I was reading a post earlier. Normally I love to do that, when I get some downtime I am entertained/educated by posts here and I enjoy it. However I saw something on here that bothered me. It is a recurring theme.
A user said that since a poster was a nursing student and not a nurse she should change her username. I see that a lot here, other users telling posters to change their name because they are students, or CNAs, etc. Does that really bother you??? It's not like it's that big of a deal. If I was a culinary student I would call myself DelaneyBaker and it would be fine. If I was an engineering student I would call myself DelaneyEngineer. It wouldn't be a big deal. Y'all act as if there aren't millions and millions of nurses in the world and are so prideful. It's not that hard to be a nurse. People from dinky little schools are "nurses". People who did things completely online are "nurses". It isn't a big deal.
I don't know why this riled me up so much but it did. Sorry for the rant.
Its really simple - on this site, our terms of service state:
Members cannot call themselves by professional titles, if they do not hold that title. ie. "doctor, Dr., RN, LPN, LVN, Nurse, CNA, RT, MA" etc, unless they are actually licensed and/or certified as such. Use of such titles is protected under most state laws. If you have chosen a user ID name that reflects an unearned professional title, please contact: Admin Office, and submit three (3) names for consideration. An administrator will contact you.
And since everyone agrees to this when they join - well.....'nuff said....
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I was reading a post earlier. Normally I love to do that, when I get some downtime I am entertained/educated by posts here and I enjoy it. However I saw something on here that bothered me. It is a recurring theme.
A user said that since a poster was a nursing student and not a nurse she should change her username. I see that a lot here, other users telling posters to change their name because they are students, or CNAs, etc. Does that really bother you??? It's not like it's that big of a deal. If I was a culinary student I would call myself DelaneyBaker and it would be fine. If I was an engineering student I would call myself DelaneyEngineer. It wouldn't be a big deal. Y'all act as if there aren't millions and millions of nurses in the world and are so prideful. It's not that hard to be a nurse. People from dinky little schools are "nurses". People who did things completely online are "nurses". It isn't a big deal.
I don't know why this riled me up so much but it did. Sorry for the rant.
Rants are a big part of what AN is here for. BUT "nurse" is a legally protected title. You can't call yourself one if you haven't completed the education and passed the licensing exam. AND you agreed to the Terms of Service when you joined.
Besides, you have to be a little crazy to come to a roomful of nurses and make a nasty, ignorant assertion like this. It would probably fly better in a "Mommies who hate nurses" forum.
Even after I graduated and passed my NCLEX, the letter I got in the mail specifically said you can not use the title RN until you are registered through your regulatory body. I waited until the CNO sent me a letter stating "you are now a registered nurse" before I used the title. If well meaning friends and family called me a nurse or introduced me as such I was quick to correct them that I was working towards my registration. I would never ever assume to use a protected title until I had fully earned it. I have way to much respect for the profession and all the nurses to do that.
Soooo I *actually* read the terms of service for the first time and that was good to know. I'm sorry I was so fiery. It just seemed like you all were trying to be aggressive or belittling instead of what I guess you were actually trying to do. I went to school in a small town and our school nurse was referred to as a "nurse" even though she was a CNA and nobody cared and that's kind of another thing that made me think it was so mean they way y'all attacked people about the username cause it seemed to trivial. i don't mind. I only finished my second year of nursing school so i guess I don't have a good understanding. I mean it's hard, but when my classmates complain or treat the CNAs bad I don't understand. Anyway I guess this is all moot because like i said I finally read terms of service.
Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
Soooo I *actually* read the terms of service for the first time and that was good to know. I'm sorry I was so fiery. It just seemed like you all were trying to be aggressive or belittling instead of what I guess you were actually trying to do. I went to school in a small town and our school nurse was referred to as a "nurse" even though she was a CNA and nobody cared and that's kind of another thing that made me think it was so mean they way y'all attacked people about the username cause it seemed to trivial. i don't mind. I only finished my second year of nursing school so i guess I don't have a good understanding. I mean it's hard, but when my classmates complain or treat the CNAs bad I don't understand. Anyway I guess this is all moot because like i said I finally read terms of service.
