A random thing that irks me

4 it really irks me when schools post clerical jobs that state, "act as school nurse when required." it offends me that whoever wrote that thinks it is just something anyone can do.
The person doing this could be charged with practicing nursing without a license. Think of the potential liability of the person and the school administration if he/she gave a med to a child who was allergic to it, failed to notice serious symptoms that a nurse was trained for, etc.

Quote from bill4745The person doing this could be charged with practicing nursing without a license. Think of the potential liability of the person and the school administration if he/she gave a med to a child who was allergic to it, failed to notice serious symptoms that a nurse was trained for, etc.

Today I see many people claiming to be Nurses. How many receptionists call themselves Nurses. So many times I have heard CNA's telling thier patients they are their Nurse. Scrubs are now worn by anyone who feels like wearing them wether in the medical profession or not. I see housekeepers in scrubs, kitchen staff, patients (very confusing to older patients). It doesn't suprize me to find jobs listed as "acts as school nurse", the lines have become to blurred.

Quote from gentlegiverToday I see many people claiming to be Nurses. How many receptionists call themselves Nurses. So many times I have heard CNA's telling thier patients they are their Nurse. Scrubs are now worn by anyone who feels like wearing them wether in the medical profession or not. I see housekeepers in scrubs, kitchen staff, patients (very confusing to older patients). It doesn't suprize me to find jobs listed as "acts as school nurse", the lines have become to blurred.

I understand what you mean, I hate to hehar people calling themselves "nurse" when they are clearly not one. However, the term "nurse" is not protected in many state Nurse Practice Acts, so like it or not, many can use that term legally. The protected term in a state Nurse Practice Act is usually "registered nurse". Semantics, I know, but it totally confuses the public.

It is the school that could get in trouble if an adverse outcome occurs. They should be told that the title nurse has legal definitions attached to it, and if they place someone in the position of having to "act as a nurse" who is not one, they could be sued!

A friend of a friend told me she was a nurse while discussing stethoscopes. I replied, "Oh?" knowing that she is a student of Art and Design at my university. She said, "Yeah, I'm a CNA." That really irked me. I told her that she's not a nurse, to which she argued, "Yes I am, I'm a nurse assistant." I cut her off telling her that nurse assistant does not equal nurse, and in some states it is illegal to call oneself a nurse when that isn't true. I don't know why I got into that with her. I guess it was because it wasn't her first time saying that and I was on my way to my last Med/Surg clinic of the semester.

This is just wrong on so many levels...with all the budget cits that scools are facing, I expect we may be seeing more of this...

I am not a nurse but I am a clinic substitute (and substitute teacher) for a local school system. Becoming a clinic sub didn't have any special requirements besides being CPR certified (if I remember correctly) and taking a day of training on things like common communicable dieases, first aid, allergic reactions, low/high blood sugars, how to handle meds, etc. I am restricted in that I can't be a clinic sub for any elementary or middle school that has diabetics. I've done it for about 2 years (the upcoming school yr will be my 3rd yr) and must say that I don't see the big deal about a non-nurse filling in for the school nurse as a sub. Anything longterm requires an LPN or RN, and they instruct you in training to call 911 for anything heavy-duty. Also, there is an area nurse who is on-call for any emergencies or questions you may have. In the event that a school can't find a clinic sub if the school nurse calls out, usually someone in the front office (ie the secretary) has to handle the job for the day. There has been many a time that a school's front-office staff has been happy to see me walk thru the door. I save them the hassle of having to unlock the med cabinet every time a child needs their meds, from having to check the temp of every kid with a clinic pass, from having to call the parents of every kid with too many symptoms of illness, and so on. I would like someone to explain why they feel non-nurses should not be allowed to operate the school clinic in the nurse's absence if they have had training to do so. To be honest, of all the schools I have subbed in clinics for, there hasn't been a single situation I was not able to handle. I've encountered some interesting situations in my 2 yrs as a clinic sub but nothing I didn't feel prepared for.Having clinic subs serves a purpose. When a school nurse has to call out, it's great for the school system to have a group of trained people available on short notice.

Its a product of nurses not having autonomy over their profession. We are unable to define our work boundaries, so it is up to others to do so. When people who don't have the pt's best interest in mind are allowed to define where an RN is needed and where a "substitute" is acceptable, you get situations like this one.They will continue to do this until something happens. Then, whoever is the unfortunate "substitute" at the moment will be used as a human shield against any criticism aimed at the institution. If the tactic works (as it often does) and the sub takes the fall for the poor policies in place, then they will continue to do it. If they are held accountable and it hurts their budget enough, they will change their ways. But only if it hurts the budget enough. Its gambling in their minds. Penny pinch now, risk million dollar lawsuits later.

Quote from gambai am not a nurse but i am a clinic substitute (and substitute teacher) for a local school system. becoming a clinic sub didn't have any special requirements besides being cpr certified (if i remember correctly) and taking a day of training on things like common communicable dieases, first aid, allergic reactions, low/high blood sugars, how to handle meds, etc. i am restricted in that i can't be a clinic sub for any elementary or middle school that has diabetics. i've done it for about 2 years (the upcoming school yr will be my 3rd yr) and must say that i don't see the big deal about a non-nurse filling in for the school nurse as a sub. anything longterm requires an lpn or rn, and they instruct you in training to call 911 for anything heavy-duty. also, there is an area nurse who is on-call for any emergencies or questions you may have. in the event that a school can't find a clinic sub if the school nurse calls out, usually someone in the front office (ie the secretary) has to handle the job for the day. there has been many a time that a school's front-office staff has been happy to see me walk thru the door. i save them the hassle of having to unlock the med cabinet every time a child needs their meds, from having to check the temp of every kid with a clinic pass, from having to call the parents of every kid with too many symptoms of illness, and so on. i would like someone to explain why they feel non-nurses should not be allowed to operate the school clinic in the nurse's absence if they have had training to do so. to be honest, of all the schools i have subbed in clinics for, there hasn't been a single situation i was not able to handle. i've encountered some interesting situations in my 2 yrs as a clinic sub but nothing i didn't feel prepared for.having clinic subs serves a purpose. when a school nurse has to call out, it's great for the school system to have a group of trained people available on short notice.

You clearly acknowledged that you were not a nurse, but a clinic substitute. This thread is about non-nurses being titled as a NURSE. I can't speak for everyone, but do I care when someone who is not a nurse provides first aid or CPR or gives out medications? Of course not. Would I care if someone who only needed CPR and a day of training was allowed to call themself a nurse? Yes. I went through 4 years of university and had to write a national exam to use that title. I am not familiar with clinic subs as they are not used in my area. From reading these boards I get the impression that there are many positions in the US that are intended to be a nurse substitute. Recently I also heard about medication aides. The College of Nurses of Ontario (our governing body) is strict so I can't see anything like that happening here, but you never know! We have RNs, RPNs, and Personal Support Workers (similar to a CNA, but anywhere that I've worked they aren't even allowed to do VS).