Is it RN,BSN or BSN,RN - Page 3

I've only ever seen it as

RN, BScN

Never the other way around.

I just received some business cards I had made to help with job hunting (I just passed the boards this past December after graduating in November), and I was surprised to realize I had put "Registered Nurse" under my name on the cards, and not RN, BSN (or is it R.N., B.S.N. - ?). I didn't think about it when I had them made.

I came here to try to find the consensus on the titling possibilities and I'm surprised that there is so much variety. I remember one hospital where I rotated where all the nurses had badges that said "Pat Smith, R.N., B.S.N." with periods after the letters.

I'm taking away from here that it doesn't really matter much which order to put these titles in, and that how it's done it might reflect local nursing culture too. I'm feeling better about having spelled out "Registered Nurse" on my cards too, even if the BSN is missing for now.
Thanks for all your input.

I sign "R. Ninja, RN" but if I signed with my education I'd sign "R. Ninja, RN, BScN."

You DID work hard for that degree and you should sign anyway that makes you feel good!

I just got my FNP degree a few months ago and I couldn't wait to sign my name Dixiecup APRN, FNP-BC and I sign the whole thing EVERY time. I earned it!

OP--I hope you haven't decided that a lot of the responders are jerks. Man...... Anywhoo-----congratulations on your years of hard work. You have a right to be proud of your accomplishment. I would suggest though, that you sign your documentation with RN. After awhile you may find that BSN RN gets too cumbersome & time constraining. Just a thought.
To the posters who appeared to be extra sensitive to the ADN/DIP vs BSN thing--good grief! Get the chip off your shoulder. There are enough people who seek to destroy the profession from "out there", that we don't need to help them along. The OP was just asking a question, not bragging nor saying she was better than others who don't have a BSN.

My hospital does not care how you officially list your name. Some write is as John Doe, RN, BSN while other write is as John Doe, BSN, RN. Most list their certifications afterwards, such as John Doe, RN, BSN, CEN. I did notice a comment earlier about many nurses that go back and get their BSN is so that they eventually will end up behind a desk in an administrative position. My hospital encourages and reimburses up to 90 percent for those nurses who pursue their BSN. Many hospitals are now requiring nurses to have a BSN and there has been talk for many years that this become the standard. Personally I believe you do not need to have your BSN to be a great nurse, although I must admit that I learned alot when I went through my bachelors program. If you are content with not having a BSN, then I say continue what you are doing and be proud of the fact that you are a RN. One last note, stopped being so mean to one another. As nurses, we should set a high standard and treat each other with the highest professionalism.

They would think we were loony where I work if we signed with RN, BSN. No one does that at my facility. I guess because if you have the title RN, everyone knows you have a BSN (because it's mandatory). Even on my name tag, it just reads, "Joanna, Registered Nurse". No last name even. I like that.

It really irks me as well for when those who choose to sign with RN, BSN are called "pretensious". How is being proud of what you worked hard for pretensious???? And saying that those who chose to earn their BSN only want to manage or work in admin is just plain ignorant. I am in NY and here those with a BSN write it RN, BSN. I am wondering if it varies by state. Personally I sometimes write both and sometimes don't. I plan on starting my masters soon to be a LMHC and wonder how I will sign then. RN, BSN, LMHC or RN, LMHC. Im thinking the masters in mental health counseling negates the BSN.
OP-- ignore the posts from the ignorant folks here. A nurse is a nurse yes but when you work hard to get additional education there is nothing wrong with being proud of it. So either is correct.

When I was in my last semester of Nursing school one of my Profs had a brief commentary in one of her lectures about how us nurses should sign our credentials. She told us that we should always sign our highest level of education first, then credentials, then special certification. She also made it a point to tell us NO PERIODS. Ha-Ha, I loved her! As in previous posts, the idea is that they can't take your degree from you but they can take your RN (hopefully none of us will ever have to worry about that though).

I have to admit that it does drive me crazy because it really makes us look less professional. Like other members of the medical profession are saying, "Look at those dumb nurses...they don't even know how to sign their own names!" Why can't the ANA just come out with a position statement or something and put an end to this whole argument!

That's what I think anyway. GO BADGERS!

On the floor when you're signing documentation, only the RN or APN/APRN matters, since that's what you're practicing on - you can add in other stuff if you'd like, but you can stop with RN or APN/APRN and be just fine.

As for official correspondence, resumes, business cards, etc, it does go Academic Degree, License, Certification. There's no need for an ANA position on it - it's the accepted rule everywhere, though it seems like half of nursing lives in ignorance of it.