Student RN

rn/writer, RN · Oct 6, 2011

The way a student signs his or her name when charting may vary greatly from one state to another. I suppose you can, in theory, challenge the student, but without knowing what their state allows (or disallows) it's moot.

Personally, I would prefer to see SN or RN-Student so there's no room for ambiguity. With things like RN-C floating around, people who are not familiar with all of the abbreviations might assume RNS was just another variation on RN and even infer some advanced status. Clarity should prevail.

kids · Oct 6, 2011

In my nursing program, which is in the US, we were told that it was okay to sign our charting RNS standing for RN student. We are not passing ourselves off as having our RN, we are saying that we are students in an RN program. When we graduate we will have obtained a degree as a registered nurse. Forgive me if this is offensive to you, but I found this post to be very disrespectful and snobbish. This OP wrote that he/she was a student registered nurse, and I'm sure that this was just a slip. It isn't as if the OP is trying to pass him/herself off as an RN. I think the OP meant to write "I am an RN student." You are being very petty and picky in saying that someone can't call themselves an RN student or a student RN. As long as the person acknowledges that they are still a student in training to become an RN, what difference does it make? I've read more than one of your posts, and I find most of what you have to say to be very disrespectful and hateful. You have a tone that is very condescending and insulting. That's just my opinion. I feel that since you so freely gave yours, I can give mine.

Curious as to where "in the US" you're going to school as I've never heard of "a degree as a registered nurse".

In school you earn a degree in nursing but my understanding is that "registered nurse" is a regulatory title granted by individual States after taking the NCLEX.

rn/writer, RN · Oct 6, 2011

In school you earn a degree in nursing but my understanding is that "registered nurse" is a regulatory title granted by individual States after taking the NCLEX.

Yes. A Registered Nurse is someone who has passed NCLEX and obtained a license in their state. The list of nurses qualified to practice within a state used to be called a registry. The title, "registered nurse," refers to someone who is on that list, and the only way to accomplish that is to complete your education and pass NCLEX.

People have posted on AN that they put off taking NCLEX for years before finally taking the exam. Until they actually passed and were added to their state's registry, they were not RNs.

OCNRN63, RN · Oct 6, 2011

How so? We are given the option to either write RNS or RN student.

Because it looks like you're calling yourself an "RN."

OCNRN63, RN · Oct 6, 2011

The way a student signs his or her name when charting may vary greatly from one state to another. I suppose you can, in theory, challenge the student, but without knowing what their state allows (or disallows) it's moot.
Personally, I would prefer to see SN or RN-Student so there's no room for ambiguity. With things like RN-C floating around, people who are not familiar with all of the abbreviations might assume RNS was just another variation on RN and even infer some advanced status. Clarity should prevail.

Exactly. I was going to bring up "RN,C." Thanks for mentioning it.

xtxrn, ASN, RN · Oct 6, 2011

My class HAD to write "Jane Doe, NSI, SN"

Name, nursing school initials, Student Nurse....lots of different schools around, so we all had specific instructions/initials...NOTHING with an R in the student portion AT ALL.... :)