Tech that tells everyone she's a nurse

[SCRN1]

We have a nurse tech who is from Germany. She's forever telling everyone...other staff & patients...that she was a nurse in Germany but the United States won't let her practice nursing here without going back to school and earning a degree here. She is currently in her first semester of an ADN program.

From a lot of the things she says and does, we don't think she really went to the kind of nursing school we have to go to here. She says she spent 4 years in nursing school, being taught by the nuns. I asked her just yesterday if she had to take classes like Anatomy/Physiology. She avoided giving the actual answer, but just said, "maybe our school was a little different than here". So, that told me NO. The other day, she came to me and said, "that patient said they couldn't breathe good, so I turned their oxygen up to 6". I told her to NEVER do that again and explained why. I could go on & on. I (and others) are really getting sick of hearing her talk about being a nurse and how good she is at being a tech. She does get her vitals & baths done quickly and is good about many things AS A TECH. But she also refuses to do anything else with patients that aren't assigned to her. She will sit & read magazines if no one is available to listen to her tell how good she is. I've told her before that they aren't just "your patients/my patients"...that they all have needs and if someone else is tied up with another patient and someone else isn't busy, then that person needs to attend to the needs of the other patients. She also loves to say, "I'm just here to help the nurse with the patient's I'm assigned to. If other techs can't do their work, then that nurse needs to do it, not me."

Anyway, back to my original reason for writing this post...does anyone know if the requirements to become a nurse in Germany is different than in the US?

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

I happen to agree. I was born and raised here...I speak the language that is the majority. Also, because I do not speak other languages, I personally do not go places where I would be at a disadvantage because I cannot communicate. There is no reason for another person not to attempt to do the same when they get here.

Realistically, it is harder to care for them, make proper assessments and communicate with them. There are more times than I can count that I call our translation services for them to say that I have to wait or call back in an hour or more because they are swamped. And, I cannot safely assure that even the translator is really giving or receiving the information that I need to convey or gather to the patient. I am not saying that they don't deserve the same care that English speaking patients are to receive, but it is hard when you have MANY of them, and it is backing up the clinic or ER because you can't communicate. Sorry-if you plan to remain here, try and learn the language.

[AussieTina]

We have an RN on our floor who moved here from Australia. She had a 4 year college degree and was a nurse in Australia for 17 years. She had to take a test (can't remember what it was) and once she passed that she had to take the NCLEX-RN. She got 12 weeks orientation just like a newbie. She is a great nurse. She did have to learn IV's because in Australia doctors do the "cannulations"

I am an Australian RN.

We do do the cannulations over here, you have to do extra training to do so (workbook and a bit of practice, no biggie). However it is not compulsary (sp?) and some nurses choose not to do so

I work with an activity aide who was a nurse in Germany. She is so sweet. Once she commented about how we seem like we're always pushing around the meds carts (I work in a LTCF right now) and how back home the nurses did all the care for the patient, the bathing and feeding and everything. I know there are some specialties that still work that way but she described it more like a tech job- I guess that's just what they do over there. .

We also do all this for our patients, we do not have 'techs' to do this for us, it is part of our duties. From what i can understand from reading on the forums we also do all of the duties of an American RN.

Oh and where I work we also do male and female catherisations, if it is your pt and they need something, then you do it, regardless of gender.

Very interesting discussion

and my to the op, I would go to the NUM and put in a complaint about her

[shelly304]

While living in South Florida I applied for position at a private clinic. Didn't get the job because I didn't speak Creole....but I do speak Spanish and ENGLISH! Go figure:smackingf

[SCRN1]

To answer the question as to how she got the insulin is that it's very rarely locked up on our floor. Actually, it sits right out in a basket most of the time on the counter where we draw up meds, recheck meds pulled from the pyxis, etc. I don't know how we've gotten by with this for so long. But that's how she got her hands on it and helped herself.

