In a nutshell, call yourself what you are. If your official title says you are a nurse, whether it be registered or licensed practical, you are a nurse. If your official title says you are a CNA, CMA...etc, you are not a nurse. I see both sides of this, but it is inappropriate to refer to oneself by a title of which they have not met the national or state mandates. Be proud of what you are at any level. I was, and I am.

I am going to put a spin on this subject. I am a Diploma RN...It is interesting that many establishments refer to ADN and BSN as RNs, and refer to "us" as Diploma nurses. Well, I wrote the boards just like everyone else and I am an RN.

MVALENZA13 said:

PittNurse said:

npssavelives and cutie - i'm glad to hear about the honesty. It just really gets on my nerves sometimes. Sometimes I hear about people impersonating nurses and I think well that happens so much. There should be a non-acronym term for CNAs and LPNs, don't you think? Anybody have any ideas?

I'M AN LPN WHO GET'S TIRED OF RN'S BEING REFERRED TO AS THE NURSE. WHILE THE LPN IS JUST THE LPN. I'M SORRY BUT LPN STANDS FOR A LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSE.

PittNurse said:

Ok, so I don't this sounds like a meanie post, but I am tired of CNAs calling themselves nurse to patients and family members. I'm an RN, and I would never call myself an NP, so CNAs should not call themselves RNs. I was visiting my dad in the hospital (nothing major - gallstones) and this CNA called herself a nurse, the nerve. I'm interested to hear what others have to say. Have you ever been in this sort of situation?

As an RN there have been times when I went into my patients' rooms to introduce myself and discuss what the day's goals for the patient were, only to be told by the patient that their told them something contradictory to what I was suggesting. Upon further discussion, it became clear that the nursing tech or aid had introduced him/her self as the nurse and told the patient something other than what I knew from reading the chart or orders was best for my patient. It's confusing for the patient to have someone without a nursing license ID him/her self as the nurse and give health care instructions, and it undermines the patients's ability to trust the nurse, aid, and hospital--the whole health care process.

Since nursing is a licensed profession, I believe it is definitely wrong to ID oneself as nurse if one does not have a license to practice nursing. As a nurse, I assist the physician in the healthcare team by carrying out medical orders. That doesn't mean I walk into a patient's room and introduce myself as the doctor. My role (legally and professionally) is as the nurse. The role (legally and professionally) of the tech or aid is to fulfill the role of tech or aid. This is not a question of disrespect. It's a statement of simple fact; each state spells out the exact role and responsibility of both nurses (registered and practical) and techs and aids. These rules and roles are delineated according to education and training not to discriminate against someone, but to provide for patient safety. As a nurse, I'm not allowed to do surgery on someone--not because there's something less important about me as a person, but because I have not been trained or licensed to do so. I also cannot claim to be a surgeon, by introducing myself as one. Just becasue a tech cannot perform the same chores regarding patient care as a nurse can is not a reflection of disrespect to the tech; it's a reflection of the level of education and training the tech has chosen to persue at the present time. It's wrong to state to patients otherwise, or indicate otherwise.

There are times when I'm mistaken for a doctor. I usually correct the person, unless it's clear it makes no difference, like if the patient is not alert and oriented to understand what I say and they only want a drink of watere anyway...There are some situations where it genuinely doesn't matter--because I'm not going to perform surgery anyway! --but the vast majority of the the time, it's better to clarify.

I was amazed that the discussion about IDing onself in one's role became a discussion about the level of respect and disrespect between nurses and tech or aids. This is not a question of disrespect: it's a discussion of training, education and licensure--freely chosen by all of us regardless of our respective roles in healthcare. Anyone is capable of enrolling in a nursing aid or tech class if they want to. Anyone is capable of applying nursing school if they want to. Anyone is capable of applying to medical shcool if they want to. One's job is not a reflection of one's worth. Anyone who thinks that it is just doesn't understand how to value him/her self. If you don't value yourself, how is it that you criticize anyone else for not seeming to value you. Respect for yourself and what you do has to begin with you. When I was young my dad told me I could be a brain surgeon or a ditch digger, but whatever I chose he expected me to do the very best I could and be the best one. Every job is useful, especially in healthcare. Techs and aids are needed just like nurses are needed. No one role is more valuable than another. Take pride in your work, strive to improve in what ever your role is and if you so choose, move to the next level of training and licensure.

As for lpn's, when I was a new nurse, I learned a great deal from seasoned lpn's. I learned from lpn's what lpn's were not capable of doing because their license prevented them from carrying out the actions. They were certainly capable of understanding what they couldn't practice well enough to explain and teach me. To this day I'm still very grateful for the time and effort and expertise lpn's shared with me as I learned to develop my nursing skills. I've learned from techs and aids, too. I've also had techs and aid demanding I do things their way because they are too unwilling to consider I might have been trianed in a way I prefer. Respect and disrespect both work both ways. I've worked with techs and aids who refuse to cooperate and waste a lot of time and I"ve worked with techs and aids who do all they can to cooperate, pitch in and get things done. I've worked with techs and aids who yell outragious insults at nurses every time they're asked to do anything, and I"ve worked with techs and aids who've taught me better ways to get things done and recognize how hard I work. I think the real message is that all of us have to respect each other for the people we are first and primarily, and also respect our job roles and responsibilities, and abilities. If we encourage and build each other up, think how pleasant work could be. This can't be soley the responsibility of nurses or techs. It has to come from everyone. The start is to respect yourself in your own job and try to do the best you can, and try to improve yourself in your own work before you criticize anyone else in theirs.

