White Board Credentials

Nurses General Nursing

Published

All of our rooms have white dry erase boards where information pertaining to the patient's day is written. We have usually put RN: and the name, CNA: and the name on the bottom of said board. We have now been asked to include our credentials as well. So for those who have many, many certifications (ACLS, PALS, NALS, etc) is it appropriate to just put RN: Suzie,BSN, RN-C? Or just that just pertain to a specific certification?

I always thought that the "-C" was meant for someone who had specifically certified in a specialty. However, for those nurses who have 6-7 or more certifications, this would perhaps be more user friendly.

Thoughts?

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Specializes in ED/Trauma/Flight Nursing.

Where I currently work and have worked, we just write our first name after where it says "Nurse: " We don't write our resume on the white boards.

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I absolutely agree, and this is something our DON has asked us to do. Came from a patient "complaint" that people should put all their credentials on the board. And the DON feels as if we should be "proud" of our accomplishments, therefore, put them all down.

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Specializes in Pediatric Cardiology.

Yeah, that seems wordy. It's one thing to be proud but I doubt the patients even know what all those certifications are. Heck, there are some I wouldn't know and I am a nurse!

Our white boards have a lot of the stuff preprinted, including "nurse." Writing RN after my name would be redundant.

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Specializes in Cardiac, Neuroscience, LTC.

I agree, just the name should be sufficient. Why not just put credentials on nametags? That way you don't have to write it fifty bagillion times, lol....but I am curious as to what the answer to the question is. Would RNC apply to an RN with an ACLS certification? I never have been sure about this.

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Specializes in Emergency, CVICU.

I think they are talking about CEN, CCRN, CDN etc. - those specialty certs, not ACLS, PALS, TNCC, etc. Could be wrong.

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Just for ease of use, I would love to put just a "C" after my name (and I am NOT certified in CCRN or any of that)

And I do think the "C" does stand for the above certifications.

But ACLS, PALS, NALS, ect......I would love to group that under a heading LOLOLOL!!!!

The DON is clear that she wants us to do this, so for now we are....

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Specializes in Emergency, Case Management, Informatics.

I don't care if the DON told me to do it or not, I'm not writing my alphabet soup on every freakin' whiteboard.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele, Dialysis, Hospice.

They probably think that it looks better to the patients and their families. "My, look how educated our nurses are! They have a bunch of letters after their names! I don't really know what they all mean, they could mean "certified carpet installer" for all I know, but my, these nurses in this here hospital must be extra, extra smart!" ;)

It makes me wonder, because I work Med/Surg now but am a certified hospice and palliative nurse, if they would want someone to put that on the white board. I mean, it IS a certification and gives me a bunch of letters after my name, but how many Med/Surg patients would want to know that their nurse is certified in end of life care? :wideyed:

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Specializes in Pedi.

I believe "RN-C" is for an RN who is certified in a specialty like CEN, CNOR, CPN, OCN, etc. NOT for people who have certifications like ACLS or PALS because those are not nursing-specific certifications. EVERY nurse is certified in CPR... can we all call ourselves RN-C? Nope.

That said, there's no way in hades I'd be writing all this nonsense on a whiteboard. In my experience, whiteboards were updated with the nurse's NAME infrequently enough. And, as others have pointed out, the majority of patients won't even know what these certifications are...

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Specializes in ER, progressive care.

"RN-C" means you are specialized at the national level as a nurse in a medical specialty area. These exams are offered through the ANCC (American Nurse Credentialing Center) and a list is here. Typically the credential earned is "RN-BC" (registered nurse board certified) but I think "RN-C" and "RN-BC" can be used interchangeably.

"RN-C"/"RN-BC" does not apply to certifications offered through the AACN (PCCN, CCRN) and as KelRN stated, they also do NOT apply to BLS, ACLS, PALS.

I also do not write my alphabet soup on white boards. We have a section that says "Nurse: ______" and "Aide: ______" so we just write our names. I think most patients could care less about the BSN/MSN, CEN, CNOR, OCN, etc that is listed up there. As long as they know you're their nurse, I think that is all that matters. :twocents:

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

In lne of my old buildings...long term care....the families asked for a white board in every room so they would know who the nurse and aide was for their family.We put Susan RN or Judy LPN and Louis CNA.

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