I have verbally told my NM about all of this. She's always saying how much no one is perfect and beyond making a mistake. It's like she is trying to discourage us from writing anyone up and the people who complain about anyone end up getting talked about. So far, no harm has come to anyone and I hope it never does. But if she does one more thing outside of what she is qualified to do, I will write her up. I told my NM that it scares me that what she does could cost me my job and my license. I told this tech the other day that she shouldn't be calling herself a nurse until after she finishes nursing school (having a hard time in it) and passes the NCLEX and gets her license. I informed her that it is illegal in this state to call yourself a nurse if you aren't licensed and should something happen to someone who believes her that she's a nurse, she could be sued.

I caught her allowing the EMTs to give her report when they brought us a new patient. I informed them that they needed to give the report to that patient's nurse. The tech went on to say, "I am a nurse!". So, one of the EMTs went on to tell her anyway...didn't even pay attention to the title on her badge. Luckily, the charge nurse walked in at that moment and witnessed the same as I and told them, "you can't give report to her. She's not a nurse. She's a tech". Later, this tech came up to me and told me it makes her so mad for someone to say she's not a nurse. That's when I told her about it not being legal to call herself a nurse in this state unless she is a licensed nurse. She said she is licensed. I told her, "but you are not licensed in the United States. Therefore, you are not yet a nurse here."

[shelly304]

This situation is out of control! Sounds like your NM does not want to take responsibility for the "manager" part of her title. Meds in a basket?

Good grief! I would have to broach administration about this. My concern is that soon a very serious mistake will be made and if you have had knowledge about these incidents you will be held accountable. I would cover my a*@!

[Okami_CCRN, BSN, RN]

To answer the question as to how she got the insulin is that it's very rarely locked up on our floor. Actually, it sits right out in a basket most of the time on the counter where we draw up meds, recheck meds pulled from the pyxis, etc. I don't know how we've gotten by with this for so long. But that's how she got her hands on it and helped herself.

I have verbally told my NM about all of this. She's always saying how much no one is perfect and beyond making a mistake. It's like she is trying to discourage us from writing anyone up and the people who complain about anyone end up getting talked about. So far, no harm has come to anyone and I hope it never does. But if she does one more thing outside of what she is qualified to do, I will write her up. I told my NM that it scares me that what she does could cost me my job and my license. I told this tech the other day that she shouldn't be calling herself a nurse until after she finishes nursing school (having a hard time in it) and passes the NCLEX and gets her license. I informed her that it is illegal in this state to call yourself a nurse if you aren't licensed and should something happen to someone who believes her that she's a nurse, she could be sued.

I caught her allowing the EMTs to give her report when they brought us a new patient. I informed them that they needed to give the report to that patient's nurse. The tech went on to say, "I am a nurse!". So, one of the EMTs went on to tell her anyway...didn't even pay attention to the title on her badge. Luckily, the charge nurse walked in at that moment and witnessed the same as I and told them, "you can't give report to her. She's not a nurse. She's a tech". Later, this tech came up to me and told me it makes her so mad for someone to say she's not a nurse. That's when I told her about it not being legal to call herself a nurse in this state unless she is a licensed nurse. She said she is licensed. I told her, "but you are not licensed in the United States. Therefore, you are not yet a nurse here."

She is setting herself up for a major lawsuit and I believe you should have written her up ages ago.

I was once called into an administrative hearing by my NM when he heard a complaint from an RN that I was "inserting IV's and giving IV push Meds." I was so upset that someone would say something like that but I told my manager that it was stupid of me to go beyond my scope of practice when I barely have time to do my CNA duties.

I was then investigated for three months with people randomly coming into my patients rooms while the curtains were drawn and making up an excuse as to why they came in. They interviewed my patients and eventually I was cleared and the RN fired for slandorous and potentially career ending statements.

However in my case I did not do anything but this young lady is making people believe she is an RN and that in itself is not only unlawful but dangerous to the patient and staff.

[MrsMommaRN]

your dear fraulein is way out of line. in oh even messing with the 02 is a big no no. giving insulin? what the heck. what if someone was harmed? that would have been your butt on the line.

your nas behavior needs to be brought to the attention of your nm. let us know what happens.

[GallopinGal48]

The nurses on a floor I worked spoke a Philippino dialect. They spoke to each other quietly, but used English when English speaking nurses/staff were in close proximity. It's wonderful to know other languages, but not so nice to use them to exclude others. Don't worry, what goes around, comes around... patience is a virtue!