What to you think of UAP's representing themselves as RN's?

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Specializes in Peds, PICU, NICU, CICU, ICU, M/S, OHS....

What to you think of UAP's representing themselves as RN's on social networking sites like Facebook?

A pca that I work with has herself listed as a R.N. on her Facebook page. She claims she has gone to nursing school but she cannot pass the boards to get her license. I have found her to be a liar of all sorts and I really feel uncomfortable when she is assigned to provide care for my patients :eek:

I am personally offended by this. I worked damn hard to become a nurse and pass my boards. I don't know if she ever even went to school. I know that I would have done whatever it takes to pass the boards, including remedial courses and test prep courses.

Anyhow, what is your opinion on this? Is it even legal?

Sofla

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

UAP? I take it as unlicensed assistive personel. Yes it's annoying, it's illegal at work or to represent yourself to a patient as a nurse unless you are one but on facebook she could say she's an alien ......go figure.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

I'll be honest I don't really give a crap. I've got better things to do with my time than worry about who's posting what on Facebooks or Tweeters. Unless she is introducing herself to patients as an RN, and/or practicing outside her scope it's a non issue for me.

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Specializes in pediatrics, public health.
I'll be honest I don't really give a crap. I've got better things to do with my time than worry about who's posting what on Facebooks or Tweeters. Unless she is introducing herself to patients as an RN, and/or practicing outside her scope it's a non issue for me.

I agree with the above, and will add to the OP that I don't understand how you even know what this woman is posting on her Facebook page. Are you FB friends with someone that you consider to be "all sorts of a liar", and if so, why? The solution is simple -- unfriend her. If you're hearing about what she's posting on FB through other people, just tell them you don't care and ask them to stop telling you what she's posting on FB.

Problem solved. Next? :lol2:

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I agree with the op. It is wrong to call yourself a nurse if you aren't one.

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The issue presented by the OP is an important one. Healthcare workers who are representing themselves as licensed nurses when they are not is an issue that impacts all licensed nurses.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

It's wrong to misrepresent yourself in general.

*Disclaimer I can understand getting upset when general safety and patient welfare are involved, but we are talking about postings on Facebooks here. Not about someone saying "Yeah I'm a nurse, let me start that IV in you" when they aren't a nurse and have never started an IV before.

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Specializes in LTC, Disease Management, smoking Cessati.

If you didn't take the NCLEX and pass you are not a RN. Period, no exceptions. It's a simple question with a simple answer.... She is misrepresenting herself....

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Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.

Even though a person isn't walking into a room and telling patients she is an RN, she is telling people online that. People who then trust her judgement and believe she a license to support any information or advice she gives on her Facebook. To me this is illegal and risky behavior.

If I noticed someone was posting as an RN on my FB I would most likely send them a message reminding them that it is fraudulent and illegal to represent themselves as an RN.

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Specializes in pediatrics, public health.

For those interested in the topic of "nurse" as a protected title, the link below is an excellent summary of state laws about this.

The title "nurse" is not yet protected in all 50 states. There are 29 states in which it is protected -- which means that, in the other 21 states, a person can call themself a "nurse" without violating the law.

The language about protection of the title also varies from state to state for the 29 states in which it is a protected title. So, whether or not it is actually illegal to call yourself a nurse on Facebook might depend on the specific wording of the law in your state.

(personally I still don't think it's a big deal for someone to call herself a nurse on her Facebook page even if it's not true, and I wouldn't try to do anything about it -- but of course reasonable people can disagree)

http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAPoliticalPower/State/StateLegislativeAgenda/TitleNurse_1.aspx

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op, i understand why this bothers, but keep this in mind:

people who feel the need to deceive others by embellishing themselves, always represents a rock bottom self-esteem issue.

pity them, because it really is sad.

leslie

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As a brand new RN it offends me when people misrepresent themselves as RNs. They didn't earn the title, they shouldn't be able to use it. It is illegal for them to misrepresent themselves in a professional setting. I think it mostly just upsets me though because I JUST finished school and started my first job.

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