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

Nurses General Nursing

Published

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?

Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.

It is my opinion, based on my experience in nursing school and in the real world of nursing work, and from serving as a preceptor to nursing students and nurse residents, that nursing school's job is to teach you to pass the NCLEX and to be safe when caring for patients. It's goal is not to teach you to be a nurse, at least it seems that way to me after observing the amount of training hospitals must put into new grads. After years of serving as a preceptor to new grads from different schools I am convinced that where one when to school is pretty much irrelevent so long as they prepared you to pass the NCLEX and taught you ther very basics. What really matters is where you work the first 1-3 years as an RN.

As for what to put on your badge. Either your employer will tell you what can go on it, in that case no worries, or you will get to decide. In that case put whatever on it you like, so long as you have actualy earned it. I do suggest that you not do as I have seen nurses where I work do and put things like "BLS, ACLS, ATCN, TNCC" etc on your badge. Actual certifications like "CEN" or "CCRN" and actual earned degrees like "MSN" are fine and don't worry at all about what anyone else thinks.

nursing school's job is to teach you to pass the NCLEX and to be safe when caring for patients. It's goal is not to teach you to be a nurse

The most concise and accurate description I've ever seen.

Specializes in Nursing Education, CVICU, Float Pool.

On the comment about Physicians and them using "extra credentials". I've seen them use their long line of credentials in the practice newsletters and advertisements (as if the general public knows what half of them are, I don't think so) etc, but never, not once in a clinical setting unless it was listed as John Doe, MD, Chief of Medicine. Other than that U've never seen a doc in a hospital, med office, clinic etc... Use a long line of alphabet soup behind their names.

i think if you have earned degrees and/or certifications, and you wish to display them, you should be able to. if the string of abbreviations is too long for some, they also have the option to not read it all.

Ever notice that dieticians and some OT/PT people commonly sign their name with their MS? I never sign with anything other than RN, however I do have my degrees and certs listed on my badge.

gee and to think that where i work we're still trying to get them to quit listing our last names on our badges, much less that we're lpn, rn, cna whatever.

The hospital hasn't taken one single thing away from its nurses by requiring only RN after your name, and can "legally" require you to put "caretaker" after your name if they wanted to. The hospital is a business, and you work *for* them remember? Not visa versa.

The whole alphabet soup issue has totally gotten out of hand, and is (in my humble opinion) one of several things that waters down nurses as professional lot in the eyes of other professionals (and the general public) in and out of the medical community.

The layman doesn't give a rats hoo ha about you having a BSN, or MSN after your name, especially when it comes to correspondence. Most of the general public hasn't a clue what all that means.

Suzie Q, CRNA is sufficient... but no... we have to read "Suzie Q., RN (duh!), BSN, MSN, NP, CRNA." The only thing I want to see is a professional's *professional* designators (RN, NP, CRNA, etc..); BSN and MSN doesn't count.

Can you imagine the utterly ridiculous alphabet soup that we'd have to read if an airline pilot with a Masters Degree, happened to engage in the same nonsense?

Ridiculous: Suzie Q., SEL, MEL, FI, MEI, FII, MEII, FE, ATP, AS, BSB, MS

Sensible: Suzie Q., ATP (airline transport pilot)..unless specifically asked about all the other stuff, or situations like filling out a job application that asks for all your ratings, etc.

What about a teacher? Would you as an intelligent and reasonable adult expect a professor to have a name plate on the door that reads:

"Jill P. Jane, AA, BA, MA, PhD" ? Of course not... She'd be the laughing stock of the college, and most of us would think that such is ridiculous. We would expect simply "Jill P. Jane, PhD". Why? Because most of us don't give a care that she got her AA degree in English Lit, then went on to get her BA in 20th Century Fiction, and then her MA degree in "Literature after the Reconstruction", and then her PhD. (((whew))) PhD is more than enough thank you.

The only thing that needs to be on your name tag is "RN"... *Unless* you've attained another professional step(s) and for the love of sanity, please drop the RN when doing so.

