Is putting 'BSN' on badge snobbish?

Nurses General Nursing

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What do you think about having 'BSN' put on your badge? My hospital never used to automatically put it on nurses' badges. Now, the new grads with BSNs have that automatically printed on. Other BSNs have decided to have this credential printed on their badges. It never made a difference to me but some people make a big deal about it. I'm trying to decide if I want to get my BSN credential printed on my badge. I heard one nurse say that it's snobbish. The nurse that said that was an LPN.

Just to play devil's advocate - what about the people who are 2nd degree RN's? Should they put their other degrees on as well?

At the hospital I worked at during nursing school, I saw several RNs with BS or BA on their badges. It does happen at some places. I don't think the hospital I'm going to be working at allows nurses to but degrees on their badges. If they did allow degrees to be put on it....I'd be all over that! I'm proud of having a BS and BSN, not snobbish at all :). If you look down on others who do not have a Bachelors degree then that is snobbish.

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I'm an LPN student and I don't think it's being snobby......I know snobby LPN's, teachers, Dr's, city workers....my point is that some people are snobby regardless of their job title.

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Specializes in ICU, ER, EP,.
Just like you do not like being made less by just having your ASN vs your BSN...we do not like our degree made less by ASN nurses telling us that we just went to school longer. We didn't just go to school longer...

Well said.

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Specializes in LTC.

I have a question. When I get my bsn should I sign my name bsn or rn?

Btw- I think the lpn was jealous. Unfortunately I don't know the protocol for adding degrees behind your name. I do agree with tait. I would love to see that study.

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Specializes in ICU, ER, EP,.

hey all, while i love the debate, can we all try to avoid the adn vrs bsn bit that has killed the dead horse, that poor horse has been beaten down and is 6 feet under. can we agree to talk about the merit or lack of merit of the degree on the badges and what that means to the public and the identification of our practice as various levels of nurses?

we all can agree that one nurse is no more important than the other... but what should we do with identification of credentials? confuses public, incites our peers? can there be a nationwide standard on how we identify ourselves as a cohesive nursing group? this is a great topic to consider...

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.
Just to play devil's advocate - what about the people who are 2nd degree RN's? Should they put their other degrees on as well?

When I earn my BSN, I will not include my BA. Why? Because when people ask me what it is in, I know they will give me a barely disguised, "*** does that have to do with nursing?" look. I know *I* would!

My BA is in English. Yeah, *****! :clown:

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.
we all can agree that one nurse is no more important than the other... but what should we do with identification of credentials? confuses public, incites our peers? can there be a nationwide standard on how we identify ourselves as a cohesive nursing group? this is a great topic to consider...

i do think it confuses the public. even now while in nursing school, i'm not sure of what a couple of the credentials mean. possibly only the cna, lpn, rn designations do not confuse people, but i truly believe the rest do. well, maybe not "confuse" people, but they are essentially meaningless to the average patient.

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Specializes in ICU.

Does a B.Sc. in Biology count?

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.
Does a B.Sc. in Biology count?

Yes, but it will take up a lot of room on your badge, which is the problem with putting undergrad degrees other than BSN on it.

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Specializes in ICU/CCU.

Right now I only have RN on my tag, although I have a BSN and a BA and recently passed the CCRN exam. But I have a PLAN. I am testing for the CMC soon, probably trying for a wound and ostomy care cert this year, going back to school for my MSN and then, I hope, my PhD. When I have achieved the PhD, I will put all of it on my nametag but it will start with GED!

I want it to read: NOCnewbie RN, GED, BA, BSN, MSN, PhD, CCRN-CMC, WOCN!!!

I can't wait to explain that GED to everyone!

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What's GED? Sorry if I'm a bit naive here. Anyway, I think if you keep adding credentials to your badge, you'd also accumulate a lot of ID badges as the old ones need to be replaced with the newly minted credential.

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I just wanted to add, that we have two, yes two PHD nurses on staff. I have known them for 14 years..... I am so proud of them and what they bring to our facility and advancement of patient care.

I could never, ever imagine saying... "remove that PHD from your badge, you're just being a snob".

What more can you say to that? How is that any different... really? That sappy saying... and I hate them... but "together, we make a difference". That's what it's all about..

Zookeeper..the difference is that PHD is a title and BSN and MSN both are not titles they are degrees, therefore should not go behind your name. I have a MBA and a PHR and used PHR behind my name, but not MBA because it is not a title.

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