Msn,rn,apn,acns-bc,cen,cpen

Nurses Professionalism

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Specializes in Emergency.

At this point I am sure you are wondering exactly what this thread is about. I don't usually initiate a thread, however, I am trying to read an article in ENA "Connection." It is nearly impossible to get through the text due to the infinite listing of every single qualification that the author(s) listed in the article happen to possess.

Are we really so insecure that we feel that it is necessary to list every $300 certification that we happily paid the certifying "authority" to assign us? Surely these accreditations could be listed at the end of the article. Agreed, any degree, be it a Bachelor's, Master's or Doctorate has merit. It requires a lot of hard work. These other certifications, however, are fairly easy to get. Study the question bank and sit the test.

Why is this trend currently perpetrated throughout the nursing profession? Do you find it tiresome?

RN, CNM, RGN, RMN, RNC, CLE.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

People are proud of the degrees and specialty certifications that constitute the 'alphabet soup' behind their names. I feel they should be able to show their pride.

On the other hand, nursing is one of the few professions with a culture that is permissive of including degrees in the alphabet soup at the undergraduate degree level. Virtually no schoolteachers sign their names with "Jane Doe, BA." Virtually no chemical engineers sign their names with "Don Juan, BS." Virtually no office managers sign their names with "Honey Dip, AAS."

The undergrad degree anxiety, I think, is perpetuated by nursing's status as an evolving profession.

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Specializes in Emergency.

My CEN cert wasn't "handed" to me simply because I paid some money. I had to pass a difficult test. I am proud of this certification and what is signifies.

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
These other certifications, however, are fairly easy to get. Study the question bank and sit the test.

Oh?? And you know this how?

Klone, IBCLC (

And CNM is a master's or doctorate level degree, requiring many years of HARD work. Not sure why you included that in your rant.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.
Oh?? And you know this how?

Klone, IBCLC (

And CNM is a master's or doctorate level degree, requiring many years of HARD work. Not sure why you included that in your rant.

Yeah my IBCLC was hardly a few hundred bucks and a simple test! It was countless hours of education and hands on experience. If I ignore what I had already obtained with my RN the IBCLC still cost me a couple thousand to obtain plus at least 1100 hours.

My CCIT was 4 classes that were all 3 credits at $800 a credit. I didn't take an overall exam but it was a lot of time and money. I did the CCIT while working on my NP. I don't always list CCIT but it wasn't a couple hundred bucks and a simple test.

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

OP- I actually know who you are referring to. In person. Leaving it at that

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Specializes in Emergency.

Please don't be personal, it is not a rant, merely an observation. Yes my CNM took many years of studying. The reason I included the "alphabet soup" as someone described it, was to illustrate irony. I don't feel that I have to list these accreditations every time I write my name in an article or sign a form.

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
Please don't be personal, it is not a rant, merely an observation. Yes my CNM took many years of studying. The reason I included the "alphabet soup" as someone described it, was to illustrate irony. I don't feel that I have to list these accreditations every time I write my name in an article or sign a form.

It would be appropriate to list them in the title of the article, and in the little bio thingie at the end of the article. Are you saying this person wrote all that repeatedly in the BODY of the article? Was s/he referring to him/herself in the 3rd person?

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Specializes in retired LTC.

There was another posting some time ago that commented about the use of signature 'credentials'. I posted then that there was one contributor to a magazine that listed 13 (yes, thirteen) degrees and certs behind her name.

I believe that nurse was very well educated and very experienced, and rightly so, but ...

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

I just read through that newsletter (I assume you're referring to the November 2014 issue) and couldn't find the article you were referring to. I saw several articles that mentioned specific people and those people's credentials were listed after their name.

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On the other hand, nursing is one of the few professions with a culture that is permissive of including degrees in the alphabet soup at the undergraduate degree level. Virtually no schoolteachers sign their names with "Jane Doe, BA." Virtually no chemical engineers sign their names with "Don Juan, BS." Virtually no office managers sign their names with "Honey Dip, AAS."

The undergrad degree anxiety, I think, is perpetuated by nursing's status as an evolving profession.

I think if the playing field were leveled to BSN* or nothing then that may help but all of the people that I've seen with alphabet soup have at least their MSN.

I have a BS in Education and taught kids and adults, In the US you can't teach in public schools/GED courses without at least a BS not always in education, though. Ex. A retired Biologist can go through a program and get emergency certified and teach Biology, Life Science and similar subjects. Most of them are in STEM subjects and more common in urban middle/high schools. Sorry, I digress.

So,when I first started teaching, my colleagues and I never worried about what degree we had maybe because it was the same. Now many of them have Masters and districts are pushing them to get it so now they may have issues like in Nursing as to who does and who doesn't have it.

Personally, I don't like to see alphabet soup as it can seem like they are trying too hard to keep up with each other and even doctors. Maybe at most 3. I'm good with: RN to let people know you're license is still active if it still is, then your highest Nursing degree: BSN or MSN or DNP then 1 pertinent certification: CNE, CNM, CCIT, IBCLC, etc. BUT if someone is working in L&D then their CNM and IBCLC, ok.

I am not good if a nurse uses another degree/certification if they aren't using it in their nursing career. Ex. BSN, JD and she/he works at the bedside and not using the law degree in nursing or MSN, MAC and she/he doesn't work in addiction nursing but in ortho. Even though I educate patients, I'm not going to use my BS on anything since it's irrelevant to being a bedside nurse on a Neuro unit.

I'm not at all disparaging the incredibly hard work or money people have put into degrees or certifications. I just think when things become memes on Pintrest, Facebook and Twitter, the person/profession perpetuating it need to reconsider.

*I have ASN.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I have the same question as the previous poster: Were the credentials listed in the text of the article? That is usually unnecessary and sometimes inappropriate. However, it is appropriate to list them all at the beginning (&/or end) with the author's name -- so that readers know the author's qualifications to write on the topic.

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