Redundant: Suzie Q., RN, NP

Sensible: Suzie Q., NP

Sensible: Suzie Q., NP, CRNA

Kudos for all who've gone the extra mile with their education! Wouldn't want to take that away, nor minimize that- but in certain contexts it's just not reasonable to broadcast such. If you're not applying for a promotion, job, specific school, etc... then for goodness sakes, leave all the alphabets at home on your vitae where they belong ;)

Respectfully

Teila K. Day

Specializes in Med/Surg, Geriatrics.
On the comment about Physicians and them using "extra credentials". I've seen them use their long line of credentials in the practice newsletters and advertisements (as if the general public knows what half of them are, I don't think so) etc, but never, not once in a clinical setting unless it was listed as John Doe, MD, Chief of Medicine. Other than that U've never seen a doc in a hospital, med office, clinic etc... Use a long line of alphabet soup behind their names.

I most certainly have. I've seen it on their badges and stitched onto their coats. Yup, you bet.

Specializes in Community Health.

I'm an LPN. As in Lowest in the totem Pole Nurse (hey, I just made that up! :p) So for me right now, getting my associates is going to be a huge accomplishment.

My family thinks I'm a little nutty because they keep finding written on random papers...MattiesMama, BSN, RN, CCRN, MSN, APRN...etc. Any variation of initials after my name, that will signify a future accomplishment that I'm striving for now, and will be proud to have in front of my name in the future. It reminds me of being in jr. high, writing your name out with the last name of the guy you were crushing on. Kind of silly maybe, but I have a feeling I'm not the only one who does this.

I get that the "alphabet soup" thing can get a little out of control when it comes to documentation and what is needed for practice, but there's nothing wrong with being proud of your accomplishments. And in the words of Elenore Roosevelt-no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.

Kudos to nurses everywhere who achieve great things!

-Matties Mama, LPN (RN, BSN, MSN, APRN, NP, CNS, CRNA, CNM, PhD, DNP, LKDFJLKD *wine )

Specializes in Nursing Education, CVICU, Float Pool.
I'm an LPN. As in Lowest in the totem Pole Nurse (hey, I just made that up! :p) So for me right now, getting my associates is going to be a huge accomplishment.

My family thinks I'm a little nutty because they keep finding written on random papers...MattiesMama, BSN, RN, CCRN, MSN, APRN...etc. Any variation of initials after my name, that will signify a future accomplishment that I'm striving for now, and will be proud to have in front of my name in the future. It reminds me of being in jr. high, writing your name out with the last name of the guy you were crushing on. Kind of silly maybe, but I have a feeling I'm not the only one who does this.

I get that the "alphabet soup" thing can get a little out of control when it comes to documentation and what is needed for practice, but there's nothing wrong with being proud of your accomplishments. And in the words of Elenore Roosevelt-no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.

Kudos to nurses everywhere who achieve great things!

-Matties Mama, LPN (RN, BSN, MSN, APRN, NP, CNS, CRNA, CNM, PhD, DNP, LKDFJLKD *wine )

Now I must admit I do write my name and my desired credentials on the corner of a page and on random pieces of paper sometimes. (PatMac10, RN, MSN, NP.) Even when I'm doing this seeing all of those letters get on my nerves and I leave it at either NP, NP-C, or RN. I might fantasize about the credentials, but I still wouldn't put a long string of them unnecessarily. (Necessary, to me, is when your educational credential makes the difference in your job, such as being a DON or Unit Manager.)

Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.
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?

Taking away your title, is not the same, as not putting the title on your name badge. However, they have to be consistent.

We have MSN nurses working on my floor...NO ONE has their degree after their name.

No one.

As long as they are consistent, they can enforce it.

Specializes in Med Surg.

Alphabet soup can get totally out of hand. In my previous career I could have had the following on my business cards. e-mail headings etc. if my employer had allowed me to exercise my ego to this extent.

Belgarion - AS, BSME, MSMM, EIT, CMfgE, CQE, CSP

I could have also added: Certified ISO 9000/14000 Lead Auditor, Certified Time and Work Study Engineer, Certified Microsoft Office Professional, Six Sigma Certified. There are a couple of others but you get the point.

How many people would know or even care what all that actually meant? Besides, I would have ruptured a tendon just signing my name.

In reality, my card and e-mail heading read Belgarion - Senior Mfg. Engineer. I found this title to be more than adequate to keep my ego stroked and get respect from my peers.

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