Proper Way to List Credentials?

montroyal · Nov 19, 2002

Originally posted by Stargazer
montroyal, Susy is applying for a postgraduate position. In order to be competitive, YES, degrees and specialty certifications not only matter, they are actual job requirements.

I never meant to say that degrees and certifications are not important. I am just amazed at the fact people have to wear them on their name badges or business cards. They do belong on a resume or CV, under the education and certification section. The public has a hard enough time distingushing who is who in the hospital setting, adding a alphabet of initials only leads to more confusion. At one time I had CEN, ACLS, PALS, NALS, TNCC, ENPC. I'm willing to bet there are a large amount of nurses who read this that can't tell you what some of these stand for. If they can't, do you think the public can? Does having these or any other certification or degree gaurentee you are are better nurse?

Ted · Nov 19, 2002

Originally posted by montroyal
I never meant to say that degrees and certifications are not important. I am just amazed at the fact people have to wear them on their name badges or business cards. They do belong on a resume or CV, under the education and certification section. The public has a hard enough time distingushing who is who in the hospital setting, adding a alphabet of initials only leads to more confusion. At one time I had CEN, ACLS, PALS, NALS, TNCC, ENPC. I'm willing to bet there are a large amount of nurses who read this that can't tell you what some of these stand for. If they can't, do you think the public can? Does having these or any other certification or degree gaurentee you are are better nurse?

Oh God I have "Alphabit Soup" credentially initials envy! I don't know what "TNCC" or what "ENPC" stand for, but I want them by my name none-the-less! Again, with Gold plating with diamond-dust letters that twinkle!

Just kidding!

But what does "TNCC" and "ENPC" stand for??

May the credentially gods be with us all! :)

Ted

Q. · Nov 19, 2002

I can see that, except I never knew that people actually list certifications, like NALS. I've never listed that after my name. Why not list CPR then?

Susy K, RN, BSN, NALS, CPR.

In a way, some certifications can guarantee you are a "better" nurse: skills wise. For instance, our post-partum nurses were not NALS certified; L&D nurses were. We could resuscitate an infant; they could not.

Other than that, I think degrees and certifications are, like Stargazer said, job requirements - and for a reason. I've known bedside nurses with their MSN; are they a better bedside nurse? Not necessarily. But probably more due to the fact that their MSN isn't being utilized to the fullest extent, in another capacity.

Q. · Nov 19, 2002

Ted, TNCC is Trauma Nurse Core Curriculum or something like that.

Stargazer · Nov 20, 2002

Originally posted by montroyal
I never meant to say that degrees and certifications are not important. I am just amazed at the fact people have to wear them on their name badges or business cards. They do belong on a resume or CV, under the education and certification section. The public has a hard enough time distingushing who is who in the hospital setting, adding a alphabet of initials only leads to more confusion. At one time I had CEN, ACLS, PALS, NALS, TNCC, ENPC. I'm willing to bet there are a large amount of nurses who read this that can't tell you what some of these stand for. If they can't, do you think the public can? Does having these or any other certification or degree gaurentee you are are better nurse?

Well, if you were taking care of me in the ER and I saw that you had RN, CEN on your nametag, I would feel reassured that I was being cared for by an experienced ER nurse. Not every patient is going to be ignorant of what that means. I agree with you that the ACLS, PALS, etc. are superfluous, and I have never seen anyone in any setting who used those as part of their title. I would think that person exceedingly pathetic if they did so.

However, we don't all work in hospital settings. I don't use RN, BSN in my daily email correspondence, but when I hand my business card to someone, it is likely to be a medical director, CEO or VP of a large company, or a physician working for a government agency. Most of these folks have Master's or Doctoral degrees in their own fields, and education is a valued currency.

I also agree with Susy that advanced degrees or certification imply experience and expertise. Anecdotally, virtually every single board-certified physician I know signs his or her name (for example) John Smith, MD, FACEP. If being "just an MD" isn't enough for them, why should being "just an RN" be enough for us?

Gardengal · Nov 20, 2002

I was instructed when I wrote RN, MSN, CCRN that I did it wrong and I was 'out of order'. I was supposed to start with the MSN, then the RN then the CCRN when in academic or research circles. I only wrote all those letters in response to a question regarding my credentials as a lecturer at a local conference. I had written my credentials in that order for previous hospital presentations. I received my CCRN before my MSN, I didn't list them in order of timeline of acquiring them, but in order of importance to me.

The way I figured it was....I went to school and got my BSN, but never wrote that anywhere, except as credentials when presenting continuing education offerings. I figured the RN was most important because I needed to be an RN to practice. i got my CCRN as a way of validating my critical care knowledge, not so I had more letters to my name. My name without credentials includes 18 letters (talk about a tough time as a child learning to write it).

When I received my MSN I was proud of the accomplishment, but didn't think that it belonged first with my credentials. So....my RN 1st because that's what allows me to practice, CCRN next because it validates my critical care knowledge base, MSN last because I think it will be that last degree I go for (although right now I'm registering for American Sign Language at th ecommunity college in my area).

