Here is a copy of an inspiring letter written by Tiffany Schnorr, the past Vice President of California Nursing Students' Association and past Chair& Founder of the CNSA Image of Nursing Committee. Her words and leadership are truly remarkable. Please let her words inspire you too!
UCLA/Orthopaedic Hospital Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
To Whom It May Concern:
Several weeks ago, I accompanied a loved one to your office. I experienced a situation that concerns me.
We had just finished meeting with the doctor and we were directed to the front desk in order to make a follow up appointment. The receptionist asked us to wait for a "nurse" who would be able to make an appointment for us. Now being a nursing student myself, I found it odd that a.) There was a registered nurse working in a doctor's office (this setting is not a common workplace for registered nurses) and b.) That if there was a nurse working there she would have to take time to do something as simple as make an appointment (a receptionist or medical assistant could do this). As soon as a "nurse" was available to help us schedule an appointment, I checked her name badge and was disappointed to fmd that she was a medical assistant. This does not surprise me much, since this is about the third time I have experienced such a situation at your office. If there are registered nurses actually employed in your office, I have never seen one.
I also noticed that there are several workstations labeled "Nurse's Station". What makes the station a "nurse's station" if nurses are not regularly working there?
It concerns me that your office staff uses the word "nurse" as freely as they do. A law was passed in 1999, AB 1439, that "prohibits the use of the title nurse by any individual except registered nurses or licensed vocational nurses". It is inappropriate to refer to office staff, medical assistants or anyone wearing scrubs for that matter, as a nurse. Although I appreciate the work that medical assistants do, they do not have the education or skills that nurses have. If office staff continues referring to medical assistants as nurses to patients, said patients will receive an inaccurate idea of what nurses do. Being that we are currently in a worldwide nursing shortage, it is of utmost importance to society that nurses be portrayed accurately, as hard working, educated critical thinkers. Being portrayed otherwise will not help to attract the hundreds of thousands of intelligent people needed to resolve the nursing shortage. If the healthcare industry does not see the importance ofthe title "registered nurse", neither will the public.
I have had much contact with nurses who work at
Sincerely,
Tiffany Schnorr
Vice President,
Chair and Founder, CNSA Image of Nursing Committee
California State University, Long Beach Nursing
Judy Chang, Chair
California Nursing Students' Association Ad Hoc Image of Nursing Committee
San Francisco State University
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