THis is a silly topic I think.  Nurses are "labeled" with different initials, RN, LPN, CNA, etc. When someone tells me they are a nurse, I ask, "what kind of nurse".

When someone tells you they are a "school teacher" you know they teach kids in school, but does it really matter what grade they teach or what they teach? I think so. Some grades are harder to teach and some subjects are harder as well.

I look at this with nursing too. Many different types of nursing. Some took more years in school, some can do more, some make more. It's a wide spectrum.....but don't say you are a nurse when you really aren't! I'm a nursing student and I always say, "I'm a nursing student". I don't call myself a nurse..........................not yet at least!!

 

Lets all respect the jobs we have.

I am a LVN/LPN. All jobs in health care are needed. One depends on the other for support. No one would be sucessful trying to take care of all the patients alone. Stop title trippin people. Be proud of your contribution and respect others!!!!

jazzy0154 says ...

oh i need to address this there are different levels of CNA's and I have been in a level of equal to above and i'm sorry but CNAs are just as much a nurse as RN's they as a matter of fact do much more than an RN and without them RN's would be in deep trouble. Now don't get me wrong because i give and get respect but alot of CN A's work just as hard to get an education i myself think that there are three levels of nursing and all three are nurses and when a patient calls me a nurse i don't think there is any reason to correct them because like i said there are three levels  CNAs LPNS AND RNs and ALL three are there for one goal and one goal only to make sure our patients are given the care we have all been trained to do. nowadays CNAs / PCT's  are trained to do everything but meds. the only thing different is they are cheap labor so they shouldn't be addressed as a nurse because they didn't spend 3years in school and don't do meds? RNs are care givers too just advanced in different ways.

Man do I hate to have to say this, but you could not be more wrong!  Yes you are valuable, but I have malpractice insurance and when it comes down to it as an RN,  I'm responsible if you screw up.  I would never ask any one to do anything that I would not do myself, including "wiping butt" and putting away laundry.  Explain to me how insulin works, the Kreb's cycle and the Sodium Potassium pump, what different lung sounds mean and the difference between systolic and diastolic numbers ona B/P, and I don't just mean the top number and the bottom number and understand lab values then you can put yourself on par with an RN. 

I'm surprised at how I've lost my temper at this statement, but saying that CNAs are just as much a nurse as and RN, that you do way more than an RN and that an RN would be in deep trouble with out a CNA is the stupidest thing I've ever heard.  When it takes you 11 years to pay off your CNA course, and you've passed a National Certification, we can talk.

Boy do I apologize for loosing my temper over this because I'm a pretty level headed person and can usually see both sides of everything, and loosing my temper is just not like me, but that is one of the most assinine statements I have ever heard!

Lpn's at our hospital ( we have just a couple) are able to infuse ivab, they are able to do central line care and dressing changes.They are not able to do any iv pushes, unless it is just saline for a  peripheral lock.They also are not allowed to insert ng tubes, or do an initial assesment on a direct admit or er admit.No iv med calculations, nor change any iv med gtt (i.e. heparin).They are not able to take highly complex, acute cases.Some are Indiana laws, others the hospitals restrictions of their scope of care.

jazzy0154 says ...

okay what i'm trying to say is we are all nurses in one aspect or another. and to answer your question yes the cnas do go get the rns but don't you think they have to have some knowledge to know there is something wrong with thier pt? like I said I have been all i started out a cna and went to college to do it because thats how it was done. then i went to emt, then emt specialist, then paramedic and because they won't let us challenge the boards we have to start all over. so i'm getting my lpn but working as a cna/pct so i think i have earned the title of nurse because a nurse is a caregiver by what ever definition. in some instances that i have personally seen thank g-d for a cna/pct because the person in charge may have had the title but didn't have the knowledge! i may argue but i due give respect where respect is given back and a cna or lpn can lose thier licenses or be sued or go to jail just like an rn. thats why rns go to school longer so they would have more responsibilities not make them superior and i love my rn lpn friends and we respect each other and your right i don't know why its so important but i know my only concern is my patients and the quality of care we all are expected to give in what ever nurse role you hold

The argument that you can be considered a nurse because of some literal definition of the "word" nurse is old.  We are not speaking of the definition from a dictionary.  We are speaking of the "title" Nurse which is defined by the specific profession.  Forgive me, Jazzy, but just by reading your posts, I'm not likely to give your arguments much credibility.  That's not a personal dig. 

