Signing R.N., B.S.N. to name after retirement?

[Dangerous]

I'd appreciate some input. Am a retired nurse, who emails Congresspeople, writes letters to the editor, & posts comments to posts on websites.

How do you handle "signing" your name after retirement? In situations where I comment re: health care or related issues, I sign as follows--

Nancy Nurse, R.N., B.S.N. (retired) or Nancy Nurse, R.N., B.S.N. (ret)

I got the idea from a friend's husband's address--

Major G.I. Joseph, (ret)

Thanks.

[BabyLady, BSN, RN]

I'd appreciate some input. Am a retired nurse, who emails Congresspeople, writes letters to the editor, & posts comments to posts on websites.

How do you handle "signing" your name after retirement? In situations where I comment re: health care or related issues, I sign as follows--

Nancy Nurse, R.N., B.S.N. (retired) or Nancy Nurse, R.N., B.S.N. (ret)

I got the idea from a friend's husband's address--

Major G.I. Joseph, (ret)

Thanks.

In my state, there are many nurses "continue" to pay the fees to renew their licenses even though they are not actively working.

Either you are a registered nurse or you are not. If you are no longer registered, one should no longer use the designation "RN".

You are always a BSN because you hold a degree, but if you renew your license and are not working, there is no need to write "ret" beside of your name.

I have never once, in any academic setting...seen that. I would wager that it is not a proper signature.

The military has a TRADITION of making the designation of "retired" because once they have earned the rank, they earn that rank for life, and the "retired" designation is used so you can distinguish between those that have actually retired from service vs those that simply left the armed forces earlier.

[Rock, LPN, RN]

Disagree !! We're not talking about someone who has one or two

years of experience, and then drops out. We are talking about

someone who wishes to let it be known that s/he earned a R.N.

certification, but no longer wishes to work as a health professional.

[rn/writer, RN]

Disagree !! We're not talking about someone who has one or two

years of experience, and then drops out. We are talking about

someone who wishes to let it be known that s/he earned a R.N.

certification, but no longer wishes to work as a health professional.

She doesn't have to be working to be called an RN. But she does legally have to hold a valid license. She can be retired from a job but still keep her license active. Or she can take time off to raise a family or run a business or go back to school. Most states make provision for keeping your license current even if you are not employed as a nurse.

Maybe this analogy will help. Right now I am a licensed driver in my state. Even if I don't get behind a steering wheel for a long time, I'm still a licensed driver as long as I do whatever it takes to keep that license valid.

If I let it lapse, I am not a licensed driver. Period. I may be capable of driving. I may have taken Driver's Ed. I may have years of experience. But without that little piece of paper, the state does not consider me a licensed driver.

Substitute "registered nurse" for "licensed driver" and I hope you can see why people are disagreeing with you.

[jjjoy, LPN]

Just to be overly analytic about terminology... if the term 'nurse' is supposed to only refer to licensed nurses, as some arguments go, then there is no such thing as an unlicensed nurse - at least not legally!

I suppose it's too long to sign off - retired person formerly licensed as Registered Nurse.

[BabyLady, BSN, RN]

Disagree !! We're not talking about someone who has one or two

years of experience, and then drops out. We are talking about

someone who wishes to let it be known that s/he earned a R.N.

certification, but no longer wishes to work as a health professional.

...experience has nothing to do with it either.

As soon as I pass my NCLEX and pass it and the state issues me a license as a Registered Nurse, I am an RN even if I don't even have a job.

That is the "Registered" part of the designation...either you are an RN or you are not and that decision rests with the state.

[Rock, LPN, RN]

Good Luck with your studies and licensure exam. I believe once you are certified by the State that you are a R.N., it's for life. But if you wish to indicate that you are no longer providing the service, you can indicate that by adding "ret" at the end of your title.

[llg, PhD, RN]

Good Luck with your studies and licensure exam. I believe once you are certified by the State that you are a R.N., it's for life. But if you wish to indicate that you are no longer providing the service, you can indicate that by adding "ret" at the end of your title.

That is simply not true. We have to renew our licenses regularly to keep them current. In some states, there are educational requirments that must be met or we become ineligible to keep our licenses. We are not "RN's for life." We are RN's only as long as we meet the requirments to hold the license. If we fail to meet those requirements, our licenses are taken away from us.

[rn/writer, RN]

To clarify, the "registered" part of registered nurse comes from the registry (list) of licensed nurses kept by each state board. Hence, if you do not have a current, valid license, you are not on that registry and you are not a "registered" nurse.

Your education level, career track, experience and employment record are all beside the point.

The only thing that determines your eligibility to call yourself a registered nurse is whether or not you hold a valid license.

[BackpackingRN]

no one is discounting the training.... you will always have the training and experience.... just not the "registered". Here is an easy way to see it. go to your state DOH licensing website and go to the page to verify an license. Put in your name. It either says active or expired.... if it is active, you are an RN, if not, you WERE an RN..... and you can be again if you apply and receive licensure....

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Trhread closed as question answered.