hyphenated last names?

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Hi, I have a question. This may seem silly, but here goes. I've noticed at my nursing school, we seem to have an abundance of instructors with hyphenated last names. Four out of the five instructors listed on one of my papers had hyphenated last names. Someone told me that if you are single when you get your nursing license, that your maiden name always has to appear (since that was the only name listed on the license), hence the hyphenated last names. Is this true? Or am I just really gullible. My boyfriend thinks I just have a lot of really independent women for nursing instructors. If anyone can please help me out, I would appreciate it. This is really driving me nuts!!

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Studies have shown that many more educated women have hyphenated last names than the general population and I think the occurance increases with level of education, so more PhD's would be hyphenated than GED's.

I assume all your instructors are Masters educated at the least?

Interesting factiod I read somewhere.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

When you receive your graduate degree and higher, especially if you attained it while single, then adding the hyphenated married name keeps everything else straight. Personally, I used to hyphenate my name when I was active duty military simply because it made things easier and quicker in the military. However, I had a very long maiden name which when combined with my married name (another long name) it was two lines. Also - I have a very very unusual and difficult to pronounce name so it is easier for me just to use my married name. My take on it.

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.
Someone told me that if you are single when you get your nursing license, that your maiden name always has to appear (since that was the only name listed on the license), hence the hyphenated last names. Is this true? Or am I just really gullible.

No, your maiden name does not have to remain on your license unless you choose to have it that way. Upon marriage (or divorce), you can submit legal proof of your name change to the BON if you wish to change it on your license.

If your former name were legally required to remain on your license, I know some nurses who whould have 4 or 5 last names!

Jane Smith-Jones-Smith-Doe-Smith-Peterson!;)

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Thank you for the replies! It makes a lot more sense to me now...:)

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Oops, forgot this. Yes, all of my teachers do have their master's degree.

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