This has gotten way out of control, not just on this thread, but in the community as well.  I have worked as all 3! I was a nurses aide before there was certification, then I took the LPN boards, passed and worked as an LPN until I graduated as a RN.

It is wrong. It is illegal. It is unethical for anyone who is not an RN to think that they are the same! This is so out of whack. Patients are given rediculous information from people who lack the training. Patients have been told that they do not have to be on insulin, some are told that they have high blood pressure because they are black, others are told you can only have 3 babies via C-section.  It is fraudulent and just plain wrong for any CNA to think they are the SAME.  You are not the same! Yes you are a hard worker with a place in the care of the patient but the RN is the one who goes to court if you make a mistake. Same is true for LPNs.  The buck stops at the RN!  I have never disrespected anyone I have worked with for any reason, however, I was never expected to believe that the nurses aide was the same as the RN.

Shame on the RNs who buy into this philosophy!  No wonder there is so much misinformation out there!

And to the CNAs, if you want to be the same as a RN, use the tuition refund program and get your RN! Until then, lose the additude and accept that you are a nurses aide and are limited in scope due to your education.  This does  not mean that you do not enjoy direct patient care, nor does it mean that your role is being diminished. But it is what it is!

People today think they are "Entitled" to things just because they feel a certain way or think a certain thing, but this simply is not so. Please do not take this personally.  I decided to respond because I have worn all those uniforms and functioned in all of those roles.  I have even had the glorious job of scraping plates in the kitchen and handing them over to the dishwasher! So I do know what pride for your work is, but I am so sick and tired of people who lack the education and license passing themselves off as nurses.  Nurses take an oath. CNAs do not! CNAs are not mandated to do continuing education. Nurses are required to do so or they can not renew their license. If a nurse does not receive his/her license prior to the expiration date, they can NOT show up for work until they do. No such restriction applies for CNAs. So, CNAs are not the same as nurses.  Just not the case and no matter how loud you scream, it is not going to happen that people will see you as one in the same with the nurse.

To the LPNs out there, proceed on if you can and get your RN.  Many LPNs can work rings around RNs, and although the work is very similar, the pay is not! I have often wondered why anyone with such excellent skills and love for the patient, would not advance to RN.  LPNs ARE nurses, but their education is different, the license is different, and the buck does not stop on them.  The RN is responsible. If an LPN makes an error, the RN is the one who will be in hot water.  In my hospital there are only 5 LPNs left.  The others have ALL gone for the RN.  They are still there, but now work as RN supervisors, Directors of EMT services, teach CPR, and many other things, but they started as LPNs.  Every LPN holds a license.  That is way different from certification!

OK, now I am getting off my soap box!

Maybe I misread one of the recent posts...if I did, I apologize...there are alot of CNA's doing home health...I have done it over a year now. It was explained to me that we are under the supervision of a nurse...titles were not mentioned (LPN, RN). I have worked LTC, hospital both as a CNA and Unit Clerk. I don't see myself doing anything else except home health now. I have corrected patients before who thought I was their nurse...I told them I was their nursing assistant and they were cool with that. If a CNA has misrepresented herself, especially to the patient's family, what the .....do they think they will do in case of an emergency???? That's cause for a lawsuit, in my opinion. People love to sue these days...better be careful that you tell the truth...eliminates headaches in the future and does not jeprodize the patient's welfare.