I am sincerely surprised that such obviously educated people are engaging in such a discussion. I am a Registered Medical Assistant who started out training to be an LPN. My husband's work caused us to have to move and I had to finish my education in the only program I could since I knew we would be moving again soon. I am proud to be an RMA and I work side by side with an LPN. We both do exactly the same job. I thought about going back to school to finish my LPN and I was told by my instructor,a well respected RN, that I would be crazy to do that because I have 2yrs of extensive training and have more training, at this point, than most LPN's. I work under the doctor's license within the scope of my training. I perform nursing duties everyday. I triage, take vitals, give injections, draw blood, collect specimens for the lab, and much much more. The only difference is our title, and frankly, clinics are choosing to hire MA's over LPN's and RN's now because they can pay us less for the exact same work. This is because Medical Assisting is a fairly new profession and we can work both in a clinical and administrative setting. The Nursing profession is growing and changing to include many healthcare professionals. The word "nurse" is just that, a word. We should not be fixated on a word. Come on folks....we are all educated healthcare professional who perform nursing duties. The difference is the level of education and the title you've worked so hard to acheive. No one is trying to take that away from anyone. What we should be paying attention to is how well we perform the duties we've been trained to perform. Let's focus on what is really important...the patients.

I think we ought to refer to our respective state boards of Nursing and examine the actual scope of practice regarding each title. CNA's, PCT's and MA's do perform some duties that are included within the scope of practice of LPN's and RN's. However, most of these are physical skills such as phlebotomy, foleys, IV's etc. The true distinction between the levels of provider lie in the ability to legally make Nursing judgements such as the primary assessment of an ER patient or even the triage between patients. A person can become a CNA or MA in as little as ten days of training. PCT's do attend the course at local colleges and vocational schools and are certified by the state board of nursing. However, I must stress that it's the Nurses legal ability to use their critical thinking skills and autonomy that does set them apart. I spent many years in nursing support roles...nurse assistant, nurse tech...etc. I made many of the same statements that I have been reading here. I felt that I knew more, or as much as many of the Nurses and that I did enough of the same things that they did. The cold shock of reality came when I worked as a tech on a tuesday and came back as an RN on Thursday. I felt a physical "weight of responsibility" press down on me as I realized that I was the one responsible for my patients. As a CNA, MA or PCT I realized that I had not had actual lasting liability for my patients. As the nurse, you are the one they will come back to. If my tech or paramedic puts a splint on wrong, it's my responsibility. If they start a line where they shouldn't, it's my responsibilty. That is the difference my friends. The RN's and LPN's share the liabiltiy. That is a tremendous burden, but also an enormous privilege that is awarded for the training and achievement of gaining your license. Skills are skills and, yes, we share some of them. Those of you who are becoming nurses, I applaud you for making that commitment. Those of you who choose to remain CNA's, MA's or PCT's, I applaud you as well. This is the nursing "Team" that is so vital to our survival in the trenches.

Kay said:

As an RN there have been times when I went into my patients' rooms to introduce myself and discuss what the day's goals for the patient were, only to be told by the patient that their told them something contradictory to what I was suggesting. Upon further discussion, it became clear that the nursing tech or aid had introduced him/her self as the nurse and told the patient something other than what I knew from reading the chart or orders was best for my patient. It's confusing for the patient to have someone without a nursing license ID him/her self as the nurse and give health care instructions, and it undermines the patients's ability to trust the nurse, aid, and hospital--the whole health care process.

Since nursing is a licensed profession, I believe it is definitely wrong to ID oneself as nurse if one does not have a license to practice nursing. As a nurse, I assist the physician in the healthcare team by carrying out medical orders. That doesn't mean I walk into a patient's room and introduce myself as the doctor. My role (legally and professionally) is as the nurse. The role (legally and professionally) of the tech or aid is to fulfill the role of tech or aid. This is not a question of disrespect. It's a statement of simple fact; each state spells out the exact role and responsibility of both nurses (registered and practical) and techs and aids. These rules and roles are delineated according to education and training not to discriminate against someone, but to provide for patient safety. As a nurse, I'm not allowed to do surgery on someone--not because there's something less important about me as a person, but because I have not been trained or licensed to do so. I also cannot claim to be a surgeon, by introducing myself as one. Just becasue a tech cannot perform the same chores regarding patient care as a nurse can is not a reflection of disrespect to the tech; it's a reflection of the level of education and training the tech has chosen to persue at the present time. It's wrong to state to patients otherwise, or indicate otherwise.

