"You cannot have BSN or MSN on your nametag?"

Nurses General Nursing

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Hello,

My supervisor told me tonight that HR was getting complaints from patients stating, "The BSN nurse gave better care than the non-BSN nurse." End result, only RN will go on namebadge.

I do not want to debate whether BSN nurses are better or worse. What I would like feedback on is:

1.) Can a hospital legally take away your title of RN, BSN or RN MSN, etc.?

2.) I personally feel that is a "slap" in the face and demoralizes nursing and education! Am I the only one who feels like this?

I 100% agree that only licenses and certifications should be listed on name badges.

One question I have that is somewhat related to this thread: At least one hospital in my area is being directed to only hire BSNs at this time. (My feelings about the ridiculousness of that are not the point). Given that, I'm thinking I will put Ima Nurse, BSN, RN on the top of my resume, just to make sure I'm considered (even though the bachelor's will be listed under the education section too). Any opinions either way on that?

Specializes in Emergency Room, Specialty Infusions.

In my hospital I don't think it matters WHAT I have on my scrubs. Patients don't care if I can make life saving decisions/assessments, or mix up comlicated drips (no pharmacy after 4 pm)....they just care who can bring them a blanket, a drink, food, pillow, put them on the bedside commode, chat and smile.

All that is more important to them than what I learned in school, ACLS, TNCC, or ENPC or with my CEN.

The patient doesn't care.

I don't either.

BSN is not appropriate for a name tag, but is ok for a signature if you want. For many things I just use RN, for others RN, BSN, MBA. Sometimes you need to show your educational background, sometimes just your professional qualification. I don't think BSN does anything for a name tag except make you look full of yourself. For most nursing related activities I sign only RN, for letters or academic things I use my full title. I also have a certification which I use when working in that nursing area, but for nothing else. I only include the BSN and MBA because they are degrees in different fields.

I know we all are proud that we worked so hard to get what we have, and we sometimes want people to know it. You can get a small pin or like a previous poster said embroidered scrubs. You can wear your nursing school pin too. I wore my two nursing pins chained together by a small chain when I worked in a clinical area. My BSN program gave us a special smaller pin to show that it was a second degree and it came with a tiny chain to hook the two together.

The hospital probably does it to limit confusion within the general public :confused:. It may be for the same reason that many PharmDs, DPTs, PhDs, etc. do not address themselves as "Dr. So And So" to patients. Just a thought...

Specializes in LTC, Medical, Rehab, Psych.

This is weird. You're an RN, so "RN" should be your title. When I worked as nutritionist, we didn't put our degree after our names, though certifications were another story.

"My supervisor told me tonight that HR was getting complaints"

What on earth is HR doing fielding patient complaints?

In my company (home health care), HR wrote up a complaint about my performance from a client's caregiver. The complaint was that I instructed the client to use insulin as directed, not according to what the caregiver thought was the proper dose based on what the client had eaten that day. I also instructed the client to use O2 continuously as directed, not at night only as client had been doing. The caregiver complained about these two items as well as my intrusiveness and I was "written up" along with a remedy of taking, at my own expense, a communication course. After much angst and a long response from me explaining all the circumstances surrounding this complaint, the reprimand was shredded.

Specializes in med-surg, med-psych, psych.

:pntrghi:the "legal" response

i just had to consult an employment law attorney out of curiosity:

it is what an employer documents in their "uniform dress code, policy/procedure, or memorandum for all nurses across the board" that is "their" legal prerogative. the clinical credentials ( how your state board of nurses list you...rn, lvp lpn, apn, etc ) is required "by law" to make public to the public only on permanent records as an employee of the facility or agency. technically, the employer could have only "nurse" on their name badge if it is in their "dress code" (i.e., across the board for all licensed nurses). the name badge belongs to the employer not us (which is why we have to turn it in at termination time). that you are certified or not, have a bsn, aa, msn, even phd can be restricted by your employer to place on your name badge and in the employer's designated clinical documentation.

further emphasis, the legal issue is that the employer is obligated by what is in their handbook and their documentation policy/procedure, and written memorandum to all nurses if having recourse is your other issue. if the specifics are not noted, in their handbook or p/p manual, etc., they definitely can do what they want, including changing anytime whether it is their hr department, nursing department or ceo, etc.

