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Discussion

Name/Title on resume

I am wondering...

I am redoing my resume. At the top, do I list my name with the letters, RN next to it. I also have a BA and MSEd. Are those appropriate to list as well or am I just sounding pretentious? (Or maybe versatile? :p Or perhaps a little desperate????)

Also as far as name, is it OK to include my maiden name even though I don't regularly use it? I think I just like the way it sounds. Perhaps Facebook planted that seed in my head?

Thanks for any advice!

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    I have a BA but never list it next to my name on my resume. I don't think it's relevant because it's not in nursing. However, it is on my resume in the EDUCATION section. I don't list my maiden name either, because it's not on my license. I don't see the need for it. I think it makes sense to put your FIRST NAME LAST NAME ON LICENSE, RN, MSEd.

    I'm curious to see other people's opinion on this matter.

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    As a new grad nurse, after I passed the NCLEX, I did put my name and then RN, BSN after it right on the top of my resumé. With all the Magnet designation push for BSN degrees for hospital nurses, I felt like it could help me stand out a little bit.

    I do wonder if it helped, hurt or made no difference -- and I have since read that the correct order of listing your credentials is in the order you received them. That would mean I should be listing BSN, RN to be proper...

    Hopefully I do not have to worry about it for awhile now, since I start my new job this Monday, 9/23!

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    I've NEVER seen BSN, RN. It looks kind of weird. But I think the OP was asking about her BA and MSEd.....if they are appropriate to list since she doesn't have a BSN.

    OP, let us know what you decide!

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    • Expert
    I've NEVER seen BSN, RN. It looks kind of weird. But I think the OP was asking about her BA and MSEd.....if they are appropriate to list since she doesn't have a BSN.

    OP, let us know what you decide!

    I see "BSN, RN" far more often than 'RN, BSN." Go fig.

    List the name that is on your license. If you want, use your maiden name as your middle initial.

    As far as BA and MSEd...I don't know. Definitely put it under the education section though.

    I've seen people list "BS, RN" so to list your BA may be OK. Haven't yet seen a MSEd so I'm not sure about that one.

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    • Expert

    Is your BA in education? If so, the standard way to list your credentials would be:

    Jane Doe, MSEd, RN

    Your academic degrees (permanent credentials) come before temporary state licenses. You probably want to show people that you have more than the minimum amount of education on your resume. If you just write, "Jane Doe, RN" -- it doesn't distinguish you from other applicants who have an ADN only.

    If the BA is in education, you can omit that because you have a higher degree in the same field. However, if the BA is in nursing, you would want to include it so that the reader knows you have a Bachelors in nursing. Jane Doe, MSEd, BA (Nursing), RN

    For everyday use, you probably don't need to include all that information ... but for job hunting and other formal professional activities, it is the correct way to communicate desired information and therefore, not considered pretentious by people-in-the-know.

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    Is the MSed relevant to the position?

    I do see resumes for different disciplines, so your nursing education and licensure should definitely be up there on top. Maiden name? Probably not , unless you are professionally known by the other name

    The proper sequence, BTW, is: first name, last name, highest education title (if listed), BSN, RN

    the reason that academic degrees are listed closest to your name is that those are degrees you earned and can never be taken away. The RN is listed last because that is a legal title, granted by the state that must be maintained.

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    HouTx,

    Thanks for posting the ancc link. It's very helpful. I live in NY and all the RNs have the BSN

    AFTER the RN, in the hospital.....everywhere. I've learned something new today.

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    • Author

    Thanks everyone! I decided to go letterless!

    I have an MSEd, BA in Psych and RN, so no, they are not really relevant unless of course I was applying for some educational type position. Seems like everyone's signature in our field signs with all of their letters which is why I thought to ask.

    And my name shall remain, although being known with my maiden name on social media sites has me wishing I would have legally kept my maiden name as my middle! LOL

    Thanks for all of the advice. I am still working on the resume itself though...

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    • Expert

    And my name shall remain, although being known with my maiden name on social media sites has me wishing I would have legally kept my maiden name as my middle! LOL

    That's what I did, though it wasn't for the sake of social media--I got married long before Facebook existed :)

    Just make sure when you apply to jobs that the employer knows the exact name to look up your license by.

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