 I must tell you all this story from last night. One of our doctors asked me to go assess a 90 yo patient of his to determine if she was in need of skilled nursing, I arrived with a neighbor letting me in, I assessed her lungs to find upper right anterior and posterior rales, pericardial rales diminished breath sounds bilat, productive cough, pulse ox 74%, she had 2 + pitting edema in both calves, her B/P was normal 110/74, HR irreg at 88, resp 24. I spoke with doctor who I told I felt she was in CHF, he told me to call 911 so I did, the very cute ambulance crew approx 20 -21 years old arrived first, the girl took her blood pressure, the guy listened to her lungs, when Fire arrived I began to give them report of my assessment, then the little ambulance girl said, her b/p is 180/90, I looked over and she was taking the pressure over 2 coats a sweater and long sleeves, I told her she could not get an accurate pressure that way, she looked at me and said "oh yes you can, it's fine", then the guy looks at me and say "she says shes fine" and her lungs are clear, the Capt looks at me with a funny grin, I said "Don't you love it when people with 16 weeks of training think they know more than a professional RN with an advanced degree, I said first you need to listen directly on her skin, I pointed to the area to listen, I held the bell made him listen for 60 sec, his face turned red and he said "oh yeah, she is a lot of congestion", the girl moved as the paramedic took her pressure correctly and it was 118/70, well the next day I called the hospital to inquire of her status, I spoke to the ER doc he said she DID in fact have CHF and that she probably would have been dead had she not gotten to the hospital!  I was not surprised but happy that I was correct. THIS my friends is called education and advanced education you get in RN school and getting advanced degrees, to say that a nurses aid ( hence the word AID) is on the same level as an RN is just silly and an insult. I too started out as an aid back when the hourly rate was $1.25/hr. I NEVER called myself a nurse, only a nurse aid and a student nurse, I worked to get my LVN, then worked while I got my RN and degree. Now I am working for my advanced degree. The career ladder is a great thing. be clear which rung of the ladder you are on. You can get yourself into a lot of trouble by stating you are a nurse when you are a nurse aid. It is called misrepresentation.

Oh here we go again! Licensed practical NURSE, Registered NURSE, NURSE practitoner. Plain and simple. THOSE ARE NURSES!!!!

A person who cares for patients is a CAREGIVER!

AbusyRN2go says ...

 I must tell you all this story from last night. One of our doctors asked me to go assess a 90 yo patient of his to determine if she was in need of skilled nursing, I arrived with a neighbor letting me in, I assessed her lungs to find upper right anterior and posterior rales, pericardial rales diminished breath sounds bilat, productive cough, pulse ox 74%, she had 2 + pitting edema in both calves, her B/P was normal 110/74, HR irreg at 88, resp 24. I spoke with doctor who I told I felt she was in CHF, he told me to call 911 so I did, the very cute ambulance crew approx 20 -21 years old arrived first, the girl took her blood pressure, the guy listened to her lungs, when Fire arrived I began to give them report of my assessment, then the little ambulance girl said, her b/p is 180/90, I looked over and she was taking the pressure over 2 coats a sweater and long sleeves, I told her she could not get an accurate pressure that way, she looked at me and said "oh yes you can, it's fine", then the guy looks at me and say "she says shes fine" and her lungs are clear, the Capt looks at me with a funny grin, I said "Don't you love it when people with 16 weeks of training think they know more than a professional RN with an advanced degree, I said first you need to listen directly on her skin, I pointed to the area to listen, I held the bell made him listen for 60 sec, his face turned red and he said "oh yeah, she is a lot of congestion", the girl moved as the paramedic took her pressure correctly and it was 118/70, well the next day I called the hospital to inquire of her status, I spoke to the ER doc he said she DID in fact have CHF and that she probably would have been dead had she not gotten to the hospital!  I was not surprised but happy that I was correct. THIS my friends is called education and advanced education you get in RN school and getting advanced degrees, to say that a nurses aid ( hence the word AID) is on the same level as an RN is just silly and an insult. I too started out as an aid back when the hourly rate was $1.25/hr. I NEVER called myself a nurse, only a nurse aid and a student nurse, I worked to get my LVN, then worked while I got my RN and degree. Now I am working for my advanced degree. The career ladder is a great thing. be clear which rung of the ladder you are on. You can get yourself into a lot of trouble by stating you are a nurse when you are a nurse aid. It is called misrepresentation.

