8 Weeks of training does NOT make you a nurse!!

Nurses General Nursing

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I have seen this covered on here long ago and now it has happened to me and I know EXACTLY how much it can bother people!!

I ran into an ex-coworker who left to do the LNA program. Evidently she is all done now despite only leaving in late Oct. The program was 6 or 8 weeks. She has not even taken the state test yet.

So new years, we are at this party together (at our former boss/friends house) and she tells me and others there a BUNCH OF LIES! She says she is a NURSE now! Imagine that! THEN she even lied about where she was attending which I totally do not understand!

I let her lies and stories of being a NURSE go, as well as her fake job offers, I did not say anything, I just walked away when she got really deep into it, as did several others who knew the truth and also knew how very, very hard I have worked to get where I am which is graduating with my RN in May! THEY were all shocked I did not lay into her butt and set her straight! Not like I go around claiming to be a NP or anything I am not. I have spent the last 3 years working my little butt off and sacrificing a lot of things to be here. Something this woman has no idea about. Funny, it wasnt hard to keep my mouth shut and smile! I must finally be maturing, lol!

I kind of felt bad for her- because she had to lie to make herself feel better and appear something she is not in front of people and then to be lying so blatantly in front of so many who knew it, which means she is not comfortable or happy where she is in life, and also because after that she had a miserable time the rest of the night because many ppl knew she was lying and avoided her and were whispering about it once she left the room and caught that at least once. It was kind of sad really. I bet she feels pretty awful inside. If she had continued later on, or something, I was prepared to mention it is illegal in this state to claim you are a nurse when you are not!

Anyhow, NOW I really know how you all have felt in the same kind of situations!

Duplicate post- my pc must be huccuping again.

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Specializes in Geriatrics.
LNA? Cannot imagine a PCT, CNA or MA having a license? Sounds like a made up degree to me. An LPN wannabe? Scary scary stuff.

Someday, I pray our legislators will wake up and correct this problem.

If the president has to deal with a nurse wannabe someday perhaps something would be done.

We as a group cannot get anything done. We could try but as long as doctors are too cheap to have at least one licensed person in their office I don't believe we would be successful.

I would want to ask this LNA what their hourly salary is?

LNA just stands for Licensed Nursing Assistant, and you do have to be licensed in New Hampshire to practice as a nursing assistant. I live in New Hampshire and nursing assistants here are called "LNA" instead of "CNA".

http://www.nh.gov/nursing/licensure/index.html

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Kukukajoo,

I went back and re-read your initial post. This is part of what you wrote "So new years, we are at this party together..." After reading that statement, I thought that you and your ex co-worker went to the party together which one would assume you go to parties with your friends...not people you hardly know. I mis-read your post. My mistake. I apologize.

However, you never mentioned that you did say something to the people that were talking behind her back. It sounded like you knew this person fairly well and without the whole story, it was easy to assume that you both were friends and you were not standing up for her. Again, I apologize if I offended. I was questioning your committment to someone I thought was your friend. But now that I know you aren't friends, your not standing up for her is a non-issue.

My bad :(:(

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Specializes in IM/Critical Care/Cardiology.
Part of why I think people do this is because the people in the positions higher than they are make them feel that they did not accomplish much. I remember when I completed my LPN course, before I even took the exam, people were saying to me "When will you start RN school, or why sell yourself short, that's ALL", or many other things. If I were a weaker person, I would have succumbed to this and told tall tales about when I will become an RN, or whatever else. What people fail to realize is that happiness and confidence does not come from a degree or stature in life, it comes from within.

This person has failed to realize is that she will feel this way no matter how far she goes unless she works on her own insecurities and confidence building. And, sadly, this does make her look stupid. Tall tales usually do. It is annoying when someone blatently lies about things, because it insults our intelligence, and can mislead people into thinking that it is easy to accomplish becoming a nurse (or whatever else), and it is not. I feel sorry for this woman.

I agree with you to a point. I feel sadness in my heart for her and her reasoning, but she did have a friend there. Friendly enough to tell all of us what she "thought about doing to help her". I don't understand that about people. Either you are their friend or not. You can't expect everbody to like you, but if you are concerned with them humiliating themselves enough to have others gossip about them, I feel she should have been told the big picture IMO. I do hear what you are saying tho.

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Thats okay. I was not too clear and did not tell the whole story to begin with. My whole point is that it was sad that she felt so low as to have to make herself something she wasn't. With her recent history, it is concerning and I truly feel bad for her.

