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

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · Sep 16, 2019

From what I can tell it is the norm for many/most hospitals to have staff wear plastic IDs that are larger than their name badge, that say "
RN" or "LPN". I would rather it say just "NURSE" since that's all people are really trying to determine by staring at someone's chest anyway.

I disagree. I'm often asked by patients if I am a registered nurse or an LVN. Some most definitely seem to care.

Waiting for Retirement · Sep 16, 2019

1 hour ago, Horseshoe said:
I disagree. I'm often asked by patients if I am a registered nurse or an LVN. Some most definitely seem to care.

That's interesting and honestly refreshing. I haven't had that experience. For the most part I have found patients just wanting "a nurse" or "my nurse". It's good to know that some not only know there is a variety of types of nurses but what that difference might be, assuming they are asking for a reason.

Asystole RN · Sep 16, 2019

On 9/14/2019 at 4:28 PM, klone said:
Why someone would go through and complete a BSN program, and not sit for the NCLEX.

Beyond not being able to pass there are those who no longer work clinically and for whatever reason wanted to retire their license but still wish to acknowledge their history. Not uncommon in some administration or in industry like pharma or medical device.

I've also know a couple MDs that were once nurses and display their BSN as a sort of unity thing with the floor nurses.

klone, MSN, RN · Sep 16, 2019

48 minutes ago, Asystole RN said:
Beyond not being able to pass there are those who no longer work clinically and for whatever reason wanted to retire their license but still wish to acknowledge their history. Not uncommon in some administration or in industry like pharma or medical device.
I've also know a couple MDs that were once nurses and display their BSN as a sort of unity thing with the floor nurses.

Okay, but none of those are the circumstances of the poster in question. My “Why would someone do their BSN and not subsequently take the NCLEX” was more of a rhetorical question.

Guest957596 · Sep 16, 2019

2 hours ago, Waiting for Retirement said:
That's interesting and honestly refreshing. I haven't had that experience. For the most part I have found patients just wanting "a nurse" or "my nurse". It's good to know that some not only know there is a variety of types of nurses but what that difference might be, assuming they are asking for a reason.

Our hospital did away with LPNs. In the past I've had to do some things for a patient that the LPN couldn't do and explain to the patient why I was there. Not to mention having to do the LPN's admissions, plans-of-care, etc.

subee, MSN, CRNA · Sep 16, 2019

It seems kind of meaningless to me to use all the initials...the patients don't know what they mean , so we are doing it for each other? Do MD's wear badges identifying their board certs? And I see folks here use every set of initials they ever earned. It's a nursing forum and I don't really care what you did before you became RN.

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · Sep 16, 2019

Quote
It seems kind of meaningless to me to use all the initials...the patients don't know what they mean , so we are doing it for each other? Do MD's wear badges identifying their board certs? And I see folks here use every set of initials they ever earned. It's a nursing forum and I don't really care what you did before you became RN.

I have often seen Docs wearing white coats with John Smith, M.D., P.A., FACP on them. Sometime "Cardiology" or their specialty on the second line. I always wondered why they bothered with the P.A. since the M.D. was the title with the most extensive scope.

ETA: I work in a private surgery center, so I no longer work at a hospital, so this could have changed.

Serhilda, ADN, RN · Sep 17, 2019

I couldn't care less about displaying credentials. All patients see is an alphabet soup, and coworkers won't care. Achieve what you will for yourself, but there's no point in being a show off.

mene19 · Sep 19, 2019

What I object to is this:

An NP/PHD works in our ER. His Badge gives his name as Dr. "John Doe". He introduces himself as "Dr. John Doe". The patients think he is a Physician and he does nothing to dispel that falsehood. If he wanted to be known as a physician, he should have gone to medical school,, not NP school. It's not the same game and Its not even the same sport. I'm not saying he is not highly educated; I'm saying he is not educated as an M.D. or D.O.. He is educated as a Nurse Practitioner and he should claim it proudly or go to medical school.

Nurse.Kelsey, BSN, RN · Sep 19, 2019

14 minutes ago, mene19 said:
What I object to is this:
An NP/PHD works in our ER. His Badge gives his name as Dr. "John Doe". He introduces himself as "Dr. John Doe". The patients think he is a Physician and he does nothing to dispel that falsehood. If he wanted to be known as a physician, he should have gone to medical school,, not NP school. It's not the same game and Its not even the same sport. I'm not saying he is not highly educated; I'm saying he is not educated as an M.D. or D.O.. He is educated as a Nurse Practitioner and he should claim it proudly or go to medical school.

lol dang you are salty.

choksantos, BSN, RN · Sep 19, 2019

25 minutes ago, mene19 said:
What I object to is this:
An NP/PHD works in our ER. His Badge gives his name as Dr. "John Doe". He introduces himself as "Dr. John Doe". The patients think he is a Physician and he does nothing to dispel that falsehood. If he wanted to be known as a physician, he should have gone to medical school,, not NP school. It's not the same game and Its not even the same sport. I'm not saying he is not highly educated; I'm saying he is not educated as an M.D. or D.O.. He is educated as a Nurse Practitioner and he should claim it proudly or go to medical school.

Yeah the original topic is about displaying credentials like CCRN,PCCN, CSC etc. on badges as a nurse.

The Ph.D. has earned him the right to be called Doctor, he is a doctor of philosophy, after all, doctorates are not limited to MD or DO. Although in this case, it's a gray area where the circumstance and location are factors where one might easily think of him as an MD or DO. Although is he functioning within a scope of being an NP?

Editorial Team / Moderator · Sep 19, 2019

Badges shouldn't say "Dr." especially when it's an academic degree like PhD. Every physician I have ever worked with has "MD" or "DO" after their name. I don't think that is a gray area at all because it is in a clinical setting and is potentially misleading.