Sign announcing you're an RN on your car?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

This morning on the way home from work I saw something that made me go "Why Tan Fox?" and laugh rather hard. Granted, it was probably the post-night shift delirium that made me totally lose it laughing, but I still think it was odd. The car in front of me had a well-made sign in the rear window that said "XY BSN RN" where x y = presumably the driver's initials. I was befuddled as to why someone would do that. Some of my friends have various humorous nursing-related bumper stickers, but nothing as seemingly umm boastful as that. Now I must confess I couldn't see the rest of the car. It could've had company logos on the side or whatever, but my perception was that this was a personal car.

I could see the point of advertising for your services or agency, but that would require that you provide some sort of contact information (website, phone number, etc.). The only other explanation that I could come up with is that this nurse does hospice/home health and is trying to get people to not mess with the car. Still, do people who would mess with the car know that a BSN is a degree for nurses? If I were to do that I'd have a temporary sign (like the pizza places) that said something like "Home health nurse" as appropriate for the nature of my work.

What are your thoughts on the matter? Would you put a similar sign on your car?

P.S. If it's your car I have nothing against you and am just confused as to what the purpose is. And thank you for driving well and fast. :D

Specializes in LTC, peds, rehab, psych.

My first thought is that maybe the person had recently passed their NCLEX and an overzealous friend or family member made the sign for them as an "attaboy/girl!" sorta thing. Like someone who had struggled for a long time through school, or something. Some parents can be like super proud. Could even be an inside joke somehow. Hmmm, odd though.

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Specializes in Trauma ICU, Peds ICU.
I would interpret that sign plate as "male, BSN, RN"

How do you figure? Not trying to spark a debate, I just don't get it.

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Specializes in PACU.
How do you figure? Not trying to spark a debate, I just don't get it.

That poster thought that the sign actually said XY, which could be an abbreviation for one X chromosome and one Y chromosome (i.e. a male). Of course I didn't think of that either when I assigned the variables X and Y to the original post to allow the person with the sign even greater anonymity. There were two other letters which could easily be the initial for numerous common names.

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Specializes in ICU, ER, EP,.

To the OP, nope, never ever ever. We just had some crazy family out in the hospital parking lot vandalizing employee cars because they were upset with the hospital (reason one). I'll decide on my own safety terms when and if I'll get involved in an out of facility incident (reason two). Idiot criminals think nurses make tons of money and I don't want my car broken into (#3) Drug addicts may put me in a very dangerous position to shoot them, thinking I may be carrying narcotics (#4)

And finally, when I clock out, I am not a nurse- I'm me, simply me

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Specializes in CVICU, ER.

Had this same debate at work a few weeks ago. Someone said (have no idea if it's true) that if you have something labeling you as a nurse, and you were to witness say, a car wreck, and didn't have time to stop, or were on your way to work, that you could actually get some heat for not stopping b/c we have an ethical duty to help. Like I said, don't know if it's true or not, but I would never have anything like that put on my car. Ppl misconstrue and think you have lots of $$$ and might break in. I am wondering this though, if you are an ER nurse, can you get an Emergency license plate on the personal vehicle or is it just for first responders, EMS, and firefighters?

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Specializes in CVICU, ER.

LOL, I see I just repeated zookeeper. Sry, I posted reply frm the first page. But looks like we are thinking alike :idea:

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Ha! that's funny. I like the idea of vanity plates, but a homemade sign? That's a bit ridiculous. I know all the hard work it took to get to that point but that's a little much.

Maybe the homemade sign is just a stopgap measure until the nurse can get to the tattoo parlor. :lol2:

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Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.

First, many cops today will not opt out of the traffic ticket because you are a nurse...revenue is one of their important jobs in some areas. Second, as many have noted, some people may equate the fact that you are a nurse with drugs or other pawnable equipment and you car begins to look like a grab bag for them. Third, some patients want to be more discreet than having it advertised that a nurse is coming to your home for a visit...I worked for a CHC that had red cars with "nurse" in big letters on the side, not very discreet.

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Third, some patients want to be more discreet than having it advertised that a nurse is coming to your home for a visit...

Very good point as well.

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It was prob a gift from someone they feel obligated to pretend to like. lol.

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I like to keep my car inconspicuous too.

I don't mind what other people do with their cars.

I like to see a little variety, creativity and even the occasional bad taste. I makes life more colorful.

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Specializes in NICU.

If you have vanity plates that indicate you're a nurse, I don't see why you'd be worried about someone chasing you down in Target to I.D. their rash, ailment, or whatever it is they're suffering from at the moment. I highly doubt that would happen and even if it did, you're not obligated to identify yourself as a nurse. You could always say "I'm sorry but thats not my car. It's my sister/mother/best friend's car." They'd never know.

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