"You cannot have BSN or MSN on your nametag?"

[nursebrandie28, BSN, RN]

Hello,

My supervisor told me tonight that HR was getting complaints from patients stating, "The BSN nurse gave better care than the non-BSN nurse." End result, only RN will go on namebadge.

I do not want to debate whether BSN nurses are better or worse. What I would like feedback on is:

1.) Can a hospital legally take away your title of RN, BSN or RN MSN, etc.?

2.) I personally feel that is a "slap" in the face and demoralizes nursing and education! Am I the only one who feels like this?

[RNlvn]

I agree. I work in a medium size hospital. Only registered nurse is put on the name badge even if you have a BSN but nurse who have been there awhile (the hospital has just went through a merger) or in management positions get BSN on their badge. I think that is really a slap in the face as I worked hard for my BSN instead of just stopping at a associates

[Coffee Nurse, BSN, RN]

They're not legally taking anything away; they're just choosing not to put it on your nametag.

[Asystole RN]

#1 Legally, yes. Your professional title is RN.

#2 I agree that educational achievement should be allowed to be placed on a name badge along with any certifications ie CCRN, CRNI etc.

P.S. What is with the giant cartoon font?

[Flying ICU RN]

RN as is MD, ARNP and or PA, are "clinical titles." This can be supplemented by a clinical certification. Nurses, have a bad habit of forgetting this and begin to try to separate themselves by listing the "level" of educational preparation ahead of the clinical title. This is not correct, as the (layman) public can rightfully be confused as to what is what.

I attribute this phenomenon to a severe case of professional identity crisis. Imagine for a moment if your typical physician signature went something like this, Dr J Kevorkian AS, BS, MPH, MD.

A very typical trail of alphabet soup for an advanced practice nurse is something along these lines,. F. Nightingale BSN, MSN, ARNP, FAAN,. or some nonsense along those lines. The correct title would be Jane Doe ARNP, FAAN.

[CT Pixie, BSN, RN]

A very typical trail of alphabet soup for an advanced practice nurse is something along these lines,. Jane Doe BSN, MSN, ARNP, FAAN,. or some nonsense along those lines. The correct title would be Jane Doe ARNP, FAAN.

Funny you mention this. I noticed a name tag of an ARNP and had to chuckle to myself..it read something like

Ima Nurse, ASN, BSN, MSN, ARNP, and then some other things. i got tired trying to read it all..it was ridiciously long and redundant. Umm, in order to have a masters in ANYTHING, you need to have your bachelors. So to list the ASN and BSN was just a waste of time when you have the Masters.

To the OP, I honestly don't think the majority of lay people even know what a BSN,ASN, or diploma RN's are. As long as RN is on the tag is what makes them happy. The hospital did nothing illegal by not posting your educational degrees. They posted your job/profession title, you are an RN. The did not strip you of your professional title of RN.

[roser13, ASN, RN]

"My supervisor told me tonight that HR was getting complaints"

What on earth is HR doing fielding patient complaints?

[millhouse]

I agree! The professional title is RN. A BSN and ASN nurse takes the same state boards. Clinical education is the identical to one another. A BSN nurse is no better than a ASN nurse at the bedside!!

[nurse_mo1986]

Oh my...another ASN vs. BSN discussion huh? In my opinion, RN is RN...how many humanity classes one took to gain their BSN over ADN means little in the clinical arena. I've worked with a lot of new grads thru the last years and I've yet to see a BSN grad that is more clinically competent than an ASN grad. They are equal.

And this attitude that "I'm a BSN and that makes me a better nurse than that ASN..." doesn't win you any brownie points in my eyes. ASN's and BSN's take the EXACT SAME STATE BOARDS.

[Lorien_LPN]

Why don't you get the RN, BSN embroidered on your scrubs?

[anonymurse]

As I passed a door, I actually heard a family member tell the pt "I'm going to complain that you only got a LPN," referring to one of the best critical thinkers and most experienced nurses on our floor.

So I'm all for removing tags that let ignorant troublemakers "compare" one nurse with another on the totally bogus basis of alphabet soup.

Keep your trophy shelf at home, guys. A pt has the therapeutically beneficial right to totally trust her assigned nurse.

[nerdtonurse?, BSN, RN]

It's the facilities' tag, they get to decide.

Mine would say, Nerd, ADN, BA, MS. And some idiot patient would want to know what a "BAMS" nurse is....or complain that I wasn't using Miss or Mrs. on my tag, but MS....

I've got a Masters. You know what it got me? Outsourced. Busted my backside for 2 years, worked post masters for 10 years in computers and what did I get? Outsourced x3, along with my whole department.

Don't get hung up on titles or degrees. Some of the dumbest people I ever met were Ph.Ds....stands for piled higher and deeper.