Are you sure the "school nurse" was a CNA? All schools I know of have an RN as a school nurse. We had one & my graduating high school class had 20 people. Was it possible the CNA was helping the school nurse?
I'm glad you read the TOS. When you become a nurse you will see how someone, even online, saying they're a nurse when they aren't is wrong & irritating. Also against the TOS & the law.
Are you sure the "school nurse" was a CNA? All schools I know of have an RN as a school nurse. We had one & my graduating high school class had 20 people. Was it possible the CNA was helping the school nurse?
I'm glad you read the TOS. When you become a nurse you will see how someone, even online, saying they're a nurse when they aren't is wrong & irritating. Also against the TOS & the law.
In the city that I used to live in, the school nurse was a CNA. I believe that one licensed nurse was over a certain number of schools and made her rounds at each of them but the "school nurse" was a CNA.
Soooo I *actually* read the terms of service for the first time and that was good to know. I'm sorry I was so fiery. It just seemed like you all were trying to be aggressive or belittling instead of what I guess you were actually trying to do. I went to school in a small town and our school nurse was referred to as a "nurse" even though she was a CNA and nobody cared and that's kind of another thing that made me think it was so mean they way y'all attacked people about the username cause it seemed to trivial. i don't mind. I only finished my second year of nursing school so i guess I don't have a good understanding. I mean it's hard, but when my classmates complain or treat the CNAs bad I don't understand. Anyway I guess this is all moot because like i said I finally read terms of service.
That seems hard to believe, as in most states the title of "nurse" is a legally protected title (which means it is ILLEGAL to represents oneself as a nurse without holding a nursing license). This is really important because lay people listen to nurses, take their advice, allow them to perform treatments, and count on them to be giving correct information that was learned in the course of formal education in an accredited nursing school. Representing that the individual treating/educating them has demonstrated mastery of the concepts associated with standard nursing practice by taking and passing the NCLEX-PN or NCLEX-RN when in fact that person has had no such education and has not passed the nursing licensing exam is not only a betrayal of that patient's trust, but is potentially dangerous and ILLEGAL. The rationale for making the title of nurse a legally protected term is that this PROTECTS THE PUBLIC from the harm which can occur when an unqualified individual treats or educates vulnerable people.
I've never heard of a school district who places a CNA in the role traditionally held by an RN. I can't imagine that it would be legal, even if they represent the CNA properly. Most school districts I know of in my area require that the school nurse be able to do comprehensive assessments; since LPNs cannot do comprehensive assessments in my state, they cannot be school nurses in many districts. Much less could a CNA.
I found this at the Texas BON site:
Registered Nurses in the School SettingThe Texas Education Agency defines a school nurse in 19 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) § 153.1022 (a) (1) (D) as … an educator employed to provide full-time nursing and health care services and who meets all the requirements to practice as a registered nurse (RN) pursuant to the Nursing Practice Act and rules and regulations relating to professional nurse education, licensure, and practice and has been issued a license to practice professional nursing in Texas.†The BON believes that school nursing is a professional registered nursing (RN) specialty. School nursing involves the identification, prevention and intervention to remedy or modify students' health needs. The RN has the educational preparation and critical thinking skills as well as clinical expertise which are essential to nursing in the school setting. These activities involve the comprehensive assessment of the nursing/health care needs of the student, the development of a plan of care, implementation of the plan, and evaluation of the outcomes. The provision of these services by the RN contributes directly to the students' education and to the successful outcome of the educational process. These essential components of professional nursing practice are the responsibility of the RN in compliance with 22 TAC §217.11(3)(A).Vocational Nurses in the School SettingThe vocational nurse has a directed scope of practice under supervision of a registered nurse, advanced practice registered nurse, physician, physician assistant, podiatrist, or dentist.1The provision of nursing care when provided by a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) in a school setting should be under the supervision of the RN. The RN, in compliance with the BON's Standards of Nursing Practice [22 TAC §217.11], assigns those aspects and activities to the LVN that are within the LVN's educational preparation and demonstrated competency to provide. The RN monitors, coordinates, and evaluates the provision of health services necessary to meet individual student health needs essential in achieving educational objectives.When LVNs are utilized in the school setting and are supervised by the RN, the RN needs to consider how closely they can supervise the LVN and how the RN will direct, guide, and influence the outcome of the LVN's performance2 and respond to any situations where the LVN needs onsite supervision.
