What should your title look like?

[moonshadeau]

So why do so RN's put their degree first instead of RN? Are we not all RN's first and foremost, regardless of what degree from ADN to PhD we earn? Does the patient care that a nurse at the bedside has a specific degree?

There has been ONE document written by Mary C. Smolenski on how to write our nursing license and credentials. This one article has become the prime source of evidence for all nursing. It states that nurses nurses should sign their name:

Jane Doe, BSN, RN

I say that we should all put our degree first to be:

Jane Doe, RN, BSN.

What do you all think? Should we let academia and non-clinicians dictate how we sign our name?

:

[HeartsOpenWide, RN]

I have only seen Jane Doe BSN, RN or Jane Doe RN-BSN or higher. I have never seen Jane Doe ASN, RN or Jane Doe RN-ASN. Why is it that only BSN and above put their degree on their name tags?

[mom35]

I have a question: I am, hopefully (pray, pray), going to start NS in Fall. So this signing of the name, we do this certain signing only at work. Are we supposed to sign our name with RN on documents and such of daily living? I don't know much yet, so forgive my ignorance:bowingpur

[truern]

So this signing of the name, we do this certain signing only at work. Are we supposed to sign our name with RN on documents and such of daily living?

Only by accident

[MAISY, RN-ER, BSN, RN]

I have a question: I am, hopefully (pray, pray), going to start NS in Fall. So this signing of the name, we do this certain signing only at work. Are we supposed to sign our name with RN on documents and such of daily living? I don't know much yet, so forgive my ignorance:bowingpur

Nothing like signing a birthday card or check with RN after it:D It happens!

[Whispera, MSN, RN]

I always thought the order of the alphabet soup was to be according to what you got first and the rest lined up in order of getting them.... like for me they'd be BSN, RN, APRN-BC

[Whispera, MSN, RN]

I always thought the order of the alphabet soup was to be according to what you got first and the rest lined up in order of getting them.... like for me they'd be RN, MSN, APRN-BC. I really have no idea what's "correct" since there's never enough room for all the letters and most places don't let you use them all anyway.

[mina123]

IMO the highest degree you have should be signed as or put next to your signature. It's no use putting Rn, Bsn, Msn and whatnot next to your name because it's just assumed if u have your Msn obviously u have your Bsn. I imagine the same can be said about MD's; if they signed every degree,license they have; between nurses and md's signature there is no place to write notes:yeah:

[MAISY, RN-ER, BSN, RN]

IMO the highest degree you have should be signed as or put next to your signature. It's no use putting Rn, Bsn, Msn and whatnot next to your name because it's just assumed if u have your Msn obviously u have your Bsn. I imagine the same can be said about MD's; if they signed every degree,license they have; between nurses and md's signature there is no place to write notes:yeah:

Actually when you think of all of the bridge programs available it is possible to have a BA or BS and get your MSN,

in that same vein it is also possible to have a dipoloma and no degree yet be an RN.

I believe the answer regarding not losing your degree but losing your license is on the money. Other certifications or specialties have to be renewed and kept up, why they are at the end.

again.

M

[nurse15dc]

To me it doesn't matter, I go with the facilities policy. For my name badge I'm OK with whatever sequence and initials the hospital uses. Some just want RN some hospitals add degrees and certifications. I generally use initials and degrees with the RN on professional correspondence and resumes.

-----I took a course in protecting your license against malpractice lawsuits and board actions once. The lawyers teaching the class said to sign all legal documents such as charts with ONLY the level of license, degree on your job description. Meaning if you're only being paid as a staff RN (and your hospital doesn't make you add all the initials) then according to this malpractice team it's safest NOT to add them.

Some ppl here will says this sounds negative or paranoid but I'm just posting b/c op asked for opinions. In this class they explained that if an emergency happens or a case goes bad, adding extra degrees, certifications and initials to your charting can hurt you if you are deposed. If you are paid as an RN then even in a case that goes bad, you should only be held to the standard of practice outlined in your state's Nurse Practice Act for RN's.

According to the class...If you sign a chart with a lot of initials the opposing lawyer can use this against you. In class we played it out where I was on the stand explaining everything I did in a "pretend ER case"that went bad. When the "fake" opposing lawyer asked me to explain exactly what the initials and credentials in my chart signature meant I accidentally said something to the effect of 'evidence of knowledge and a higher standard of care.' That doomed me. As we continued to play act he grilled me on the case and he kept using the idea of my initials as proof that even in an emergency my initials required me to preform at a level above and beyond what my pay level and RN license requires.

So unless required or asked to, I now sign charts with the lowest license, certertification or degree in my job and pay description. Just adding my 2 cents.

[caliotter3]

I agree with you. I think that RN is what counts, or LPN or CNA for that matter. I see no reason to write my degree when I sign my name. When the topic of education has come up, I have found that for the most part my supervisors haven't given a patootie about my education level anyway. I personally think that in most instances, RN, or LPN, or CNA says it all.

[caliotter3]

To me it doesn't matter, I go with the facilities policy. For my name badge I'm OK with whatever sequence and initials the hospital uses. Some just want RN some hospitals add degrees and certifications. I generally use initials and degrees with the RN on professional correspondence and resumes.

-----I took a course in protecting your license against malpractice lawsuits and board actions once. The lawyers teaching the class said to sign all legal documents such as charts with ONLY the level of license, degree on your job description. Meaning if you're only being paid as a staff RN (and your hospital doesn't make you add all the initials) then according to this malpractice team it's safest NOT to add them.

Some ppl here will says this sounds negative or paranoid but I'm just posting b/c op asked for opinions. In this class they explained that if an emergency happens or a case goes bad, adding extra degrees, certifications and initials to your charting can hurt you if you are deposed. If you are paid as an RN then even in a case that goes bad, you should only be held to the standard of practice outlined in your state's Nurse Practice Act for RN's.

According to the class...If you sign a chart with a lot of initials the opposing lawyer can use this against you. In class we played it out where I was on the stand explaining everything I did in a "pretend ER case"that went bad. When the "fake" opposing lawyer asked me to explain exactly what the initials and credentials in my chart signature meant I accidentally said something to the effect of 'evidence of knowledge and a higher standard of care.' That doomed me. As we continued to play act he grilled me on the case and he kept using the idea of my initials as proof that even in an emergency my initials required me to preform at a level above and beyond what my pay level and RN license requires.

So unless required or asked to, I now sign charts with the lowest license, certertification or degree in my job and pay description. Just adding my 2 cents.

Any course of action that makes sense in a legal manner makes sense to me.

[caliotter3]

I wish I remembered where, I'd have to do a search, but I remember reading somewhere that the college degree goes first because your academic degree cannot be taken away, but your license can be. Although I'm not sure why that makes a difference. At my workplace, we use only license on our name badge & I sign all documentation K Lastname, RN. My employer knows I have a BSN, and if my patients ask what degree I have, I'm happy to tell them, but the alphabet soup on name badges can get a little excessive.

But following this logic, what good is the academic degree if you do not hold the RN license? You certainly wouldn't be signing your name with MSN if you were not an RN. Can't think of any instance where this would be appropriate.