There are times when I'm mistaken for a doctor. I usually correct the person, unless it's clear it makes no difference, like if the patient is not alert and oriented to understand what I say and they only want a drink of watere anyway...There are some situations where it genuinely doesn't matter--because I'm not going to perform surgery anyway! --but the vast majority of the the time, it's better to clarify.

I was amazed that the discussion about IDing onself in one's role became a discussion about the level of respect and disrespect between nurses and tech or aids. This is not a question of disrespect: it's a discussion of training, education and licensure--freely chosen by all of us regardless of our respective roles in healthcare. Anyone is capable of enrolling in a nursing aid or tech class if they want to. Anyone is capable of applying nursing school if they want to. Anyone is capable of applying to medical shcool if they want to. One's job is not a reflection of one's worth. Anyone who thinks that it is just doesn't understand how to value him/her self. If you don't value yourself, how is it that you criticize anyone else for not seeming to value you. Respect for yourself and what you do has to begin with you. When I was young my dad told me I could be a brain surgeon or a ditch digger, but whatever I chose he expected me to do the very best I could and be the best one. Every job is useful, especially in healthcare. Techs and aids are needed just like nurses are needed. No one role is more valuable than another. Take pride in your work, strive to improve in what ever your role is and if you so choose, move to the next level of training and licensure.

As for lpn's, when I was a new nurse, I learned a great deal from seasoned lpn's. I learned from lpn's what lpn's were not capable of doing because their license prevented them from carrying out the actions. They were certainly capable of understanding what they couldn't practice well enough to explain and teach me. To this day I'm still very grateful for the time and effort and expertise lpn's shared with me as I learned to develop my nursing skills. I've learned from techs and aids, too. I've also had techs and aid demanding I do things their way because they are too unwilling to consider I might have been trianed in a way I prefer. Respect and disrespect both work both ways. I've worked with techs and aids who refuse to cooperate and waste a lot of time and I"ve worked with techs and aids who do all they can to cooperate, pitch in and get things done. I've worked with techs and aids who yell outragious insults at nurses every time they're asked to do anything, and I"ve worked with techs and aids who've taught me better ways to get things done and recognize how hard I work. I think the real message is that all of us have to respect each other for the people we are first and primarily, and also respect our job roles and responsibilities, and abilities. If we encourage and build each other up, think how pleasant work could be. This can't be soley the responsibility of nurses or techs. It has to come from everyone. The start is to respect yourself in your own job and try to do the best you can, and try to improve yourself in your own work before you criticize anyone else in theirs.

MVALENZA13 said:

PittNurse said:

npssavelives and cutie - i'm glad to hear about the honesty. It just really gets on my nerves sometimes. Sometimes I hear about people impersonating nurses and I think well that happens so much. There should be a non-acronym term for CNAs and LPNs, don't you think? Anybody have any ideas?

I'M AN LPN WHO GET'S TIRED OF RN'S BEING REFERRED TO AS THE NURSE. WHILE THE LPN IS JUST THE LPN. I'M SORRY BUT LPN STANDS FOR A LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSE.

Kay. What a post! You could publish this! Htank you.

LET'S GET BACK TO THE BASICS............If you are knocking on your patient's door BEFORE entering, are you not getting the attention of EVERYONE in that room? Be it the patient themselves or the visiting member? You are then going to introduce yourself by name first, then title. For example: Hi Mr/Mrs. So and so. My name is Jane Doe and I'm going to be your nurse for today, your cna for today, your tech for today and so forth and so on. I say let us lead by example and the rest will follow! YES?

CAROLYN said:

Katherine said:

Isn't calling yourself a nurse different than calling yourself an RN? Do they both bug you? Doesn't CNA stand for Certified Nursing Assistant? I think that qualifies as a nurse.

How should they introduce themselves? "Hi, I'm a CNA"?

CNAS ARE NOT NURSES. THEY ARE NURSES ASSISANTS. A NURSE IS A RN.

Angie, I do not know who gave you your information but it is not legal in your state to ID yourself as a nurse if you are a CNA. You need to check with the Illonois State BON. Phone number is 312 814 2715. I just spoke to them. I doubt that this is legal in Any state. An LPN may call themselves nurse because they ARE a nurse. a CNA IS NOT a nurse. A ward cler IS NOT a nurse. An NP IS NOt a doctor. a PA IS NOT a doctor. And, this is my last note on this subject:CNAs are certified, not licensed.

I def agree that a CNA should def introuduce themselves as such and should correct patients and family members who think otherwise.... I was a CNA, LPN and now an RN I was always proud of my professional name and never introduced my self as anything other than what I was ..... each link in the chain does a very important job and one with out the other only weakens the chain so be very proud of what your title is an never be ashamed to say Hi I am you CNA,LPN, RN, we are all very important in taking care of the patients needs.

I think everybody has lost sigth of the plight.CNA,LPN,MA,RN,NP,ect are all titles and are all deserving of ones -self & one could not function without the other.So can't we all just get along and help one another & get that glass of water or wipe that butt. It will in the end make everyone's job easier & more pleasant. After all, taking care of the patient is what its all about or is it???