but :twocents:your options are plentiful to get hr or the employer's governing body to change back:

  • get the nursing department (don) to back you on petitioning the ceo on the desire of the majority of the nurses via a nurses vote (very powerful!),
  • start a campaign "an rn can be more than!" (or something...) with your points /reasoning to change back maybe as an incentive to get nurses to return to college,
  • use the unit practice council, if you have a self-governing model, to vote it back,
  • request to do a patient survey - maybe the majority of patients agree with you and only a few borderline personality or disgruntled patients made the *#%~! complaints (a great unit project!),
  • post it as a survey in this newsletter and use the results as evidence-based reasoning to change back for hospital nursing excellence!,
  • solicit your state board and the ana to make a statement on their preference / opinion and why, then present that to your hr as the rationale to change back,
  • does your hospital have plans for magnet status? all magnet hospital nurses get to advertise bsn, msn, and "ancc" certifications on their name badge as an individual employee option,

  • do all of the above

or

  • resign and go work somewhere that allows what you want on your name badge.

Well doctor have DO and MD. That indicates their amount of education and what type.

Specializes in Tele.
Hello,

My supervisor told me tonight that HR was getting complaints from patients stating, "The BSN nurse gave better care than the non-BSN nurse." End result, only RN will go on namebadge.

I do not want to debate whether BSN nurses are better or worse. What I would like feedback on is:

1.) Can a hospital legally take away your title of RN, BSN or RN MSN, etc.?

2.) I personally feel that is a "slap" in the face and demoralizes nursing and education! Am I the only one who feels like this?

At my hospital only RN goes on your badge.

I wouldn't mind of nurses with BSN's had BSN on their badge.

the new ID badges will be distributed soon and the level on the badge is going on there.

and the levels only mean that if you are part of commetee's & extra activities, so level 1 is basic without extra "activities"

and it goes up until level 4

I think that it is worse putting the levels because eventhough I have 5 years experience, I did not do anything extra, so I am still a level one. and the brand new nurses who have been there only one or 2 years are already at level 2 or 3......

In my company (home health care), HR wrote up a complaint about my performance from a client's caregiver. The complaint was that I instructed the client to use insulin as directed, not according to what the caregiver thought was the proper dose based on what the client had eaten that day. I also instructed the client to use O2 continuously as directed, not at night only as client had been doing. The caregiver complained about these two items as well as my intrusiveness and I was "written up" along with a remedy of taking, at my own expense, a communication course. After much angst and a long response from me explaining all the circumstances surrounding this complaint, the reprimand was shredded.

Had to smile when I heard this! I once told a diabetic with a bandaged foot ulcer that she needed to cover the bandage with a clean white sock every day to keep it clean even if she chose not to wear shoes- her bandage was black on the bottom when I changed it from wearing it around in the dirty house. Well, you would have thought I was the worst nurse in the world. She called and requested I NEVER come back. Out of 22 years she was the only patient that called to complain about me (as far as I know). But I was very careful how I said things after that. "The doctor recommends, it would help prevent infection", etc., not "This is wrong". Sometimes you just can't win. I learned to never point out that a patient is wrong or doing something wrong. Just try to get them to see what is ordered and how it will help.

Hello,

My supervisor told me tonight that HR was getting complaints from patients stating, "The BSN nurse gave better care than the non-BSN nurse." End result, only RN will go on namebadge.

I do not want to debate whether BSN nurses are better or worse. What I would like feedback on is:

1.) Can a hospital legally take away your title of RN, BSN or RN MSN, etc.?

2.) I personally feel that is a "slap" in the face and demoralizes nursing and education! Am I the only one who feels like this?

Perhaps the solution is to seek professional help to help you over come the intense feeling of low self esteem you are exhibiting.

Hi...

I work in HR and we don't get involved in things like name tag issues, often. However, we do enforce the dress code which indicates you may have your name, professional title and one other degree recognition. This isn't to differentiate educational levels...it has more to do with what FITS on the badge. I'm also a nurse and I can't ever remember a patient paying that much attention to my degrees. They paid attention to my name and maybe my title. They'll remember you much more for your attitude and care.

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