Why do nurses, with each degree, leave them on behind their last degree?
So, hi, I'm Offlabel, RN, CCRN, AA, BSN, MSN, DPN.
Why isn't it just Offlabel, RN? Or CNM? or NP? or CRNA?
I know that's the culture but doesn't, say, an MS imply that there is a BS in there somewhere? It's sort of aggrandizement that looks dumb. MD's or DO's or whatever don't do that so why do nurses?
It's as though some folks are trying to convince themselves that they're really smart and have an axe to grind.
It really looks unprofessional when certifications are mixed with degrees that are mixed with licenses.
2. to most of these people, becoming a doctor is their lifelong dream, since they can't put the two letters MD behind their names, they have to do something to show the world "hey, we are smart and knowledgeable as doctors, so you better treat me as a doctor, would be even nicer if u actually call me a doctor"
2. to most of these people, becoming a doctor is their lifelong dream, since they can't put the two letters MD behind their names, they have to do something to show the world "hey, we are smart and knowledgeable as doctors, so you better treat me as a doctor, would be even nicer if u actually call me a doctor"
to most of these people, becoming a doctor is their lifelong dream, since they can't put the two letters MD behind their names, they have to do something to show the world "hey, we are smart and knowledgeable as doctors, so you better treat me as a doctor, would be even nicer if u actually call me a doctor"
I have no desire whatsoever to be an MD/DO. Believe it or not, some of us love what we do. I hope you will as well. :)
2. to most of these people, becoming a doctor is their lifelong dream, since they can't put the two letters MD behind their names, they have to do something to show the world "hey, we are smart and knowledgeable as doctors, so you better treat me as a doctor, would be even nicer if u actually call me a doctor"
I guesss that's my point. They don't have to. And for a skilled, heavy hitter RN APN, administrator or bedside nurse to let those things go unspoken speaks far more than the credentials ever could. Kinda like the kind of person that wears really wild underwear...only people really close to them really know the details but everyone else knows there's some thing different about that person.
If one has multiple degrees in the same area, only the highest need be listed. If there are other degrees in other area, those should be listed separately. My Oncologist is listed as "MD, MPH." Many doctors are "MD, PhD." I had a professor in college who had a PhD in nursing but also an MPH. She didn't list her MSN degree because she had the PhD but did list the MPH because it was a non-nursing degree. I also know many nurses who have MBAs in addition to their nursing degrees. It makes sense to list that in addition to the nursing degree because one does not imply the other. If you have an MSN, it's unnecessary to list a BSN or an ADN in addition to that.
I'm actually all for the extra letters because it DOES impress difficult family members, and therefore directly affects my work day.
I had a difficult family last week who was known for being very critical. They asked me how qualified I was to work in this job, and I pointed out the BSN, RN, CCRN on my nametag and said something to the effect of, "Do you see these last four letters, the CCRN? They mean I sat for a test specific to critical care nursing and passed. I am very knowledgeable about the care of critically ill patients and the type of care your family member is receiving is my specialty."
You know what? They stopped asking me questions, sat down, and smiled. I'm telling you, those extra letters are extremely helpful with the nightmare families. Even if it is a whole bunch of BS, it makes them feel better about you as a caregiver, and anything that helps me smooth some ruffled feathers is A-OK with me.
You ought to hear the ribbing I get from my coworkers every time I have to pull that speech out of my butt, though. I'll walk out of the room and they're all doing their best impression of me at the desk. I'm okay with being the subject of some hilarity if it makes my night go smoother, though.
The correct way is to put first the degree you earned because that can never be taken away from you. The second is RN, then NP (some schools use different letters such as APRN; some people use FNP, ANP, ACNP, etc) CNS, CNM or CRNA, for example. I've seen people list all their degrees. That is not necessary, but I think it's OK on a site such as this. It is assumed if you have a DNP you also have an MS, MN or MSN (all in nursing depending on how the school awards its degrees), but you might also have an MBA or MHA. Confused?
This is the way I think it should be done on a scholarly paper or for a publication: Sue Smith, DNP, MBA, RN, ACNP. For the same nurse on her white coat or name tag, she could eliminate the MBA, or not....For conferences I've attended, I tend to see all the degrees listed after their names in the brochure and on the screen. And I have seen many MDs who do do it, such as MD, PhD or MD, MBA or MD, MPH. There are no degree listing police that i know of. At ENA conferences I put CEN on my name tag too. I like knowing what degrees people have, but I might be in the minority. I think national certifications such as CCRN and CEN do not need to be on a name tag but can be. They are to be proud of!
This is where I get confused. I have no problem with people displaying their well earned credentials, but it would be nice if I always knew what those initials meant. There seems to be no consistency in naming nursing degrees. There are just too many degrees that mean essentially the same thing to keep track of.
My MS is in a different area than my BSN. When I get my CSN (certified school nurse) I'll add that to my tag line, but not for everyday documentation, for that, RN suffices just fine.
I'm sure many of those with an alphabet soup after their name won't agree with you or I, but yeah, it me it gets kind of ridiculous when one degree supercedes some of those other certifications listed. And also, I don't know what half of the specialized certifications (their acronyms, that is) mean anyway.
I was taught that it depends on the situation and that it's your highest degree earned. So BSN MSN DNP is rather redundant and looks a bit silly. DNP would suffice. I only use my CCRN-CMC-CSC when writing from the perspective of my critical care role. PhDc only comes out in my academic role when I'm writing a grant or submitting abstracts. The only place where my full credentials are listed at any one time is my resume/CV. It is still striking to me how much nurses like to put each other down though whether its for having certifications or for not having certifications. I'm in the minority that thinks that we should take after some other countries and require specialty board certification to practice. For example, requiring every ICU nurse to sit for the CCRN within a certain time frame of beginning their career in critical care. It sets a national benchmark for knowledge and practice within a specialty much like board certification for physicians. Again it boils down to the fact that if we want to be seen and treated as professionals, we should probably seek to uphold the highest professional standards.
GE90
88 Posts
because of two reasons.
1. inferiority is a real thing
2. to most of these people, becoming a doctor is their lifelong dream, since they can't put the two letters MD behind their names, they have to do something to show the world "hey, we are smart and knowledgeable as doctors, so you better treat me as a doctor, would be even nicer if u actually call me a doctor"