In the city that I used to live in, the school nurse was a CNA. I believe that one licensed nurse was over a certain number of schools and made her rounds at each of them but the "school nurse" was a CNA.
If she was representing herself or being represented as a "school nurse," the district was very likely breaking the law, as "nurse" is a legally protected title in most states.
Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
In the city that I used to live in, the school nurse was a CNA. I believe that one licensed nurse was over a certain number of schools and made her rounds at each of them but the "school nurse" was a CNA.
So then the CNA wasn't the school nurse. The CNA was an aide that helped out the school nurse. LVNs can't even be called the school nurse, only RNs.
Delaney- you've stumbled onto a topic that's been debated hotly, & extensively, on this site! Accidentally it seems. Since you're in nursing school, I'd like to give you a different perspective on this. And possibly explain why we (nurses) get so upset when this topic comes up.
In previous posts here, it's been brought up that MAs (usually in an MD's office) or CNAs (in a hospital setting) have been heard telling patients that they are the nurse & then giving medical advice.
The problem with that is that when a person puts themselves forth as a nurse, a patient usually trusts what that person tells them because they assume if you're a 'nurse' you have the education of a nurse. Many here have heard poor & outright wrong advice given to patients or even gotten it ourselves from MAs at doctor's offices calling themselves nurses. I myself have had to re-educate pts in the hospital because a CNA gave them wrong information.
In school they will tell you how important ethics & integrity are in the nursing profession. We have standards of practice & nurse practice acts to guide us and if we violate those, our license would be in jeopardy. We study hard to be licensed & practice ethically to stay licensed.
So my problem with non licensed people calling themselves nurses is more with the harm they can do with the general public.
If you are a MA or CNA, be proud of your accomplishments & the good job you do! But please don't practice beyond the scope of your duties. Peoples lives may depend on it
no, she was a CNA. she never misrepresented herself, she had "CNA" on her door. But we all called her nurse. For example, "good morning nurse Sheila" or "Go to Nurse Sheila for a band-aid" and as a child/teen it never made much difference. She took my temperature, patched me up, etc. No "real" nurse ever made rounds. If there was an emergency, of which I remember one or two, EMS were called.
And I understand the issue with somebody in a hospital or office calling themselves a nurse, I wouldn't want that either. It was just that online it seemed so petty. Somebody calling themselves "NurseBetty" when they were a student on a nursing forum seemed cute and unoffensive. I am not so protective, maybe because like a different poster said, nursing school comes easy to some people and it comes easy to me. I work full time as well and it's not an issue. Maybe once I'm actually licensed it will change. :)
traumaRUs, MSN, APRN
87 Articles; 21,287 Posts
Its really simple - on this site, our terms of service state:
Members cannot call themselves by professional titles, if they do not hold that title. ie. "doctor, Dr., RN, LPN, LVN, Nurse, CNA, RT, MA" etc, unless they are actually licensed and/or certified as such. Use of such titles is protected under most state laws. If you have chosen a user ID name that reflects an unearned professional title, please contact: Admin Office, and submit three (3) names for consideration. An administrator will contact you.
And since everyone agrees to this when they join - well.....'nuff said....