You should teach a EMT class, you go girl.

O yeah and by the way..MA,CNA,CMA,LVN, LPN,RN, NP AND EVERYONE I FORGOT YOU GUYS ROCK!!!

It is not that people don't understand.  They are smart enough to understand the difference. The problem is that they prefer to impersonate a RN rather than be satisfied and proud of their role in the care of the patient.  I am fired up! CNAs and MAs who think they are nurses are sitting ducks for a law suit where no mercy will be shown. My personal doctor has at least 4 MAs working for him, however, he NEVER refers to them as nurses! He simply calls them by their name! Jenny, Debbie, etc.

To the person who felt that we would not be able to function without CNAs, I can assure you that is not the case. CNAs are not assigned to ICU, CCU, Open Heart, Recovery, and ER and that is where I live! I do give bedpans, I do baths, I collect "evidence" for police when indicated and assume the role of charge nurse in each of those units while taking care of patients on ventilators, heavily sedated and too sick to pick their heads up. I suction patients, weigh them and I hold their family members together when their whole world is caving in right before their eyes. There are many times that I have spent crying with a mother, or a child who has lost a parent. I have held the heart of a teenager in my hand while the surgeon sewed around the spot I was holding to close off a bullet hole in the heart! While this was going on, another nurse was standing on a step stool to allow blood to literally pour in! That by the way was done by a nurse who had been an LPN who went back and got her RN. And when that was over, I got to explain what happened to the boy's mother who had no clue that her son was dealing dope!  I do not feel resentful in any way that I no longer work with CNAs or LPNs.  We have an all RN staff because the state mandates it.

If all of these roles were the same, and if everyone who touches a patient thinks that they are a nurse, why would states make such rules as stated above?

I am not going to post on this thread anymore. If CNAs and MAs want to call themselves nurses, prepare to be sued! It is a federal offense and you will go to prison. So be careful, and yes, I am very fired up! It is sheer ignorance to think that you are the same as a nurse.  It makes about as much sense as me letting a patient think that I am the doctor!  I happily correct them! I am proud to be a nurse, worked my butt off to get my education. It was not handed to me on a silver platter. ACLS training and re-certification is absolutely exhausting as is trauma nurse re-certification.  I have put up with and written up some of the most pompass doctors God ever produced and I will prefer to get fired rather than let anyone do something illegal to any of my patients. I can and do set up for a swan-ganz catheter insertion in 7 minutes. I can defibrillate at 360 as many times as necessary to save the patient. I make no apology for my anger tonight. I also make no apology for being very proud to be a nurse.  I love my career and can not imagine doing anything else with my life, but I did work my way up here. A CNA can not set up for LVAD, or Intra-aortic balloon pump.  I am proud to be able to say that I can teach both to other nurses.

I am a critical care nurse, a trauma nurse certifed in both and I am a Registered Nurse. If you want to be like us, get off your high horse, and get your education! Like I did and so many other RNs have done.

Over and out.......................................ZAP

Hooray ZAP!

O.K. 1 short question and 1 short story.

I don't work in hopitals anymore, but has anyone ever heard of a Physician Assistant referred to as "Doctor" and what happens?  Do they 'Fess  up?  The P.A .at my doctor's office has no problem correcting me.

I'm working as a school nurse, I have to go out to another school everyday to give 3 kids meds.  One had just come back to school after being out with asthma.  I had to listen to his lung sounds and make sure that he was using his inhaler properly.  O.K. not glamourous, but as I went down the stairwell with my stethoscope around my neck, one litlle boy walking with his teacher said, "Wow she's a doctor!"  I said, "No, better, I'm a Nurse!", he then turned to his teacher and said, "Wow, she's a nurse!".

Apology who said apologize...not I..Zap