Title of "BSN" on badge?

Tweety, BSN, RN · Mar 25, 2006

The titles are printed there to rub in other nurses faces. .......... Credentials proves nothing at all. I know a lot of nurses with a lot of letters behind their names that does not function well at all, and LPN's who know more than and function better than they do. Personally I would not display anything more than the RN even if I had a PHD.

I disagree with a couple of points.

First, I do agree that there are people with "lesser" credentials that can put those with higher degrees to shame and are the best nurses you'll ever see.

I disagree that the titles are printed there to rub in other nurses faces. As I pointed out most BSNs want the title on their name badge because it was a very hard earned degree that they are proud of.

I also disagree that credentials don't prove a thing. I think credentials, be it certification, extra degrees, etc. is indeed meaningful. Does it say they are better bedside nurses? Not necessarily. But to say it means nothing is not true in my opinion.

Thanks.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Mar 25, 2006

Far too many nurses are unable to integrate the two: What happens in class, stays in class. ... and ... What happens in practice, stays in practice. We will only make real progress when we learn both as individuals and as a group to integrate the two.
llg -- who, BTW, does have her academic degree on her name badge

Gotta give you props too llg. Excellent post as always.

rpv_rn · Mar 25, 2006

Let's face it, the patients don't care about our education, they just care who can get them a cup of coffee the quickest. Perhaps request to coffee in hand time should be on our badge instead of degrees.

Interesting post. If above were true, then why bother having RNs at all in a hospital? Hire only CNAs and UAPs. CNAs or UAPs can get patients their coffee the quickest. :idea:

KyPinkRN · Mar 25, 2006

I am darn proud of my BSN and will be darn proud when I receive my MSN shortly but I will not put any of this on my stinkin' name badge. Why? Because, as a professional, it is not necessary. An RN is a professional. Second, I am a part of a team of nurses and setting myself apart from the team will give someone on the team the impression I am different in some way. Nurses and nursing need cohesion, not division-can't you see that? In one voice on this board I hear, "We are all equal, LPN, Diploma, ADN, RN!" But the next is, "I need to show them I am this!" In my job I am valued for my computer skills and my IV techniques. One coworker is the greatest cardiac mind around and a third has the best bedside manner and common sense. I could go on...the coworkers and team atmosphere is what makes working in our unappreciated, understaffed, underpaid, lousy hour career bearable, even enjoyable.

:yeahthat:

I'll drink to that...very well said!:biere:

hdorsey · Mar 25, 2006

My hospital just started doing it!

Trauma Columnist · Mar 25, 2006

Thanks to everyone for staying on target of the original poster - which is what goes on your name tag. For most of us it seems - its whatever the hospital/facility tells us.

ZASHAGALKA, RN · Mar 25, 2006

Thanks to everyone for staying on target of the original poster - which is what goes on your name tag. For most of us it seems - its whatever the hospital/facility tells us.

Yeah, but to the extent that the hospital says you CAN'T wear your work-related titles, and you go "Oh, Darn!" that is an outright administrative put-down of nurses in general.

I think, as a rule, admins are afraid of the potential power of nurses and want to keep a lid on that. But it's silly paranoia for admin to think to themselves, "oh no! we can't let nurses know they have degrees. Hide Them!"

I think that deserves some Don Quiotism. Human resources would definitely know my opinion on this, frequently and often. They'd be inundated with requests and justifications for policy change.

Fortunately, this is not at issue for me because my employer does allow work related degrees on IDs.

~faith,

Timothy.

allnurses Guide · Mar 25, 2006

I have various other "titles" but I only have "RN" on my badge. I have had opportunities to change it but I don't want to.

I'm a nurse.

steph

evans_c1 · Mar 25, 2006

How dare a nurse say that education and credentials "isn't important." I think it is a disgrace that nurses are putting down others either bc they dont find it important or are just flat out envious bc they don't have credentials. If education wasn't important we wouldn't have to get 8 million CEU's per year, right?

Winston Churchill: "We have met the enemy, and it is us!"

smk1, LPN · Mar 25, 2006

The letters after your name don't necessarily mean knowledge, they mean the work put forth to gain the degree. There are experienced LPNs that know more than I do. But the fact remains, I went to more school than they did. If they want a BSN, they are welcome to pursue that. Will it cost them money and time and is that hard to do when you have three kids to support? Yes. Which is why it's something that I'm proud of, because even though it was hard, I got it. Does it necessarily make me a better nurse than random LPN or RN? No. But I'm a better nurse than *I* would be if I'd gone the ADN or LPN route. I've yet to meet a nurse that furthered her education to get another degree and didn't learn anything. So adding those letters will make you a better nurse than you were before. Sure, you've always been better than me, but it's not about competition. It's about recognition of that individual's efforts to improve themselves.
Furthering my education does not negate your skills or knowledge. It just increases mine.

I think this is the best post i have read on this subject in all my time here at allnurses! Excellent way to look at things!:balloons:

SmilingBluEyes · Mar 25, 2006

Our hospital leaves that option to the individual. Some nurses DO have BSN/MSN and their certs, e.g, RN,C or CEN, CCRN. I think that is GREAT. Recognition for education and certification is certainly deserved. Any hospital NOT doing this, I simply don't get. Educated staff are an asset, pure and simple; this should be showcased.

--just an ADN w/her opinion here....

Works2xs · Mar 25, 2006

I pretty much think it boils down to this:

http://www.umass.edu/aesop/content.php?n=10&i=1

And before anyone comments, I spent 20+ years working in a career where I was doing the work that others were doing, and I was excelling at it. But, I didn't have the right degree. So while I supervised them, hired them, and even fired them, I never had their earning power. I never had that door opening benefit of a couple of the right little letters behind the name. And everytime I started to resent those around me who had managed to get their sheepskin in the field for which they were employed, I reminded myself of the story behind the link above.

Oh, btw... Those letters don't mean anything other than the person displaying them spent x amount of time doing y amount of work. It doesn't promise skill. It doesn't imply wisdom. It just implies that a baseline of material was covered and the person with the letters was able to hold onto that info long enough to pass a test. And guess what. It wasn't easy. Whatever you think of them, they worked bloody hard to earn them. If the least that society can do to recognize their effort is to allow them to put a couple of letters behind their name, then so be it. They've got the sweat equity invested so they've earned it.