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?
LPN, RN, NP...all these titles allow you to call yourself a nurse! Although CNA's and MA's may do some "nursing" procedures, they cannot and should not call themselves a nurse.
A nursing student who calls herself a nurse and gives medical advice is actually rather scary, imo. I shudder to think what she will do if and when she actually gets the credentials but still doesn't understand the importance of "practicing within your scope."
When she does get the LPN license, at that time her speech will probably start with "as a physician..."
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.
My personal pet peeve is the Medical Assistant that puts the wrong size cuff on me, and, as it's inflating, starts to play 20 questions. I will request the correct sized cuff, and warn them that I don't like to talk while my BP is being taken.
They are casual about it, but this is a number on which medical decisions are based, so, yeah, I'm 'particular' (you could use another word) about the procedure!!
When I was in school, I would joke with my family that I was a "nur" since I wasn't a "nurse" yet. I would never say that I was a nurse when I wasn't. That requires a license. Also, being in nursing school was a valid/easy excuse for getting out of family functions that I did not wish to attend.
What it sounds like to me is that you have worked very hard and earned the right to call yourself a nurse, and your friend hasn't. The weight and responsibility of that title escapes her. If this is something that continues to bother you, I would talk to her about it and remember to use your therapeutic communication and "I feel" statements.
I can see where both of you might be coming from. As clearly stated in my username, I am a CNA and I spend more time than I'd like to admit explaining to folks that I am not a nurse.
It seems to me that your friend is probably dying inside a little bit, for lack of a better phrase, because she has been trying her hardest to become an RN and not doing so hot. After some success at last, as a student LPN, she can find a tangible excuse to refer to herself as a nurse and is just running with it. It certainly isn't correct to do so since she is only a student and has not the wisdom and skill set of a licensed LPN. However, I can sort of feel her pain. I was not accepted into my BSN program and am having to take the long way around in order to become a nurse at last. So it hurts deep down to be denied something you want so badly only to be mistaken for a nurse.
On your end, I see that you have been through a ton of stress and undying effort to earn the title she is illegally waving around. It would certainly bother me if I were you. That being said, it isn't really worth broaching, imho. She would become defensive most likely, and that could be detrimental to your relationship. You know what you've earned and that's what matters. Good job on the hard work and accomplishments! Your friend is just struggling and saving her ego; she will hopefully come around.
Also keep in mind, that to the lay-person a nurse is often lumped into many categories. Even when I explain that I am a CNA people will wave me off and say "you're still a nurse to me." So she knows she can get away with it. Licensed nurses care about this discrepancy more than non-nursing folk because you guys know what goes into the title.
When I was a student, if someone, esp may family members, asked me a question, I would tell them "we hadn't gotten to that part yet". This worked great until about 2 months before graduation, then someone said to me, you're graduating in 6 weeks, when will you "get to that part"?
Thank you everyone for the insightful replies. I especially appreciate those who understood that she may become defensive and to tread lightly. Thank you for giving me tips as to how to approach this situation. An update: I approached her about it and yes, she did get defensive and also blatantly denied that she has ever called herself a nurse. I can attest to this as I was not the only person in the room when she would refer to herself as a nurse. I gave her advice and warned her that what she is doing could potentially cost her her education, if said to the wrong person. She said she knows all of this and that she would never do something like that. I also pointed out that her boyfriend has posted pictures on social media referring to her as a nurse and she has done nothing to correct that. That's wrong as well. Anyway - no judgement please, I'm only letting things off my chest in (what I would assume) a safe and educated environment that nurses and employees in the field can relate to as well. I feel that I've done my part and I can wipe my hands clean of it. Whatever happens next, she can't deny it the board of her college or lie in the court of law. Hopefully it doesn't come to that point, but how disappointing!
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ponymom
385 Posts
simple. just ask her (better if in front of others) "**********, why do you refer to yourself as a nurse?"