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?
"Funny, I am willing to bet many here would disagree with you. Many LPNs would argue that they are just as clinically strong as any RN and care for their patients just as much. "
Please, don't misconstrue in such an inflammatory way. What I said was:
"Absolutely - there is a distinction between RN and LPN licensing and clinical abilities. That is an important distinction to convey."
That is a reference to the simple fact of different scopes of practice under different nursing licenses. It has absolutely nothing to do with clinical skills or patient care.
If I saw a nurse with MBA on her tag, I'd snicker. Really. What does having an MBA have to do with his or her nursing skills? I feel the same way when I see realtor signs in front of houses for sale. "James Smith, BSN" or "Janice Jones, BA." What on earth do those degrees have to do with selling a house?
From reading this post I have noticed that for the most part those without further education, esp the LPNs do not like educational credentials to be placed upon name tags and those with the educational credentials are either indifferent or want them there.
I have absolutely no problem whatsoever with differentiation between RN and LPN. That SHOULD be differentiated.
I guess I'm just used to my hospital which does not differentiate between a diploma RN and a BScN. And I've never once heard an RN in real life stating that their name badge should say "BScN".
I am enrolled for upgrading to apply for the BScN degree program and when I finish, I will be very proud of my accomplishment and education. I will proudly display my degree on the wall at home. But I will be 100% fine with my name badge saying "registered nurse" and not "BScN".
If I saw a nurse with MBA on her tag, I'd snicker. Really. What does having an MBA have to do with his or her nursing skills? I feel the same way when I see realtor signs in front of houses for sale. "James Smith, BSN" or "Janice Jones, BA." What on earth do those degrees have to do with selling a house?
As it turns out, this particular LPN was working in a role which utilized both her clinical background and her business degree. There are many nursing positions like this. She once confided to me that she was as proud of her LPN as her MBA and she had no intention of dropping it. I say good for her. Snicker away.
I think the speed of this threads growth proves my point. Oddly the thread regarding nurses striking for better working conditions remained painfully thin. Sad.
If working my ass off for an extra 2 years, spending an extra $20K, and wanting my BSN on my nametag makes me one of the 'flaunters,' than so be it. It only gets me an extra $0.50 an hour, so putting it on my nametag is the least the health system could do
I'm also going to go on a limb and say that I honestly don't believe that any HR anywhere in the country #1. fields complaints and #2. actually has people complaining about the educational preparedness of their nurse. 99% of patients think the janitor is their nurse, and no one I know not in nursing even knows what the hell a BSN is. Pot stirrer, party of one!
Interesting to see the responses, which confirm my own suppositions on the matter.
Someone posted an NLNAC link to data regarding evidenced-based research, concluding that patient outcomes are in fact positively effected by Nurses with a BSN education.
My suspicion here is that the higher level of "education" itself as opposed to the subject matter, is key here. I would expect an accrediting body to be biased in that regard.
My own level of education is quite advanced outside of my accelerated ADN training. To pursue anything further in Nursing would simply not bring a return on investment, and serve no other purpose than to perhaps convince others that I am capable of doing, what I am already capable of doing.
One needs to also account for something called "opportunity cost", the cost of doing one thing vs another. In my case the cost for an M.S. in Anesthesia (CRNA) would be nice neat 500K. Taking into account of course, loss of income, tuition, and continuing expenses, (IE mortgages, insurance, groceries, etc).
It's been my experience that this seeking of advanced Nursing degrees, is primarily a scramble to get away from the bedside, precisely where the shortage will continue to be.
I would recommend exercising restraint in a quest for credential collecting. Take that Anthropology course you always wanted instead.
First let me assert that I am an ADN, and proud of it. I feel like I earned both my degree and my license, and continue to earn them every day I work.
I care very little about the display of credentials. My badge simply says RN. While I don't have my BSN, I do have my various ER certs, like TNCC. I have considered going back, but ultimately felt that, at least at this point in my career, a BSN wouldn't be as beneficial as other clinical certification. Like someone pointed out earlier, why spend 2 years and $20,000 to get 50 cents an hour? Maybe if I was attempting to become a charge, or break into management, but for now I'm content to be a floor nurse with an associate's.
