I'm new here and this is my first post. I'm about to reach my one year as an RN in L&D and it's been very challenging, stressful, rewarding, everything. I know how hard it is to go through school and then the stress of passing your exam and finally trying to get into the workforce and once you get into the workforce, the reality of a career in nursing kind of hits. So I guess after all of that hard work, this situation with a friend bothers me maybe more than it should:
Initially, my friend was at the University of Michigan in hopes of becoming an RN. After 6 years and failing her courses, she decided to go into a 2 year LPN course instead and has been successful at it so far. This is her first year into the LPN course and already she is telling people that she is a nurse. For example, when anyone tells her about a sickness or an injury she begins her sentence with, "Well as a nurse, I recommend..." or even "The struggles of being a nurse" as though she has experienced it full on. She has never been paid in any nursing position and again, she is still in school to become an LPN. She'll also say things like "My job [as a nurse] is really stressful but I love it." It makes me cringe but I'm not a very aggressive person and so I don't speak up about it.
I just wanted to know your general thoughts on this. Maybe it's my pride as an ACTUAL nurse that makes me irk about this? Should I let it go? Am I making too big a deal of it? I personally feel that it is wrong to call yourself any profession if you are not certified yet. Thoughts?
I had occasion to change PCPs awhile back. At my first visit I was greeted by a well-dressed woman who sat me down with the laptop and began taking my history. I said, politely, "Have you been working here long?"
"I've been Dr. A's nurse for ten years."
Since she looked to be roughly my age, I said, "I'm a nurse, too, went to XYZ University in town. Where did you go to school, around here?"
Pause. "I'm a medical assistant."
Pause. Quietly, "Mmmm. Did you know it's not legal to call yourself a nurse if you're not?"
She finished up and hurried out.
When the MD came in to see me, I mentioned that her assistant had told me she had been her nurse for ten years, and said I didn't think that was OK since she was a MA. She agreed with me and was surprised, and said she'd take care of it. Education, education, education.
I hope you told her that before she stuck you!
In my old practice it was the DOCTORS that called the MAs "nurses".
In my old practice it was the DOCTORS that called the MAs "nurses".
She didn't stick me. But she did take my BP over my sweater, without lining up the reference line with the brachial artery, and pumping it up to the top again before it got to the bottom because she missed the diastolic. Didn't believe me when I said that results in an artificially elevated diastolic and you have to let the cuff all the way down and elevate the arm to empty the veins first. Sigh.
She didn't stick me. But she did take my BP over my sweater, without lining up the reference line with the brachial artery, and pumping it up to the top again before it got to the bottom because she missed the diastolic. Didn't believe me when I said that results in an artificially elevated diastolic and you have to let the cuff all the way down and elevate the arm to empty the veins first. Sigh.
um, oops.
*runs to add this to Things I Have Learned This Week*
I have a multi-state license from Wisconsin. When I read the statutes, rules and regulations and other literature, nurse means clearly a Registered Nurse. Look up your state board of nursing information by way of the NCSBN website to see how nurse is legally described. From what I have read, RN's are the only professionals that can assess, also RN's are responsible for all the activities or lack thereof of unlicensed personnel. LPN's can do many things in healthcare arenas. They cannot assess in my state, must have RN approval to give PRN medication, and cannot delegate what is in their scope of practice to unlicensed personnel. There are more delineations between all the care givers and RN's. I found it eye opening to read what is out there and I hope you do too.
In short, take a diplomatic stand and educate your colleague.
I know a pediatric neurosurgeon who worked in bedside nursing several years before going to medical school. The other day he heard one of the CNA's refer to herself as a nurse. He waited till we were all at the nursing station and then he came by and said to her gently, "You know, I am a nurse since before I became a doctor. How is it that you are a nurse before you are a nurse?" She turned beet red, then apparently saw an apparition of the Virgen MarÃa in the paperwork she was looking at. I've never seen someone go from red to white so fast.
Specializes in Cardiology, Cardiothoracic Surgical.
Just give her enough rope, she'll eventually hang herself, as the old saying goes. Unless these are your own patients that she also takes care of, I wouldn't worry about it.
Conversely, I've been the lucky duck who is apparently the oracle on all things dermatological at work, even though we don't deal with any skin conditions in our clinic. Several different coworkers have asked me "what's this?" pointing to the mystery rash, mystery bite or redness in question. Not only are some of these possibly contagious (poison ivy), I have to question what they get into on their days off. I'm an outdoory type person, and I don't have these issues.
I did stop the one girl from injecting herself with an Epi pen over some spreading itchy on her feet. Hadn't even tried Benadryl or cortisone cream yet. Sheesh.
*runs to add this to Things I Have Learned This Week*
Totally post stalked you just now to see what this was all about.
It drives me crazy when people do BP over s thick sweater or multiple layers. I *might* forgive a light, very thin t-shirt, and that's *if* blood pressure isn't an issue. I had a period during which BP was an issue and I asked the MA/CNA/whichever she was do wait for me to get my shirts off my arm first. She says, "no, no, it's okay, just leave them on." I replied, "no, it's not okay, this needs to be accurate," to which she responded it would be. *sigh* I made her wait until the shirts were off.
My family members/friends have pretty much stopped asking what every rash is, what that pain in the elbow means, why they have constipation no matter what they try, etc., because my standard answer is "that sounds exactly like a brain tumor. Better get in to see the doc asap."
I also absolutely cringe when people say that they are a nurse but they are not. I feel that this term should be reserved for the people who have worked hard in school and in their positions. I have a family member that has people thinking that she is a nurse. They asked her to tell me what kind of nurse she was. She knew that she was caught, so she just mumbled something inaudible. My other family member was dating someone who had us all fooled into thinking that she was a nurse. Fast forward 10 years, and I decided on nursing and graduated. I ended up finding out that she works in my department and she is a tech. She had us fooled for years.
It is odd because in my personal experience, a lot of real nurses don't go out of their way to brag about being a nurse. When I am not working, I rarely tell people that I am a nurse. I hate it that friends and family think that I am the guru of healthcare. I am surprised that they have not discovered the reoccurring advice that I give to, "Go to your doctor". You truly don't want the attention.
Totally post stalked you just now to see what this was all about.
It drives me crazy when people do BP over s thick sweater or multiple layers. I *might* forgive a light, very thin t-shirt, and that's *if* blood pressure isn't an issue. I had a period during which BP was an issue and I asked the MA/CNA/whichever she was do wait for me to get my shirts off my arm first. She says, "no, no, it's okay, just leave them on." I replied, "no, it's not okay, this needs to be accurate," to which she responded it would be. *sigh* I made her wait until the shirts were off.
I don't do the sweater thing but I have been known to pump it back up to "catch" the diastolic.
Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
How good a friend is this? can you take her aside provately and let her know tha calling herself a nurse is actually a crime and is the BON finds out which they may if she is blogging and talking on the internet she could face charges and be forever barred from hold a license.
Farawyn
12,646 Posts
I hope you told her that before she stuck you!
In my old practice it was the DOCTORS that called the MAs "nurses".