BSN RN & Certifications not allowed on my badge: I am outraged!

Nurses General Nursing

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After much hard work, dedication, and sacrifice I obtained my BSN RN in 2004. Today I walked out of an orientation at a major Raleigh, NC hospital because I was told why I asked why RN's could not proudly display their education and credentials "WE do not recognize titles here. There are no titles" I was outraged and hurt. In educating the orientation administrative person (she was not a nurse) I explained that having to meet strict criteria for certification and education levels are not a title! She looked annoyed. SO I left.

Education and credentials are not easily obtained. They are representations of a RN's commitment to his/her craft. They are indications of the sacrifice and hard work she/ he has put in to go the extra mile. I am in no way negating an ADN. ON the contrary, ADN's make just as much of a sacrifice (However...in all honesty.... you will never hear an ADN voicing concern about not being able to display her ADN...sorry if I have offended any ADN's but the truth is the truth!).

When I handed HR my resignation letter and explained why I am resigning after only 2 days of orientation she looked annoyed and asked : "What does it matter. All of you are RN's and you all do the same thing" I just looked at her and shook my head.

I cannot understand an organization that BANS your right to display your hard work. What right does that organization have?

Needless to say I left another hospital for a minor pay increase at this facility. I regret that decision. I told HR I would rather tolerate a few cents less and have the HARD EARNED RIGHT TO DIAPLY MY CREDNTIALS than to work for an organization who tells me I CAN NOT DISPLAY MY CREDENTIALS>

Shame on you Wake Med! You will never achieve magnet status if you continue to disregard the hard work of your RN's!

Sandra BSN RN

My ENTIRE POINT is whatever hard work you have achieved you should be allowed to display it and YES IT IS A DEAL BREAKER FOR ME! Again...would we be having this discussion if I were a soldier with a uniform proudly displaying my merits, badges, acheivements etc??????

Ummm... Do you know how many Medal of Honor (The HIGHEST award) winners actually REFUSE to wear or even accept the medal??? Soldiers HAVE to wear their badges. It's required of them and they have no choice.

They mean nothing though. The only thing that means anything is rank and the only ranks in nursing are CNA and RN (Yea there are a few more but you get my drift I'm sure...)

ANCC credentials are different for BSN vs. ADN (some certifications require BSN) and Magnet status for a hospital IS based partly on educational level of the nursing staff but that doesn't mean it has to be plastered on everyone's nametag. Why can't we all be proud of being a nurse and clear things up for the public in a united fashion?? The damn chiropractic "doctors" are going to be respected as educated professionals long before nurses are largly due to the in-fighting and grandstanding of nurses. It's sad.

Hey - a chiropractic doctor takes better care of my family than any MD would or could. As far as we're concerned, he is a doctor. Don't knock the chiropractors! :)

Now back to our regularly scheduled discussion.

This thread is one reason why I wouldn't really care to work at a Magnet hospital and I'd be especially disinterested in "BSN only" institutions - even when I have a BSN. Maybe I take my degrees for granted and maybe I shouldn't but academic snobbery is very boring.

Specializes in ICU.
i know...i know... you could buy a years worth of cat litter (we just stocked up!!) ... or ... hmm ... how'z'bout ... i know... lots of new cat toys...

sharpeimom(and mama to 5 cats):paw::paw::paw::paw::paw::paw::paw::paw::paw::paw::paw::paw:

oh, i have got to get me a job at kaiser - i swear i spend more money supporting the cats than me!:lol2:

catshowlady, burmese cat breeder and scooper of many, many litterboxes, whose cats don't care what degree she has, only that the litterboxes are empty and the food dishes full

Specializes in Med/Surg, Acute Rehab.

Well it looks like simba has finally given up. We have worn this topic topic to a frazzle and maybe it's time to put it to bed..ya think??:yawn:

Specializes in Family Practice, Mental Health.

To the original poster; Simba2241/ Sandra BSN RN

I think you've done a pretty bang up job of tooting your own horn on this thread, and probably have managed to offend at least a third of the posters in the process.

This method is definitely not listed as an effective use of your time in the book How to Win Friends and Influence People.

Bully! for you, on obtaining your BSN, as I'm all for furthering education and enjoy that pursuit myself. However, I think it was REALLY extreme to go flying off the handle and quitting your job like that.

Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.
Nurses complain that the reason that they don't like unions, is that all the nurses earn the same, even if they work harder than other nurses who they work with. I feel the same way about my degree and certification. I worked hard to earn them, and it cost me alot of money to earn them and maintain the certification. But under the present way nurses are compensated, I have no ways of increasing my pay as a reward for MY hard work.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

Actually, it was my union that got us compensation for having a degree. Used to be 50 cents, now is several dollars. Frankly, even that little bit more an hour adds up in the long run.

To the OP, my opinion and first reaction was "how petty". This is not the battle in nursing that I would choose to fight: I am more interested in the reputation and lack of public awareness of what nursing does.

Yes, I will be putting MSN on my next hospital badge, because my current one is about worn out. But to leave or refuse a job because of that? Ah, no. I'd be content with the RN I've worn for 28 years if that was what my hospital asked for. I use the MSN to teach ADNs, and practice in the hospital with my BSN. My faculty badge doesn't even say RN, it just says Nursing Faculty. But I don't teach my students to be less thorough in their assessments, or accept poor writing skills in the papers they submit just because it isn't for a BSN.

Specializes in CCU,ICU,ER retired.

In the scheme of all things in life, all I can say to the OP is "OH BOOHOO"

Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.

You talk of pride a lot, Simba. You are proud of your BSN and want to wear it with pride. There's a famous proverb about pride.

18 Pride goes before destruction,

a haughty spirit before a fall.

Proverbs 16:18

Specializes in Med/Surg, Geriatrics.

Uh-oh, bible quotes! Thread closes in 5, 4, 3...........

Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.

i haven't said this yet but elements of this thread have reminded me of a conversation i overheard between my husband herb and the eight year old he volunteers with.

herb: "shall we review your vocabulary words for your test on monday?"

child: "why should we? i won't get my paper put on the board anyway." (pouting)

herb: "let's just try it because can learn them and we'll practice together. you can look at the

words and ask me to spell them."

child: "i think i'll drop out and join the circus somewhere..."

herb: "what would you do?"

child: "oh,... uh... i know! i could wash elephants. you know... like give 'em baths."

herb: "yes, but you have to be at least 10 and have gone to learn how to wash an elephant school."

child: "really?! ok, i'll just have to wait until i'm 10, i guess. let's do my spelling words."

sharpeimom:paw::paw:

Specializes in LTC.
If you feel that you need to have everyone know that you have BSN degree then maybe you should have it tatooed to your forehead.

I think we have our solution here!

Specializes in Med Surg/Tele/ER.
Well, I'm a lowly LPN, so I guess I'm not even qualified to be speakin' to the edjumakated folks....but....

I've only had one patient who didn't want me because I was an LPN; I cheerfully swapped him off for another patient, all while he yelled he wanted a "real nurse." He didn't seem to mind so much when I was doing chest compressions on him 2 hours later because the idiot BSN newhire gave him 10x the digoxin he was supposed to get.....them thar decimals can be tricky...

:bdyhdclp: :bdyhdclp: :lol2::lol2::lol2:

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