Allowing more than RN on name badge?

[MQ Edna]

Does your facility allow you to have designations other than RN on your name badge (such as RN, BSN/ RN, ccrn etc.)? our hospital does not allow this and it is a thorn in the side of some of the RN's I work with. there are a couple of nurses I know who have gone to hr and were able to sweet talked someone into making them a name badge with all the designations on it. one in particular was a new grad, hired the same time as 2 other new grads, who insisted that her name badge read "RN, BSN" and was able to have it changed.

Now, all the new grads in our ICU are BSN's because that's hospital hiring policy. the 2 other BSN new grads went to hr to have their name badges changed also, but weren't so lucky and were told "no" regarding additional designations. so . . .they went out and bought gold "BSN" tack pins and tacked the "BSN" pins onto their name badges (we aren't suppose to tack any pins onto our badges either).

Personally, I know I'm a BSN and I'm not concerned about having all the initials after my name. actually because I have two bachelors degrees I guess I could use bs biology, RN, BSN . . .now that would really confuse 'em! yet, there are others who think it is unfair not to recognize nursing educational achievements such as ccrn or cnrn etc. on the name badge.

[RN2B07]

I'm with you on this one! I know I have BSN tacked on behind my name but it doesnt bother me that it isnt printed on my badge. Some pts. will ask and I can tell them. As long as RN is there, thats all I care about. Life is too short to be caught up in the petty stuff!

[Annointed_RNStudent]

I know of some community hospitals that have everything I even saw a nurse that had a badge:

RNC3/BSN/ACLS

[TazziRN, RN]

Yes, it's allowed but rarely done.

Question, and NOT meant to start a war, please!!!!!

How come no one ever sees RN, ADN on a badge? PLEASE no nasty answers or debate, I'm just wondering.

[jalvino1]

I was hired last year as a new grad so my badge says RN, BSN. But I didn't know it was going to say that until it had printed out. I actually requested the BSN be taken off bc the nurses who've been there forever didn't have BSN at the end of their names and I didn't want them to think I was showing off or saying I was better or something else snobby. But the person who printed my badge told me I should be proud of it, so it's still there.

I always thought I was just being paranoid about the whole BSN thing. I would tell myself "you're being silly, other nurses aren't going to see that BSN and think anything bad." Then after a while I just forgot about it... until I read this post.

[jalvino1]

on the more constructive criticism side:

I look very young for my age. One patient actually thought I was 12y.o. With that said, it always takes a while for patients to trust my skills because I have less experience. Believe it or not, but the same patients will look at my badge, ask what BSN stands for, and when i tell them they always feel more comfortable with me being their nurse. New grads have to fight for respect, and yes, are still insecure, therefore want to be recognized as educated. Nurses with experience don't need BSN on their badge... they know what they're doing.

[firstyearstudent]

I'm not a nurse, and I know that BSN is a difficult major, and that BSN nurses are proud of their degrees and rightly so. But I can't think of another industry where people feel the need to flaunt a four-year degree. I don't think patients really care, so who is this for and what is it about? Is it because people feel that it's a way to advocate for BSN as entry (which I support, despite being an ADN student, heh heh)? I'm not criticising, I'm just trying to understand...

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

I didn't care about the nametag thing until I got my MSN. That, I was pretty proud of and had put on my nametag.

[llg, PhD, RN]

I didn't care about the nametag thing until I got my MSN. That, I was pretty proud of and had put on my nametag.

I was the same way. As a staff nurse, it didn't matter to me whether they put the letters behind my name or not. All us staff nursese were doing the same job regardless of our academic degrees -- so, being grouped together under one "staff nurse" title was fine with me.

However, when I got my MSN and became a CNS, I wanted that acknowledged on my name badge. I was doing a different job and wanted my badge to reflect that. I felt the same way when I got my PhD. I wanted it on my badge even though a part of me says I shouldn't need it to be there.

Perhaps it shouldn't matter to me, but it does. I work in a hospital in which we all call each other by first names and there would be no acknowledgment of my PhD at all if it weren' on my badge.

llg

[ICURN_NC]

Interesting thread. I've thought about this, because when I get my BSN I feel I've worked hard for it, and I think I'd want it on my nametag. I'm also proud of my fellow nurses and I think it's great for them to have it on their nametag.

However, I'm pretty proud of my ADN, too. It was a challenging program, which I survived despite: 1) Working full-time, 2)Husband getting arrested (and us getting divorced), 3) Bleeding out and having to be an inpatient during my only "break", 4) Leaving said husband and my 6YO son and I being homeless for the last 8 weeks of school and still finishing @ the top of my class.... etc. Many people have survived trials like this. So, I'd be just as proud to have "Sharon xx, ADN, RN" on my nametag. But that's not even an option.

I think we should be proud of our credentials. However, because some hospitals celebrate some, while shunning others, it almost makes me feel like I should be ashamed of my ADN, since it seems we hide it. Weird.

[SeanyRN]

I requested that BSN be on my badge. I went to school for it, why not be proud of it. Someone said its "just a 4 year degree", if you want to look at it like that. But most people who think like that dont have a 4 year degree.

[Otessa, BSN, RN]

We have the opportunity to put BSN, MSN, ADN, CCRN,etc on our badge but we need to have documentation and they check to make sure we are STILL certified so you can legally have it on your bag.

I decided to only put RN on my badge since patients would ask what a BSn,ADN, RN-C or whatever means. I am a nurse first and foremost and what you put on your badge credentials should be your choice.