Working as a nurse without a license

Gomer · Mar 12, 2003

I agree...she's a medical assistant not a nurse...well, maybe the MD classifies her as a nurse's aid. If you really want to get nosey...ask her what her duties are.

dingofred · Mar 12, 2003

Welcome Mint, and I agree also. She's looking

for trouble I think.

James Huffman · Mar 12, 2003

"Office nurse" is a term frequently taken by medical assistants, and other unlicensed folks. Depending on the locality's nurse practice laws, I suspect she's in little danger unless she's using the RN or LPN title. From a BON perspective, there are bigger fish to fry, and arguing whether someone who is basically a medical assistant is practicing nursing is just not worth the trouble.

Jim Huffman, RN

http://www.NetworkforNurses.com

Teshiee · Mar 12, 2003

Sounds like she is embellishing her job title. She is more of a medical assistant than anything else. I agree with the others ask her what her duties are!

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Mar 12, 2003

This person is a "wanna be". As the others said, she is a medical asst.

My mother works for a urologist in private practice. She has had no medical or nursing education whatsoever, but is allowed to call herself a medical asst., because the doctor took on legal responsibility for training her, and she is working under his license.

lpnga · Mar 12, 2003

I know a lady who works at an area hospital in Chattanooga, TN and she is listed as a Medical Assistant (she moved up from a PCT 3) she does VS, catheters, starts iv's, Blood Sugars, etc...I guess it depends on the doctors and the hospital standards.

SmilingBluEyes · Mar 12, 2003

She is NOT a nurse unless licensed to practice as one. She is misusing a title that is NOT due her and it could get her and that office in hot water one day. We have had this NON-nurses using the title "nurse" discussion before. It got quite heated. Point is, if she is not licensed to practice nursing as an LPN/LVN or RN, she is NOT a nurse, period. She may NOT call herself such anymore than I would call myself a doctor. :mad:

jenac · Mar 12, 2003

I'm a little confused. What exactly can a medical assistant do? I was under the impression that they couldn't give injections and what-not, but in an earlier post, one is listed as doing Iv's, starting caths, etc. Can anyone clarify this for me?

Mint Julip · Mar 12, 2003

I apologise if my post upsets anyone here. I'm not trying to stir the pot. The reason I posed this question is because although she did say that she has worked for both physicians doing mostly medical assistant duties, she also said that she performs some nursing duties as well and that she is the only staff member qualified to do both. I guess that is what threw me off.

~ Mint~

Katnip, RN · Mar 12, 2003

If she's performing nursing duties as stated in her BON's Nurse Practice Act, then she's violating the law.

nursbee04 · Mar 12, 2003

Welcome, Mint Julep (love that name!!) -

I think we know you weren't trying to stir the pot, but most ppl here have a big problem with non - nurses using the title "nurse."

I am still just a student, and it gets me pretty fired up, too. I'm sure you didn't mean to start an argument

I agree that she is placing herself in a bad position, and if she can't pass boards I really don't think she should be preforming RN duties at all. And why wouldn't the doc just hire a licensed nurse?? Does he pay her less I wonder??