How do you feel on displaying your certification credentials on your badge?

Nurses General Nursing

Updated:   Published

Nurses, How do you feel on displaying certification credentials on your badge or nurses who displays them on their id/work badge? I am proud of them because they were a lot of hard work and time but I also do not want to seem like a show-off.

Specializes in Critical Care.

The purpose of the title on the badge is to communicate to patients, families, etc who you are.

To me, the desire to include an alphabet soup after your role title of RN only conveys to patients and families that you feel inadequate as an "RN" and feel the need to supplement that with nonsensical combinations of letters to distract from "RN". At every place I've worked, the Physicians have had no problem with just MD or DO, despite typically having numerous other certifications and designations.

Personally, I'm proud of the "RN" designation, if you feel the need to obfuscate that you're an RN then you chose the wrong profession.

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Specializes in Cardiac TCU /tele/SDU.
37 minutes ago, herring_RN said:

After many years as an LVN, I took the CCRN exam as soon as I had the required hours of experience about two years later. Most of our nurses were also certified. Our badges included "CCRN". I earned my BSN eight years later and that was on my next badge.

I don't have "CCRN" on my allnurses info because I was certified from 1988 to 2003.

For couple years I was "rare Per Diem" at a different hospital many nurses were also certified. Both hospitals had a plaque like on your link. Our names were on the plaque like in the photo.

People who already knew or had asked felt confident knowing their nurse had the knowledge and experience required for certification.

Some truly excellent critical care nurses were not certified.

That is true. I think that having a certification does not make you a great nurse. It just means you made an effort to prepare for a certification and passed the exam.

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Specializes in Cardiac TCU /tele/SDU.
30 minutes ago, MunoRN said:

The purpose of the title on the badge is to communicate to patients, families, etc who you are.

To me, the desire to include an alphabet soup after your role title of RN only conveys to patients and families that you feel inadequate as an "RN" and feel the need to supplement that with nonsensical combinations of letters to distract from "RN". At every place I've worked, the Physicians have had no problem with just MD or DO, despite typically having numerous other certifications and designations.

Personally, I'm proud of the "RN" designation, if you feel the need to obfuscate that you're an RN then you chose the wrong profession.

Seems like you tend to judge people rather quickly and harshly. And that you think too highly of yourself to pass judgement on other people. Yikes.

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Specializes in NICU/Mother-Baby/Peds/Mgmt.
48 minutes ago, MunoRN said:

The purpose of the title on the badge is to communicate to patients, families, etc who you are.

To me, the desire to include an alphabet soup after your role title of RN only conveys to patients and families that you feel inadequate as an "RN" and feel the need to supplement that with nonsensical combinations of letters to distract from "RN". At every place I've worked, the Physicians have had no problem with just MD or DO, despite typically having numerous other certifications and designations.

Personally, I'm proud of the "RN" designation, if you feel the need to obfuscate that you're an RN then you chose the wrong profession.

What are your certifications?

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
1 hour ago, MunoRN said:

The purpose of the title on the badge is to communicate to patients, families, etc who you are.

To me, the desire to include an alphabet soup after your role title of RN only conveys to patients and families that you feel inadequate as an "RN" and feel the need to supplement that with nonsensical combinations of letters to distract from "RN". At every place I've worked, the Physicians have had no problem with just MD or DO, despite typically having numerous other certifications and designations.

Personally, I'm proud of the "RN" designation, if you feel the need to obfuscate that you're an RN then you chose the wrong profession.

I had a big post, but then just decided that "I totally disagree" will suffice.

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Specializes in Transitional Nursing.

I think its a reasonable request without having it look like alphabet soup. For example "RN, BSN" is one thing but AS, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN is quite another.

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Specializes in Cardiac TCU /tele/SDU.
3 hours ago, Glycerine82 said:

I think its a reasonable request without having it look like alphabet soup. For example "RN, BSN" is one thing but AS, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN is quite another.

Yeah, with degrees it should be highest education only like MSN then RN, no need to put bsn, asn as it is already presumed or implied. But my question is regarding certifications/credentials like CCRN, CMC and the like.

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Specializes in school nurse.

Seems to me that the chief purpose of the ID is so patients (et al.) know who and "what" you are. The more extra letters on the small card, the harder it is for people (particularly lay people) to focus on what they need to know from it.

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Specializes in anesthesiology.

As long as it doesn't look like alphabet soup. Maybe ONE certification after you HIGHEST degree earned. ex: BSN, CCRN. Not BSN, ADN, RN-BC CCRN-CMC, ACLS, ABCDEFGH, BBQ

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

Come on, peeps... We should all know that ACLS and PALS and BLS and TNCC and two-day courses don't earn a spot with your professional credentials.

Personally, I like just MSN, RN on my badge. No, I wouldn't include my ASN or BSN, though I have those. I have ED certs (CEN, CPEN, and TCRN), and for those I might wear a pin. I also have my certified nurse educator (CNE), but that is more of an academic credential so that one isn't as relevant at my full-time job. (Definitely at my part-time teaching job, though.)

When I had been an ED RN (new nurse) for 10 months, I attempted and passed the CEN. I had that added to my badge, and my accomplishment inspired several of my ED's experienced but un-certified RNs to do the same. Our environment (plus clinical ladder) fostered this kind of behavior and pride. OP, if you are the first, be proud and inspire your peeps!

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The less, the better. I like NP. Perfect.

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1 hour ago, Pixie.RN said:

Come on, peeps... We should all know that ACLS and PALS and BLS and TNCC and two-day courses don't earn a spot with your professional credentials.

We should but not all do. I've seen it. Made me ? and lose respect for the person immediately when I finally stopped laughing. Not in front of them of course.

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