes does reception and calls herself a nurse!

My doctor has an actual nurse but that's only because he is the doctor's son. The other doctor who has a "nurse" who is an MA.

I also have a friend who is a CNA at a nursing home but she calls herself a nurse and has her occupation on Facebook listed as "RN".

Wel,l if it is on the internet/FB it MUST be true..... LOL!

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

I work in a large medical practice, divided into many sub-specialties. Only my sub-unit has actual nurses, the rest of the people walking around the building in scrubs are either MAs (and I *believe* all uncertified, just learned on the job) or clerical people. Yep, the clerks like to wear scrubs too, just to add to the confusion to the public.

So what do you think everyone calls these people? Nurses. Why? Because the doctors don't really care--do you think they even pay attention to what anyone calls themselves as long as the height and weight are written in the chart along with v/s? The administration doesn't care; why muddy the waters with such "silly" distinctions, when people "like" the "nurses" as they are? That's right, don't even bother with name tags, the girls just introduce themselves. Most of the elderly patients wouldn't have a clue how an MA is different from an RN anyway, so they figure 'why bother'. And since no license is required to collect information or stick someone with a flu shot, it is a non-issue.

I have mentioned this more than once, and each time heard the above excuses. Bottom line is it DOESN'T affect me or my unit (with real nurses!) so I keep out of it. But I have educated a number of patients when it's appropriate (including a doc who had no clue that his "nurse" wasn't one!).

And the real nurses DO wear name tags with designation :)

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

I work in a large medical practice, divided into many sub-specialties. Only my sub-unit has actual nurses, the rest of the people walking around the building in scrubs are either MAs (and I *believe* all uncertified, just learned on the job) or clerical people. Yep, the clerks like to wear scrubs too, just to add to the confusion to the public.

So what do you think everyone calls these people? Nurses. Why? Because the doctors don't really care--do you think they even pay attention to what anyone calls themselves as long as the height and weight are written in the chart along with v/s? The administration doesn't care; why muddy the waters with such "silly" distinctions, when people "like" the "nurses" as they are? That's right, don't even bother with name tags, the girls just introduce themselves. Most of the elderly patients wouldn't have a clue how an MA is different from an RN anyway, so they figure 'why bother'. And since no license is required to collect information or stick someone with a flu shot, it is a non-issue.

:)

They will all find out what kind of an issue it is when one of patients takes what he thinks is health advice from one of the "girls" and it doesn't turn out well (there are many, many situations in which this could occur) and then says (via his lawyer), "The nurse told me that." We all know that an actual registered nurse would never tell him that, but hey, he doesn't know which one it was, and besides, they always told him they were all nurses. So then the clinic/MD office is liable. Not pretty.

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

They will all find out what kind of an issue it is when one of patients takes what he thinks is health advice from one of the "girls" and it doesn't turn out well (there are many, many situations in which this could occur) and then says (via his lawyer), "The nurse told me that." We all know that an actual registered nurse would never tell him that, but hey, he doesn't know which one it was, and besides, they always told him they were all nurses. So then the clinic/MD office is liable. Not pretty.

Absolutely, 100% agree. And this was part of the chat I had with administration, quite some time ago. And they shrugged, because they think they are somehow bulletproof. Of COURSE the "girls" are giving out medical advice, they do it all the time.

Only thing I can do is tell the patients that WE see that we are the ONLY nurses they will see anywhere else in the building.

And be glad I DO have a license, and one I use quite correctly.

[OCNRN63, RN]

My doctor's office used to put "nursing staff" on the badges, although they weren't nurses. I complained, and those badges mysteriously disappeared.

Good for you! This is how change happens, by individuals speaking up when they see something wrong.

[OCNRN63, RN]

I work in a large medical practice, divided into many sub-specialties. Only my sub-unit has actual nurses, the rest of the people walking around the building in scrubs are either MAs (and I *believe* all uncertified, just learned on the job) or clerical people. Yep, the clerks like to wear scrubs too, just to add to the confusion to the public.

So what do you think everyone calls these people? Nurses. Why? Because the doctors don't really care--do you think they even pay attention to what anyone calls themselves as long as the height and weight are written in the chart along with v/s? The administration doesn't care; why muddy the waters with such "silly" distinctions, when people "like" the "nurses" as they are? That's right, don't even bother with name tags, the girls just introduce themselves. Most of the elderly patients wouldn't have a clue how an MA is different from an RN anyway, so they figure 'why bother'. And since no license is required to collect information or stick someone with a flu shot, it is a non-issue.

I have mentioned this more than once, and each time heard the above excuses. Bottom line is it DOESN'T affect me or my unit (with real nurses!) so I keep out of it. But I have educated a number of patients when it's appropriate (including a doc who had no clue that his "nurse" wasn't one!).

And the real nurses DO wear name tags with designation :)

Yeah, the docs don't care till something seriously goes south. Then watch them holler for a "real nurse."

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

Absolutely, 100% agree. And this was part of the chat I had with administration, quite some time ago. And they shrugged, because they think they are somehow bulletproof. Of COURSE the "girls" are giving out medical advice, they do it all the time.

Only thing I can do is tell the patients that WE see that we are the ONLY nurses they will see anywhere else in the building.

And be glad I DO have a license, and one I use quite correctly.

Suggest you search for related cases and print out a few for them. You never see it coming until it hits you, and then it's too late. If you google "is it against the law to impersonate a nurse" you'll find many state code citations.

[Kidrn911]

Worked too hard for my license for unlicensed personal to be called a nurse. It has happen at my doctors office and I let them know, 1 it is illegal, 2 it is unprofessional, 3 that it is a reportable offense. If a doctor wants to call their staff "nurse" they'd better make sure they have a license.