BSN but not a nurse

Nurses Professionalism

Published

So settle this with me, if someone graduated with their BSN and failed multiple attempts at the NCLEX, can they still claim BSN on credentials but not add RN to the end. Technically, they can't ever use the term "nurse" right? Asking for a "friend" who says her work allows her to have BSN on her badge. I think that is iffy. ?

1 hour ago, Oldmahubbard said:

Now the very frustrating and controversial question I have to ask, how is it possible that are we graduating people with their BSN, and they cannot pass the NCLEX exam?

The same thing is happening in law.

I don't get it. Some of the courses I took 20 years ago plus were so much harder than the NCLEX , there was simply no comparison.

Have we watered down the degree as to be meaningless?

Excellent question. I know not everyone passes the NCLEX or at least not on the first attempt but I’m guessing it’s still a pretty small number compared with the number who graduated. I wonder about schools who have grads unable to pass the licensing exam; this has to hurt enrollment numbers. BSN or ASN should be equally prepared for the test; shouldn't be easier for BSN grad. And certainly shouldn’t be what I saw on another board, someone who has failed the exam more than 20 times??

Maybe the question is really what has happened with nursing education in general?

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×

Some people were not really serious about their taking the NCLEX and trying to pass. Maybe more interested in boys. I honestly don't want her becoming a nurse because I know it is truly not in her heart. I do believe it is a disservice to patients where she's working to have a BSN on her badge and not really be a nurse because most people see BSN on our badges and automatically think RN.

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×

I just do not get how you could have passed the type of heavy courses I took, A and P and statistics. etc, and now you can't pass the NCLEX.

When I took the NCLEX is was so easy, it was frightening.

There has been a major dumbing down in my opinion.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
1 hour ago, Waiting for Retirement said:

Excellent question. I know not everyone passes the NCLEX or at least not on the first attempt but I’m guessing it’s still a pretty small number compared with the number who graduated. I wonder about schools who have grads unable to pass the licensing exam; this has to hurt enrollment numbers. BSN or ASN should be equally prepared for the test; shouldn't be easier for BSN grad. And certainly shouldn’t be what I saw on another board, someone who has failed the exam more than 20 times??

Maybe the question is really what has happened with nursing education in general?

I can't help but want to meet the person who failed 20 times just so I can see how such a person acts. What makes them tick if it is something other than a bona fide psychological aversion to the NCLEX itself?

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.
On 7/3/2019 at 4:52 PM, wildcatchristie said:

So settle this with me, if someone graduated with their BSN and failed multiple attempts at the NCLEX, can they still claim BSN on credentials but not add RN to the end. Technically, they can't ever use the term "nurse" right? Asking for a "friend" who says her work allows her to have BSN on her badge. I think that is iffy. ?

Why is that iffy? She earned the degree. She is entitled to put BSN after her name.

Why would anyone care about this? It makes our profession look petty.

4
Up Vote Up Vote ×
50 minutes ago, FolksBtrippin said:

Why is that iffy? She earned the degree. She is entitled to put BSN after her name.

Why would anyone care about this? It makes our profession look petty.

By this logic someone who completed medical school but did no residency and has no license to practice is perfectly fine wearing a white coat and a name badge that says M.D. while working in a hospital? Not at all misleading?

On the technicality of having earned the degree I agree that either of them should be allowed to do this. But it isn’t petty to want to protect the integrity of nursing and medical professionals by requesting they not.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.
2 minutes ago, Waiting for Retirement said:

By this logic someone who completed medical school but did no residency and has no license to practice is perfectly fine wearing a white coat and a name badge that says M.D. while working in a hospital? Not at all misleading?

On the technicality of having earned the degree I agree that either of them should be allowed to do this. But it isn’t petty to want to protect the integrity of nursing and medical professionals by requesting they not.

There is no threat to the integrity of nursing when we respect a person's BSN without RN licensure.

The only threat to the integrity of nursing is the petty need to strip others of their earned degrees.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×

The other issue is that on social media she freely refers to herself as a nurse in her biographies. In her mind, she is a nurse because she has her BSN.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Dialysis.
2 minutes ago, wildcatchristie said:

The other issue is that on social media she freely refers to herself as a nurse in her biographies. In her mind, she is a nurse because she has her BSN.

She has the degree but not the licensure. To represent herself otherwise is misleading, and by most state's practice acts, illegal. This isn't petty, because if she represents herself that way means that she probably acts in that capacity without the proper training. She needs to devote action to passing her boards...

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psychiatry/Mental Health.

I understand both sides of what you are saying, OP.

If she didn't work in a clinical setting, around patients, I would think it would be acceptable. For instance, if she worked as a writer, or in research, etc. However, I understand how it can be misleading to patients who may assume that someone with a BSN on their badge, in uniform in a clinical setting, is a licensed nurse.

Speaking of which, I have had nursing assistants offer to "help" me with patients, on tasks that cannot be delegated to CNAs, and say that other nurses let them do it because they are "almost done with nursing school". In once instance, I told the CNA no, they did the task incorrectly, and the charge nurse became involved. The patient was ok, but it could have been worse, and what happened was risky and unsafe. Although there are people that argue otherwise, passing NCLEX is supposed to ensure that graduates know how to keep patients safe.

The fact that she says she is a nurse on social media is her personal business. I don't think it is right to lie about licensing that you don't have, but she may be embarrassed, or tired of telling people about not passing the exam.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pediatrics, Pediatric Float, PICU, NICU.

She has her BSN, she earned that, she can flaunt that anyway she wants because it is hers.

The issue comes in when she starts calling herself nurse when she is not a nurse. She simply has a degree in nursing.

4
Up Vote Up Vote ×

She works at a dialysis center as a dialysis tech so she is working with patients.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment