All of our rooms have white dry erase boards where information pertaining to the patient's day is written. We have usually put RN: and the name, CNA: and the name on the bottom of said board. We have now been asked to include our credentials as well. So for those who have many, many certifications (ACLS, PALS, NALS, etc) is it appropriate to just put RN: Suzie,BSN, RN-C? Or just that just pertain to a specific certification?
I always thought that the "-C" was meant for someone who had specifically certified in a specialty. However, for those nurses who have 6-7 or more certifications, this would perhaps be more user friendly.
This seems like asking for trouble, if you ask me. What if, one day, the patient has a nurse with multiple credentials. Then, the next day, they have a nurse who is "just" an RN and something is less than satisfactory (for instance, the patient must wait longer than they would wish for their pain medication)? Then the patient will be thinking "Well, my nurse doesn't have any extra credentials, she must be a substandard nurse." And then, guess what. Every single nurse from that point on who is "just an RN" will be climbing an uphill battle. Granted, every patient will not think this way, but I believe a significant number of people would.
For the record, I have two certifications, but I don't feel like I am a better nurse because I'm certified. Only that I have taken a test that I passed and now get to write extra letters after my name.
Specializes in MCH,NICU,NNsy,Educ,Village Nursing.
As to the writing of "RN" after the name----it isn't redundant unless the label prior to the name is "RN". There are LPNs/LVNs who also could be in the category. So really, writing "Florence, RN" or "Florence, LPN" isn't that big of a deal. However, listing every credential could, in some cases, necessitate writing across all white board space & then some!
As to the writing of "RN" after the name----it isn't redundant unless the label prior to the name is "RN". There are LPNs/LVNs who also could be in the category. So really, writing "Florence, RN" or "Florence, LPN" isn't that big of a deal. However, listing every credential could, in some cases, necessitate writing across all white board space & then some!
At my particular hospital we don't have LPN/LVNs but I understand what you are saying.
Specializes in Medical-Surgical / Palliative/ Hospice.
That said, there's no way in hades I'd be writing all this nonsense on a whiteboard. In my experience, whiteboards were updated with the nurse's NAME infrequently enough. And, as others have pointed out, the majority of patients won't even know what these certifications are...
I think this would really confuse the patients. Sometimes it's hard enough to keep track of RN, CNA, RT, PT, MD. No need to add more alphabet soup to the confusion!!
I work inpatient hospice, and we just put names on the appropriate nurse and care partner lines. Our IDs have official title--CNA, LPN, RN--and hospice certification (if any).
Only one person has asked me what CHPN stands for. If I threw other alphabet soup to the mix, I think it would add little useful info for patients and their families.
Cynical as I am, from inclination and 60 years of life-training, I think the DON's heart was likely in the right place. Giving people the recognition they deserve for expanding their knowledge and skills is important. And if it serves another useful function by serving as a marketing tool....great.
I think alphabet soup is more attuned to the academic cuisine than the meat-and-potatos fare of daily patient care.
What about my professional associations, should I add whatever groups I belong to as well? Does union membership count? I think your DON had a nice idea but didn't think it all the way through. Your working title should be enough, RN, LPN. Or maybe, La PooperScooperExtrordinaire
They probably think that it looks better to the patients and their families. "My, look how educated our nurses are! They have a bunch of letters after their names! I don't really know what they all mean, they could mean "certified carpet installer" for all I know, but my, these nurses in this here hospital must be extra, extra smart!"
It makes me wonder, because I work Med/Surg now but am a certified hospice and palliative nurse, if they would want someone to put that on the white board. I mean, it IS a certification and gives me a bunch of letters after my name, but how many Med/Surg patients would want to know that their nurse is certified in end of life care?
Hmm - based on my recent patient experience I can assure you that the whiteboard is essential. There are waaaay too many sets of scrubs running around to remember exactly who is what - LOL. I certainly wanted to know the qualifications of everyone who was contributing to my care. Nametags are too small to see very clearly.
As for the credentials - if we (nursing profession) are ever going to make inroads into the "one size fits all" mentality that nurses are pretty much interchangeable task workers rather than professional members of the health care team...... we have to stop quibbling over this. We not only need to identify our educational preparation to our patients, but also make sure that they understand a bit about nursing educational levels. We should also inform them of specialty certifications - not necessarily on the whiteboard -- and what those mean.
BTW, ACLS, TNCC, etc... is training, not credentials. This does not belong on a whiteboard.
carl5480
35 Posts
This seems like asking for trouble, if you ask me. What if, one day, the patient has a nurse with multiple credentials. Then, the next day, they have a nurse who is "just" an RN and something is less than satisfactory (for instance, the patient must wait longer than they would wish for their pain medication)? Then the patient will be thinking "Well, my nurse doesn't have any extra credentials, she must be a substandard nurse." And then, guess what. Every single nurse from that point on who is "just an RN" will be climbing an uphill battle. Granted, every patient will not think this way, but I believe a significant number of people would.
For the record, I have two certifications, but I don't feel like I am a better nurse because I'm certified. Only that I have taken a test that I passed and now get to write extra letters after my name.