Does your hospital or facility badge include your credentials?

[icuRNmaggie]

In my current staff nurse RN position my badge says Maggie and underneath my name it says nurse in lower case letters. Not even RN, just 'nurse'. We have several excellent night shift LPNs on Med Surg and my badge is identical to theirs. I don't mean to sound elitist it's just that we are in different roles.

(Please don't dogpile on me for mentioning the LPNs ok? They are my buddies. This is about badges not who is a better nurse.)

At first I thought 'whatever.' The hospital management made a statement that they are opposed to having "cv information" on hospital id badges.

My credentials are BSN, CCRN. My department is MICU.

I'm curious if this is happening in other hospitals because I just dont get it. I dont want the badges to say AA or AS RN, that is unnecessary. But RN would certainly be reassuring to the pts. If I'm sick I would be thankful to see that CCRN or CEN or CNOR on my nurse's badge. It represents competence and a commitment to continuing education.

Any thoughts?

[CountryMomma, ASN, RN]

My badge has my picture on it center top. Beneath that is my first name, and beneath that is RN in large bold print for easy recognition. The LPNs say LPN, etc etc.

One thing I have noticed is that the BSN nurses have BSN after their RN. Anyone else (like me, ADN or otherwise RN) just has RN. I don't get my panties in a bunch for two reasons - we're both changing beds and pushing meds for the same pay rate, and I'm enrolled in my BSN anyhow, so in a year or two if I want, I'll have an extra three letters.

The goal at my hospital, as I am often told, is transparency. This includes staff identification and roles, so they have adopted the uniform color codes, large-print creds, and encourage you to identify as X. XXXXX, RN or LPN or CNA or PT etc to identify your role verbally.

[Texas86RN]

Mine says my name and RN, I agree it should say LVN or RN

[vintage_RN, BSN, RN]

My ID has my photo, my name and underneath in small letters it says "registered practical nurse"...the RNs ID looks exactly the same except the small letters say "registered nurse." Unless you squint and look at it really closely you can't tell, and the patients usually never know..

I like the idea of what I've seen in the states where there is another card behind the ID that says "RN" or "LPN"...then at least it's differentiating clearly who is who. And I think credentials should be on the badge, if you're going to work hard for something then why not have it be identified? Not that the patients really know one way or another most of the time..

[4everstudent15]

SECTION 40-33-39.*Identification badges.*

A licensed nurse must clearly identify himself or herself as officially licensed by the board. A licensed nurse shall wear a clearly legible identification badge or other adornment at least one inch by three inches in size bearing the nurse's first or last name, or both, and title as officially licensed.

This was taken from my state's Nurse Practice Act but I've worked at places where this wasn't followed and at places where I wish it wasn't (Corrections).

[MrChicagoRN, RN]

Our staff clinicians' badges say first name, last initial, dept, discipline. & a picture.

[flowerlilly]

Every facility must be different, I currently work as a CMA, and my badge says it. Every position in the hospital has their title respectively, in bold, under their name and an other badge that hangs lower than the ID, with their title, MD, RN, CC, CMA, PCT, RN ANP, etc...

Maybe you can request one? Check with HR.

[icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN]

Pretty sure the MDs don't have "John" and 'doctor' underneath....

Actually one of the docs has Dave on his badge with Internal medicine below it. I think it he did it to be a rebel. Some of them have their first and last name. No MD or DO on any of the doctors badges.

[klone, MSN, RN]

We have a card that is slightly larger than our IDs, it hangs down the back so the title RN, MD, or whatever can be seen below our IDs.

Children's Colorado does that too. I wonder if it's a Colorado thing?

[klone, MSN, RN]

When I worked at Hopkins in the early nineties my badge said "junior partner."

it still cracks me up

Thanks everyone for the good information and good laughs.

That would be better than "junior member" I guess. Especially if you're a male.

[klone, MSN, RN]

One thing I have noticed is that the BSN nurses have BSN after their RN. .

Which annoys the hell out of me. Because you're supposed to put the degree BEFORE the license/certification. It should read "BSN, RN" rather than "RN, BSN"

[MunoRN, RN]

The physicians at my facility have name badges that have their first name in large font, underneath that in much smaller font is their last name and under that is "Physician".

[icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN]

Which annoys the hell out of me. Because you're supposed to put the degree BEFORE the license/certification. It should read "BSN, RN" rather than "RN, BSN"

thank you! you are correct. Credentials should be listed from most permanent to least permanent.