I use my credentials in that order on my business card, have just the RN on my name badge and use the same order of credentials for presentations as I have on my business card. I gavein to peer pressure that one time when I was told I was 'out of order', but never again because it looked funny to me. I guess I decided I liked being out of order.

Jenny P · Nov 20, 2002

There was an article in one of the recent nursing journals on this and it said that you write the certifications and honors last, then the RN second last, and your education first. You can lose your certification by not renewing, you can lose your RN degree, but you can never lose your education. It makes sence to me.

I will go right now and find the article and give you the source.

hoolahan, ASN, RN · Nov 20, 2002

Jenny, interesting, and very sensible, which means a nursing academic did NOT think of that I am sure. LOL!

Montroyal, I don't put alphabet soup on my nurses notes, but I do have it like I listed on my biz cards b/c I have to hand them out to pt's, who give them to their lawyers, doc's, other case managers in diff settings, and doc's oput them into my pt's charts so I get a copy of their office notes automatically.

I guess it doesn't mean anything to some people, but it DOES mean something to me, and if I am goign to have a biz card, it might as well be as professional as it can be.

I am praying I passed my CCM exam, and if so, I will be dropping and not renewing my CCRN for the first time in 17 years! I will then be Linda S RN, BSN, CCM I hope!!! I would never use the CCRN and CCM at the same time, that is just unecesary.

**SKM-NURSIEPOOH, BSN, RN** · Nov 20, 2002

originally posted by susy k
ok, stargazer, i took your idea and perused my author listings, and most of them list licensure first, as you've stated, with the exception of one person:

the lovely jean watson, ph.d, rn, faan. gee. go figure.

so she's an idiot in more than one regard?

...i've always seen it like:

jane doe, aas, rn or jane doe rn, aas

then when jane doe goes on for the next degree, she just list that license, then the degree:

jane doe, bsn, rn or jane doe, rn, bsn
jane doe, msn, rn, cns or jane doe, rn msn, cns
jane doe, dsn, rn, faan or jane doe, rn, dsn, faan

it isn't practical to list every degree level when it's assumed that once you've received your graduate level, for example, you've had to have received a bachelor's degree. having too many initials behind names only further confuses patients & their families. heck, it even confuses the hell out of many healthcare professionals. i know its very confusing for me to destinguish all of the doctorate in nursing degrees; e.g.,

dsn, dns, & dnsc
scd
edd
phd
jd

...believe it or not, these are degrees that are held by some of the facility members from my nursing program...confusing isn't it...told you... :lol2:lol!!!

some hospital facilities frown on rns listing their degrees at all on their name tags...something to do with not wanting to offend those rns whom have not gone on for their bsn or further...not sure that i agree with that school of thought....seems to me, if you earned it, you should be able to show it...what do you think :confused: ???

one thing for sure, i've never seen anyone go from lpn to their highest degree & keep the lpn initals; e.g.; jane doe, lpn, rn, aas, jane doe, lpn, rn, bsn :rolleyes: ...why is that i wonder :mad: ???

Jenny P · Nov 20, 2002

Sorry, I haven't found it yet; I tried a web search and didin't find it and I've been searching through my stack of nursing magazines but they are now all out of order-- someone knocked them over and picked them up and piled them up again. I do know I read this in the last 2 months, so it is printed in a nursing joural this year. I get AJN, Nursing 2002, RN, Critical Care Nurse, Focus on Critical Care, Nursing Spectrum and a few others, but I think the article is in one of those. I just wish I could remember the title because that would help.

I will keep looking, but not right now.

Jenny P · Nov 20, 2002

originally posted by skm-nursiepooh
...i've always seen it like:

jane doe, aas, rn or jane doe rn, aas

then when jane doe goes on for the next degree, she just list that license, then the degree:

jane doe, bsn, rn or jane doe, rn, bsn
jane doe, msn, rn, cns or jane doe, rn msn, cns
jane doe, dsn, rn, faan or jane doe, rn, dsn, faan
......
one thing for sure, i've never seen anyone go from lpn to their highest degree & keep the lpn initals; e.g.; jane doe, lpn, rn, aas, jane doe, lpn, rn, bsn ...why is that i wonder ???

moe, you are right about the highest degree listed being the title. you will never see someone listing the lpn,rn, etc. because a nurse is always held legally accountable to their highest licensure; so that even though someone who went from an lpn to a rn and they have maintained both licenses, if they are called in front of the state board of nursing or a court of law; they are accountable to the law as an rn.

so, supposing an lpn goes back to school and gets her rn license but is unable to find a job as an rn anywhere (hey, it used to happen!) so they decide to work as an lpn. if something happens and they need to go to court or the sbn, they will be judged as an rn even though they are working (and being paid!) as an lpn.

**SKM-NURSIEPOOH, BSN, RN** · Nov 20, 2002

once nurses pass their nclex-rn, listing all subsequent, or should i say, previous degree(s) is academic...isn't it???

except for those diploma rns, why not just list the highest degree with the licensure & relevent certifications like ccrn, crna, faan only...it just seem pretentious to list jane doe, rn, aas, bsn, msn, dsn along with any general cerfications like cpr, acls, nals, etc after a name. what are your thoughts???