So I took my dog to the vet yesterday morning to be spayed, we (my dog and I) are called into the assessment room by this woman who introduces herself as the "RN" who will be taking care of my dog.
Ofcourse I am skeptical, I question her "You are a Registered Nurse?"
She replies, that yes she is a RN, the training is EXACTLY the same, except that it is for animals, and that she had to pass a board exam. She actually goes on about it for a couple of minutes.
At this point I am so stunned, that I decide not to say anything, as I am already in a highly irritated mood because I am sleep deprived, starving because I am fasting for blood work, and actively fighting with my insurance coverage to get any prescription filled anywhere, and I am afraid of over reacting. I make sure that I sound highly skeptical when I say "Oooookayyy"
I am usually not very political or sensitive to nursing slights. I am comfortable with who I am and happy with what I do. I laugh at slights to nurses on tv more often that not, but this just kept itching at me.
When I left they gave me a addressed envelope and a survey to fill out. I am considering using the envelope to write a letter to the vet to inform her that she has at least one tech that is calling herself a RN and that by allowing this to go on in her practice that she is opening herself up to potential liability.
Before someone gives my parents an injection or draws their blood in the Dr's office they always ask what is their title. If they don't get LPN,RN or MA in case of blood draws, they refuse. It makes the assistant angry but someone else comes in. I'm glad my parents, at age 80, are informed and
Before someone gives my parents an injection or draws their blood in the Dr's office they always ask what is their title. If they don't get LPN,RN or MA in case of blood draws, they refuse. It makes the assistant angry but someone else comes in. I'm glad my parents, at age 80, are informed and
responsibile concerning their own health matters.
More people need to so the same with their pets. I wonder how many people realize that in some veterinary hospitals, the kennel assistant is actually the person inducing and monitoring anesthesia. No formal education, some practical experience, no knowledge of basic physiology. It's scary. I know that in my area clients are getting smarter and asking these questions. I don't know maybe the people in this area are more enlightened. Sorry that this is a tad off topic.
now, my question is the following and please think about this before replying. is it all right for a nurse practitioner earning her doctrine be called a "doctor"? is doctor protected in the usa as well? so, you are a nurse practitioner, you have earn your doctrine and you are call dr. such such. is this all right?
i do not see why we need all of these labels to prove who we are in this profession. we are so worry about others and what they are doing. however, we are not concern that we do not receive the correct salary for the labels we earn. we are not concern how the patients will interpret the dr. label for nurse practitioner. in addition, we are not concern about weakness we have in our profession and not willing to resolve it.
i didn't need to think about it for too long. i didn't read your profile to see of you are a nurse, or a student, or whatever. but, if you've been to college, you know that anyone holding a doctorate degree is called "dr", with all rights and priveldges (if there really are any). just because they are not a "medical doctor", it doesn't meant they are misrepresenting themselves. a lawyer holds a 'juris doctorate' degree, thus he/she is a doctor. if i decide to purue my doctorate degree, i will very proudly refer to myself as doctor, but not on an everyday basis.
btw just because you're an np, doesn't mean you're a doctor. all you need is a masters degree.
I'm a vet tech not a nurse. It saddens me when I go to a US vet website that calls their techs nurses like http://www.remondvet.com. I'm not sure if the vet is ignorant or the website designer. These people are not nurses but they are vet techs or vet assistants depending on their level of education. I don't see where anyone is credentialed by reading the description. Yes I see the importance of our titles meaning something. Isn't the public confused enough?
Fuzzy, CVT
BTW, I'm no better or no worse than a nurse. Our job descriptions are just different.
Very well said Fuzzy. My two furbabes are herding dogs (Australian Shepherd -gave birth to my screen name - and a Border Collie) and when I take them to the vet, I better have a Veterinary Technician caring for them - not a "nurse" or RN. Nurses (human) cannot perform the same skills ya'll do. Thanks for your insight.
