Medical Assistant Identifying herself as a Nurse

Any one familiar with the laws regarding identifying your self as a nurse when in fact you are not...( this person is actually documenting that she is the nurse for so and so in the medical record). I am offended as you all know the work required to obtain the title of a nurse...any idea how i should approach this issue at work?

talk to her about it first- maybe she doesn't realize that what she's doing is illegal. If she continues to do it, report it to her supervisor, or to your state's board of nursing.

It is an office (internal medicine and family practice).

Is she signing it with her full name then RN, LPN, or LVN after it?

OldSquidNewNurse wrote:Is she signing it with her full name then RN, LPN, or LVN after it?

If so, read this post: http://www.ultimatenurse.com/forum/f38/muncie-nurse-duped-local-nursing-home-33759/ Of course, one needs documented proof.....

She does not identify herself as RN, LPN, etc. Here is an example of how she is identifying her self as a nurse, for example at the end of a letter sent to a pt.-

"Charlene"
Nurse for Dr. Noname

another example is in the form of a notice posted in the office to patients instructing them to stop to speak with the nurse... (here she inserts her name "Charlene") before leaving the office if they need to schedule certain procedures.

She is classified as a Medical Assistant, which is what her name badge states.

Am I just being anal???...But seriously I am offended.:(

Another thing that chaps my A** is the fact that she FLUNKED out of nursing school!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When I busted my A** to get a 4.0 gpa and was given the first award (for this school) for Clinical Excellence. I worked hard and still do in order to sign my name as RN.

Sorry, I really needed to vent...as I can't do this at work.
:cry_smile:

Even though she isn't putting "RN" after her name, she is still misrepresenting herself as a nurse, which is illegal. Have you talked to her about it??? What does her supervisor say? If it still happens after you've talked to her & her supervisor, report it to your state's board of nursing.

I am not sure if the manager would do anything. When I first got hired and read the company policies, there was a reference to (quote) "licensed and unlicensed nurses" WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN??? Should I just go the route of contacting the BON...would I be able to report it anonymously? If I talk with supervisors first and nothing is done and I go to the BON they will know it was me.

How would the BON go about investigating this?

It depends on your state's board. Just call them and talk to them about it, without giving your name. They can't make you reveal your name.

nmnurse wrote:Another thing that chaps my A** is the fact that she FLUNKED out of nursing school!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When I busted my A** to get a 4.0 gpa and was given the first award (for this school) for Clinical Excellence. I worked hard and still do in order to sign my name as RN.

Sorry, I really needed to vent...as I can't do this at work.
:cry_smile:

What are you so apoligetic for:confused: this is a serious issue for all of us who have been through the meat grinder and "PASSED" if you do nothing then the powers that be are one step closer to replacing us all with Med-ASSistants. If she is truely missrepresenting herself then she deserves what is comming. don't pull any punches and keep us informed PLEASE.

You are making a big deal more than it is. I am an LVN and I was a CNA and it was tiresome to explain to people that are older and from foreign countries your title is do to the responsibilities that I had as a CNA. Now I have not even half the responsibilities as and three times more pay, so I understand her true she should not write it in paper but she might have her reasons. I give some advice life is to short to understand everyone. You are making this a big deal because I have worked with persons like you and they spend too much time on things like these instead of enjoying life doing better things. Enjoy life and be positive!:shades_smile:! See ya!!

jose wrote:You are making a big deal more than it is. I am an LVN and I was a CNA and it was tiresome to explain to people that are older and from foreign countries your title is do to the responsibilities that I had as a CNA. Now I have not even half the responsibilities as and three times more pay, so I understand her true she should not write it in paper but she might have her reasons. I give some advice life is to short to understand everyone. You are making this a big deal because I have worked with persons like you and they spend too much time on things like these instead of enjoying life doing better things. Enjoy life and be positive!:shades_smile:! See ya!!

Spend years earning your nursing degree, and then tell me if you still think this is no big deal. It doesn't matter if "she has her reasons," if shes not a nurse, she should not be telling patients that she is one. It is illegal.

Misrepresentation of one's credentials on an official document constitutes a Class A Misdemeanor.

IS she identifying her self as a "nurse" or "RN" and is it in verbal introduction or on documentation? Although there is huge debate on "who can call themselves a nurse" the only people that can are those with it in their title! "REGISTERED NURSE", "LISCENCED PRACTICAL NURSE", "NURSE ASSOCIATE"(WITH IS AN ADVANCED PRACTICE NURSE BEING UTILIZED IN SOME AREAS). On some units LPN's are the front line nurses and they do have the right to refer to themselves as "the nurse", but for a med as....WOW thats balsy! :33:

jose wrote:You are making a big deal more than it is. I am an LVN and I was a CNA and it was tiresome to explain to people that are older and from foreign countries your title is do to the responsibilities that I had as a CNA. Now I have not even half the responsibilities as and three times more pay, so I understand her true she should not write it in paper but she might have her reasons. I give some advice life is to short to understand everyone. You are making this a big deal because I have worked with persons like you and they spend too much time on things like these instead of enjoying life doing better things. Enjoy life and be positive!:shades_smile:! See ya!!