Oh, and I did know many of the people at the party- the hosts are my closest friends for years and years. They host large parties for new years and also July 4th. Lots of interesting people come!

I remember it took me a long time to get over the stigma of being a single mom, then I realized I was the one punishing myself and putting myself down!!!

Hopefully she will be in a better place soon and maybe even continue her education and become a nurse.

And yes, LNA is what they call CNA in NH, they have to be certified and pass a state examination and keep it up to date.

Kukukajoo,

I went back and re-read your initial post. This is part of what you wrote "So new years, we are at this party together..." After reading that statement, I thought that you and your ex co-worker went to the party together which one would assume you go to parties with your friends...not people you hardly know. I mis-read your post. My mistake. I apologize.

However, you never mentioned that you did say something to the people that were talking behind her back. It sounded like you knew this person fairly well and without the whole story, it was easy to assume that you both were friends and you were not standing up for her. Again, I apologize if I offended. I was questioning your committment to someone I thought was your friend. But now that I know you aren't friends, your not standing up for her is a non-issue.

My bad :(:(

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele, IM, OB/GYN, neuro, GI.

I know exactly what you're talking about. My husbands sister does the same things and she is only a CMA. She works at a hospital doing durg screens so she's a nurse in her mind. Her own husband think she's a RN because that's what she told them when they first got together. She still does it to strangers but she stopped doing it around the family because of me. Her younger sister made a comment about it when she was having her baby and the older sister was telling all the L&D nurses that she's a RN but was calling me and asking questions which I would answer and the would converse with the nurses about it like she knew what was going on. Her family is amazed that in the 9 years that my husband and I have been together I have been in school (for various things) and STILL don't have a degree but she went to school for 6 months and is an RN. I just usually nod my head and smile and tell her how it's illegal to call yourself a nurse if you're not and walk away from the conversation. Evryone in her family knows the truth but spares her feelings

I think some people do this to make there lifes seem better than what they are. There the type of people that every time you're around them and tell a story they have to one up you with a story of their own.

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I think sometimes people use "nurse" as a generic term for "healthcare worker". Many people outside of the wonderful world of healthcare don't even realize that there is a significant difference in a nurse and a tech. To them (this includes my lovely family :( ), they each take care of patients. End of story and any extra titles is just splitting hairs. My mom will say, "If you're not a doctor, who cares what your title is?"

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Specializes in Med Surg, Tele, PH, CM.

The label "Nurse" covers a whole gamit of personnel these days. The key word is "Registered", that's what sets you apart. In most cases, RNs, LPNs, Patient Care Techs, and CNAs are all labeled as "Nursing Staff". It is the Scope of Practice and the level of credentialing that sets them apart.

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Specializes in IM/Critical Care/Cardiology.
The label "Nurse" covers a whole gamit of personnel these days. The key word is "Registered", that's what sets you apart. In most cases, RNs, LPNs, Patient Care Techs, and CNAs are all labeled as "Nursing Staff". It is the Scope of Practice and the level of credentialing that sets them apart.

I'm a nurse, a licensed nurse with many other certifications and went to a school for a 2 year program. A :kissregistered nurse does have a different scope of practicing nursing............ But let's not go there.

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Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.
The label "Nurse" covers a whole gamit of personnel these days. The key word is "Registered", that's what sets you apart. In most cases, RNs, LPNs, Patient Care Techs, and CNAs are all labeled as "Nursing Staff". It is the Scope of Practice and the level of credentialing that sets them apart.

No, IMHO, the label "Nurse" does not cover a whole gamit of personnel these days.

LPN's are as much a nurse and just as vaulable to the nursing team as the RN's. The word registered does not set you apart as a nurse.

It's the professional, competent, and compassionate care that sets a nurse with either title apart from the rest of the staff.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
The label "Nurse" covers a whole gamit of personnel these days. The key word is "Registered", that's what sets you apart. In most cases, RNs, LPNs, Patient Care Techs, and CNAs are all labeled as "Nursing Staff". It is the Scope of Practice and the level of credentialing that sets them apart.

Registered Nurses are NOT the only nurses in existence; Practical Nurses have earned the right to be called NURSE as well. Yes, the scope of practice is different, however, we are both licensed to practice nursing.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
No, IMHO, the label "Nurse" does not cover a whole gamit of personnel these days.

LPN's are as much a nurse and just as vaulable to the nursing team as the RN's. The word registered does not set you apart as a nurse.

It's the professional, competent, and compassionate care that sets a nurse with either title apart from the rest of the staff.

Could not have said it better myself...:kiss

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