How To List My Credentials In Correct Order

[lam1997, BSN, RN]

I am a new graduate nurse and I am not sure how to list my credentials in proper order. I first earned my Bachelor of Science in Health Education in 2019. Then, I earned my Master of Science in Health Education in 2020. After I finished my Master's, I went to nursing school and got my BSN and passed NCLEX-RN in 2022. I'm wondering if the proper way to list my credentials is the following:

Lauren, BSN, MS, RN

I'm wondering for my email signature as well as for my unit ordering jackets LOL! Thank you in advance!  

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Here's what the ANA has to say:

Quote

A nurse who has a master’s in a non- nursing field might choose Anne Peterson, MEd, BSN, RN

 

[gere7404, BSN, RN]

it goes highest level of education first, so like Rose Queen said, the MS would go before the BSN. Then you put the highest level of nursing licensure (RN, LPN, etc), then any certifications you hold (CCRN, CEN, RN-BC, whatever)

so yours would be Lauren, MS, BSN, RN 

However at my work for some reason they put the RN before the BSN on our badge, so my badge says RN, BSN, CEN.... weird not sure why they do that

[Queen Tiye, RN]

Congratulations on your achievements!  I used to wonder why some list both "BSN" and "RN" in their credentials --- it's a bit redundant since it is generally understood that a BSN is an RN.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

13 minutes ago, Queen Tiye said:

it's a bit redundant since it is generally understood that a BSN is an RN.

But this can be a false equivalency. Once earned, a degree is hard to lose. However, it is the license that makes one an RN, and BSN does not equal RN in the case of those who have not passed NCLEX, have had a license revoked or surrendered, allowed their license to expire/placed it in inactive status. So really, it's not redundancy.

[UrbanHealthRN, BSN, RN]

List your highest degree first, regardless of whether or not it applies to your nursing work. My credentials are listed as MPH, BSN, RN.

[Robmoo, ADN, BSN, RN]

List your credentials from least to most important.  For example: BSN, RN, CVRN-BC.  Degree great, license to practice greater, specialty certification greatest.  A non-nursing degree should be listed before your RN.  For example if I had an MBA it would be BSN, MBA, RN, CVRN-BC.  I generally don't bother to list my Associates in Art and Science or my ADN.  Too many titles just starts to look like alphabet soup to me.  Opinions may vary.  What if you have multiple professional certifications?  Alphabetical order?

This was what I was told by the American Board of Cardiovascular Medicine.

[Robmoo, ADN, BSN, RN]

6 minutes ago, Robmoo said:

List your credentials from least to most important.  For example: BSN, RN, CVRN-BC.  Degree great, license to practice greater, specialty certification greatest.  A non-nursing degree should be listed before your RN.  For example if I had an MBA it would be BSN, MBA, RN, CVRN-BC.  I generally don't bother to list my Associates in Art and Science or my ADN.  Too many titles just starts to look like alphabet soup to me.  Opinions may vary.  What if you have multiple professional certifications?  Alphabetical order?

This was what I was told by the American Board of Cardiovascular Medicine.

NM, Just follow the ANA recommendations.

[gere7404, BSN, RN]

I mean, is specialty certification really the most important? Plenty of great cvicu nurses without CVRN credentials….

on a side note, I got my tcrn cert added to my badge today and they put my credentials in right order instead of RN, BSN like they had been doing 

[DavidFR, BSN, MSN, RN]

On 7/6/2022 at 2:15 PM, gere7404 said:

However at my work for some reason they put the RN before the BSN on our badge, so my badge says RN, BSN, CEN.... weird not sure why they do that

I think hospitals do this so that it's first and foremost clear to the public that you're a qualified nurse. I'm assuming most lay people in the US know what RN means, just as the public here in France know that IDE (Infirmier Diplômé d'Etat) means you're a trained nurse. They may not know what the other things even mean, and provided they know you're a trained nurse, I'm sure most people don't actually care.

I don't get uptight about the order of my qualifications. It doesn't even go on our badges here. I'm just "Infirmier" (= "Nurse") and that's good enough for me.