My dear...it seems to me you are in need of a tad bit more education yourself. Your responsibilities should have increased not decreased once you became licensed. By the way, it might not hurt you to work with more people like me...we might just rub off on you. Good day!:33:

Well looks like many of people do not have a life. I did not read that she represented herself as an RN but as usual people will assume the the worse. If she did that now that is wrong but everyone is jumping to conclusions and getting upset and pretty soon will want to start suing someone for this stop cryning people and get over it!!!:shades_smile: Be Happy!!

No one is crying over anything. Misrepresenting yourself as a nurse (whether it be RN, LPN, whatever) when you are a medical assistant is unethical and ILLEGAL.

And please refrain from making personal attacks. No one here needs to "get a life." After all, you're on here discussing this just like the rest of us...

jose wrote:Well looks like many of people do not have a life. I did not read that she represented herself as an RN but as usual people will assume the the worse. If she did that now that is wrong but everyone is jumping to conclusions and getting upset and pretty soon will want to start suing someone for this stop cryning people and get over it!!!:shades_smile: Be Happy!!

I think you need to seriously reconsider your point of view on this issue. AN RN in an RN, an LPN is an LPN and a medical assistant is a medical assistant. I went to school to get my RN, and you went to school to get your LPN, and you should be offended that someone with a 2 week course in how to change a bed is even suggesting at all that they know as much as you do.

Thank you, Amber!

Notice there IS differences between the two schools. Nurses CAN be independent (NP's, etc). To me, Medical Assistant is just that....an assistant.

Anyone claiming to be a nurse that is not an LPN or RN, BSN, MSN,DNP, DNS, or PhD of Nursing is full of it. I have heard the excuse time and time again, "Oh well, it's easier for the patients". This is a sorry attempt to try and get away with it, If a patient wants to call you, they can use your name; that is what it is for.

Saying that you are a nurse when you are not any of the above is like me claiming to be an M.D. because I am a male nurse and saying that it is easier for the patient to accept, with me being male. Furthermore, the level of training that a CNA or MA goes through doesnt even compare to that of an accredited LPN or RN program.

Long story short:
If you did not take the NCLEX and pass, you are not a nurse.

Virginia law does not permit this, thank God, although that doesn't stop some people from doing so. Bottom line is, if you're not a licensed nurse, you're not a nurse. That's like me calling myself male when i'm female.

I have seen that a LOT...Medical Assistants claiming to be nurses or even being referred to as office nurses when they don't even do it themselves. "The nurse will call you back"...and then it is the MA. I guess it is really easier to call a MA an office nurse for patients, but I don't think that makes it right. And I'm not even a nurse. :P

Sounds like your a bit neurotic.This mentality is rampant in the nursing world, RN'S don't think LPN's are nurses or not "professional" anyway.

Its the estrogen I suppose!! :crazy1:

wrpol wrote:Its the estrogen I suppose!! :crazy1:

What exactly do you mean by this???

wrpol wrote:Sounds like your a bit neurotic.This mentality is rampant in the nursing world, RN'S don't think LPN's are nurses or not "professional" anyway.

Its the estrogen I suppose!! :crazy1:

I have always recognized lpn's as nurses and your comment about estrogen shows how little you know about the profession and the significant role men play in it.

Bottom line is that in every state I've checked no one can legally call themselves a nurse unless they have completed the education and earned a license to practice

Peace

Hppy

I have seen waaaay too many people reprimanded for calling themselves a nurse, and not having the cred's to back their :moon: up. Enough said!

As for the estrogen, I consider it an advantage at times. :D

Well, I am neither a RN or LPN, but I consider both nurses, however I don't consider a MA a nurse.

Yep, going with cougarnurse, estrogen can be an advantage. :D

wrpol wrote:Sounds like your a bit neurotic.This mentality is rampant in the nursing world, RN'S don't think LPN's are nurses or not "professional" anyway.

Its the estrogen I suppose!! :crazy1:

If the mentality is rampant, it's because of the people (notice no particular hormone mentioned here) who think it's no big deal.

Seriously, spare the estrogen reference, it's condescending, not to mention just flat-out rude and non-contributing to the conversation.