Bravo! Good for you for taking a stand. This is a practice that is getting way out of hand. I frequently take orders from receptionists! no less. I only do this b/c I happen to know this DR and his staff and they always speak to him first and the DR really does not have time to take all calls on all orders. Believe me, I wouldn't take many orders from them more complicated than "admit to the unit w/x diagnosis and unit protocol". Also, I have plenty of experience in my field, and would know when to question an order that did not seem appropriate. Nevertheless, this practice is not only dangerous in theory, but, I think, illegal. Here's the reason for it: the MD is a cheapskate and doesn't want to pay a nurse to work in his office. He gets away w/it, for now, but I really wonder how long this can last. Too sad.
the icn's position: (international council of nurses)
the title of “nurse” should be protected by law and applied to and used only by those legally authorized to practice the full scope of nursing.
background:
persons receiving health care and those employing nurses have a right to know whether they are dealing with a legally qualified nurse. reserving the title “nurse” for those who meet the legal standard allows the public to distinguish legally qualified nurses from other nursing care providers.
persons who legitimately use the title “nurse” are individually responsible and accountable for their actions, and are required to adhere to professional codes of practice and ethics. nurses need to be educated about their legal rights to the exclusive use of this title, and the ensuing accountability and responsibilities related to the scope of practice assigned to those who are entitled by law to bear this title.
the unlawful use of the title “nurse” should result in criminal, civil, and/or administrative actions against the person and anyone who assists them in using the title “nurse”.
state of new york -
§6903. practice of nursing and use of title "registered professional nurse" or "licensed practical nurse".
only a person licensed under this article shall practice nursing and only a person licensed under section sixty-nine hundred four shall use the title "registered professional nurse" and only a person licensed under section sixty-nine hundred five of this article shall use the title "licensed practical nurse".
american association of lawyers:
there is never any room for false and misleading comments about one’s skills. personal integrity and one’s professional reputation must be protected at all costs. it is only legally acceptable for an rn or lpn/lvn to be titled a nurse.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
Let's not get off the topic here by trading insults and rude posts. This is a hot topic, to be sure. We rely on the membership to police themselves, and you all do a great job. Please per Terms of Service, do refrain from making flaming/rudes posts, and, in particular, responding directly to them, as well. Please report rude posts to a moderator, using the red triangle at the bottom left of the offending post. We will be along to take care of the situation very soon.
More people need to so the same with their pets. I wonder how many people realize that in some veterinary hospitals, the kennel assistant is actually the person inducing and monitoring anesthesia. No formal education, some practical experience, no knowledge of basic physiology. It's scary. I know that in my area clients are getting smarter and asking these questions. I don't know maybe the people in this area are more enlightened. Sorry that this is a tad off topic.
Fuzzy, CVT
How is that off topic? I think it's right on topic and I'm learning so much about workers in vet hospitals from all of these posts here.
I love my animals and I can't believe that I'm so ignorant about the qualifications of people that I'm handing my cats and dogs off to at the vet office!
As a PACU nurse, your post makes me very nervous as my cat just had surgery.
Everything went fine, they even called me and said "She's in the recovery room now" which made me envision some vet- tech type "nurse equivalent" for lack of a better term, managing her airway, pain, etc. and doing everything that I do at work every day for people.
Telling me that an untrained worker is inducing and monitoring anesthesia really scares me.
I've been reading posts from people who say that vet techs are associate degree prepared individuals much like ADN RN's in their particular state and I think that is great.
I don't want to touch on whether or not they should actually be called "nurse" because I think that a lot of the title protection stuff being mentioned here is getting a little out of hand, but I do think that anyone medicating my animals or giving them IV fluids, ng tube feeds, etc. should be trained in a program equivalent to an LPN or ADN RN with a solid background in animal A&P and pharm.
In addition, they should have additional extensive OJT before they should be allowed to "recover" animals from surgery, and even then I don't know about them actually administering anesthesia.......after all, for humans, you need to at least be a CRNA so I think that should be left up to the vets themselves.
On another note, I'd like to add that in every state where I've lived, I've run into the same problem with vet offices/hospitals:
They are in dire need of someone who knows how to do phone triage and need some type of nurse equivalent to be managing the phone when people are calling and wondering whether or not to take their pet in to be seen!
Every time I call, I swear that I get some receptionist who doesn't know bunk about vet medicine and I end up taking my pet in for a visit no matter what because they never know anything.
DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN
3,932 Posts
Before someone gives my parents an injection or draws their blood in the Dr's office they always ask what is their title. If they don't get LPN,RN or MA in case of blood draws, they refuse. It makes the assistant angry but someone else comes in. I'm glad my parents, at age 80, are informed and
responsibile concerning their own health matters.