Nurses in the state of California who obtained doctorate degrees can’t be referred to as “Doctor” after a judge ruled it as “inherently misleading,” Nurse.org reports. Judge Jesus G. Bernal of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California upheld a state law placing limitations on how professional titles are used in healthcare. The nurse plaintiffs argued the law put limits on their freedom of speech and violated their constitutional rights. One of the nurses admitted to introducing herself to patients as “Doctor,” but would clarify that she was a nurse practitioner. “All of your hard work and education, you can’t even use the title that you earn, at least in California.”Medical associations like the California Medical Association (CMA) celebrated the court’s ruling, siding with defendants California Attorney General Rob Bonta and California Medical Board President Kristina Lawson.