A state representative who incorrectly identified herself as a registered nurse reportedly changed her Facebook campaign page earlier this week after the North Carolina Board of Nursing formally asked her to correct the misidentification, according to The News & Observer.
North Carolina Rep. Beverly Boswell, R-Dist. 6, a medical assistant and phlebotomist, was first elected to her seat in 2016 and has voted for several health-related bills.
According to The News & Observer, Ms. Boswell had identified herself on her campaign website and campaign Facebook page as an RN until earlier this month, when the North Carolina Board of Nursing reportedly contacted her and asked her to stop doing so after receiving a complaint, a board spokesperson told the publication March 20.
"Rep. Boswell is not a licensed nurse nor has she ever been a licensed nurse," the spokesperson wrote in an email to The News & Observer.
The board claims the misidentification is an issue because the nursing profession is regulated by the state government, and requires all applicants to obtain an associate degree and pass a test to obtain their license. Phlebotomists, on the other hand, are not required to obtain a license and the profession as a whole is far less regulated, the report states.
Ms. Boswell reportedly corrected her campaign website after speaking with the same board spokesperson last week. However, she corrected her Facebook page only after the spokesperson contacted her March 20, "asking her to correct her Facebook page where she identifies herself as a nurse," the spokesperson told the publication.
In an interview with The News & Observer March 20, Ms. Boswell said she was unaware of the misidentification on her campaign and Facebook pages until she was contacted by the nursing board.
"Anytime you put on a uniform and go in a doctor's office, people assume you're a nurse or doctor and you have to correct and correct and correct," Ms. Boswell said. She added the misidentification is a "non-story" and "non-issue," according to the report.