Want to display your credentials? Go ahead. Want to put every last little title you've earned? That's okay too. Whatever is needed to make you feel good about you and your career. You will in no way offend me by listing them. I have never had a patient tell me that they preferred to have a BSN to my ADN, or for that matter, an RN when I was an LPN. I believe that we all have something to offer, and I respect those nurses that have gone on to get higher education.
What upsets me if when a nurse thinks that because she (or he...) has her BS, she is automatically better than me, simply because she went to a "real" university. There is one of the BSNs I work with that is infamous for this kind of attitude. As a student doing her ER rotation, she went to ask one of the nurses a question, only to look at her badge and say, "Oh, you're just an ADN...nevermind. I need to talk to a BSN about this." This same BSN, when she started working here, inserted an EJ IV with the canula tip pointing up, toward the head.
Of course, very few BSNs are like that. And being an ADN doesn't mean that someone can't be a jerk too. One of the RN students I went to school with threw a fit during a medical floor rotation, because the primary nurse she'd been placed with was an LPN.
I say all that to say this: put whatever you want on your badge. But do it because you're proud of what you've earned, proud of what you accomplished. Don't do it with the intent of rubbing your alphabet soup in someone else's face.
And one more thing: "Can a hospital legally take away your title of RN, BSN or RN MSN, etc.?" That is a strange way to phrase it. Maybe you didn't mean it in this way, but to me, it smacks of insecurity. They aren't "legally taking away your title." The only ones who can do that is the BON, and that's a different thread altogether. The hospital is simply not displaying your title on a piece of plastic they make you wear. You know who and what you are. But if you need a badge to prove it to yourself, you have a whole different set of problems.
Using that same logic then LPNs should not be differentiated from RNs correct? Just put "Nurse" on your name badge?
Why does it bother you?
So obtaining a higher level of education makes one superior to another? Or do you feel inferior because you have not obtained that level of education?
]Using that same logic then LPNs should not be differentiated from RNs correct? Just put "Nurse" on your name badge? LPN's should always be differentiated from RN's because there are things that LPN's cant do that RN's can, this is very important. so, i will let you argue with yourself on that one if you think otherwise. Let me ask you this, what can a BSN nurse do in the clinical area that an ADN or Diploma nurse cant do?.
Why does it bother you? I've not stated anywhere in my comments that i'm bothered by this...I lose no sleep over someone's title.
So obtaining a higher level of education makes one superior to another? I'm for any nurse advancing themselves, so i'm not against that at all. Noone is superior over another if they have a higher level of education. But i'm guessing you do otherwise you wouldn't have asked such a question. Do you think you're superior to Bill Gates because he has no degree in nursing? your arrogance is astounding. stop trying to belittle non BSN nurses. there is no difference which is why the pay is so small between ADN nurses and BSN nurses...which is why the majority of clinical institutions have RN or LPN on name badges not BSN... blah, blah. Or do you feel inferior because you have not obtained that level of education? I have no inferiority none what so ever. we are all nurses BSN, ADN, etc.
As it turns out, this particular LPN was working in a role which utilized both her clinical background and her business degree. There are many nursing positions like this. She once confided to me that she was as proud of her LPN as her MBA and she had no intention of dropping it. I say good for her. Snicker away.
Well, don't you think that was important information when telling us about her? This is a thread about nurses using their accreditations, but if it's a nurse working in a field that could require an MBA, that's a bit different, don't you think?
if I saw a nurse in a clinical situation, giving nursing care then yes, I would snicker. If it's appropriate to the job, ok. If it's not, leave it off.
roser13, ASN, RN
6,504 Posts
"Funny, I am willing to bet many here would disagree with you. Many LPNs would argue that they are just as clinically strong as any RN and care for their patients just as much. "
Please, don't misconstrue in such an inflammatory way. What I said was:
"Absolutely - there is a distinction between RN and LPN licensing and clinical abilities. That is an important distinction to convey."
That is a reference to the simple fact of different scopes of practice under different nursing licenses. It has absolutely nothing to do with clinical skills or patient care.