Use of the title nurse

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Mar 22, 2011

In my state it is unlawful to call yourself a nurse unless you are duly licensed. It is also unlawful to do some nursing skills without a license. Just being under the MD's supervision does not permit someone to work as a nurse. Do check your state's law. Maybe call BON.

new_worker · Mar 22, 2011

LOL good laugh, it would of been more interesting if you had a poll

A: 10 Looks

B: 10 Skills

LPNweezy · Mar 22, 2011

that is so rude. i worked really hard to get my title :mad:

why can't people just be proud of what they accomplished?

rn4life2009 · Mar 22, 2011

I sent them an email with the boards policy on the title nurse. I also told them if the 10 was referring to looks it was tacky! I mean really! I could care less what the person looks like who is taking care of me as long as they know thier stuff.

sugarmagnoliaRN · Mar 22, 2011

Kind of degrading how they put Nurse in quotes!

LPNweezy · Mar 22, 2011

I sent them an email with the boards policy on the title nurse. I also told them if the 10 was referring to looks it was tacky! I mean really! I could care less what the person looks like who is taking care of me as long as they know thier stuff.

Good for you :nurse:

dthfytr, ADN, LPN, RN, EMT-B, EMT-I · Mar 22, 2011

I think the fact they're seeking medical professionals on Craigslist says it all.

noctanol · Mar 22, 2011

In my state it is unlawful to call yourself a nurse unless you are duly licensed. It is also unlawful to do some nursing skills without a license. Just being under the MD's supervision does not permit someone to work as a nurse. Do check your state's law. Maybe call BON.

What state do you live in, i live in texas and where I work almost anyone is "nurse," including the janitor. she takes care of the floor, she is the floor "nurse"

2011NursingStudent · Mar 22, 2011

I think they are saying you have to be a 10 at starting IV's - ie, they want someone good at it, but they shouldn't have implied they think of MA's as nurses. What gets me are the ads that specify a gender of the employee they want. I wish people hiring were more familiar with employment law. I don't think there's anything wrong with hiring or finding a job on Craigslist, though.

Jingles39 · Mar 22, 2011

that is so rude. i worked really hard to get my title
why can't people just be proud of what they accomplished?

Who's even saying that someone isn't proud?? My guess would be someone OTHER than an MA placed that ad. Perhaps a clueless office manager or doctor, who knows...

As a former MA I get tired of this dead horse being constantly beaten. I was always proud of the work I did as an MA, took great pride in caring for the patients and never, EVER...EVERRRR called myself anything more or less than what I was, an MA.

Now let me tell you something, there are PLENTY of people out there who do not care if you are an MA, an RN, or you've got the letters "CLOWN" behind your name. They just DON"T care. To them the girls in the office are all the same and all they care about is getting in to see the doc TODAY for their sniffles that have been ongoing for the past 2 weeks and you had best better make sure that the script is called in to their pharmacy and ready to be picked up in the time it takes them to leave the office and get over to the pharmacy.

I have tried explaining my title to numerous people over the years and have even got into a heated argument with a cousin of mine over this subject. People are going to think what they want to think no matter what. Stop thinking every MA out there runs around calling themselves a nurse, some of us really don't see it as some kind of ego boost.

And just for the record, I want to become an RN so that I can get more involved in oncology and hospice, not so I can have "better" initials behind my name.

dthfytr, ADN, LPN, RN, EMT-B, EMT-I · Mar 22, 2011

Also in Texas, and the state has a strict law that anyone working as a nurse must wear an ID badge showing their license level.