Proper listing of a nurse’s credentials not only showcases their professional achievements but also reinforces their expertise and credibility. More than acronyms added after a nurse’s name, these credentials also allow nurses to communicate their skills and knowledge, not just to prospective and current employers, but also to their patients.
In this article, I will guide you through the preferred order and format for writing nursing credentials, as well as provide insights on when and where to appropriately display them.
Nursing credentials serve as a visual representation of your education, licensure, and certifications. They demonstrate the depth of your knowledge, skills, and commitment to the nursing profession. Accurately displaying your credentials can have a significant impact on how you are perceived by your peers, patients, and other healthcare professionals. It can also play an important role in professional advancement, research publication, and expert witness testimony.
Since nursing credentials are viewed as a great way for nurses to establish their credibility in the nursing field, regulatory bodies, such as the American Nurses Association (ANA), sought to standardize the way that these credentials are listed. Here’s the recommended and current widely used approach to display a nurse’s credentials:
One should always start with their full name when displaying their nursing credentials to convey a sense of professionalism, respect, and accountability. It establishes a formal and dignified representation of their qualifications, acknowledging the responsibility and integrity associated with the nursing profession. It also ensures clear identification and recognition of the individual’s expertise and expertise within the healthcare domain.
The comma serves to clearly distinguish between the individual’s name and their professional qualifications, ensuring that both elements are easily identifiable and distinct. This practice aligns with the formal and structured nature of professional credential display, contributing to a polished and organized presentation of one’s expertise and qualifications within the nursing profession.
It’s typically prescribed to display your credentials within an order that follows a hierarchy, starting with the most permanent credentials, which are the highest degrees earned, followed by the less permanent ones which are the nursing licenses (they can be suspended or revoked once a professional misconduct was committed, or one may choose not to renew) or other voluntary credentials including awards and honours. The ANA and other authoritative bodies in nursing prescribe the following widely used order in displaying nursing credentials:
The highest degree that a nurse has earned should always be the first credential that should be displayed after their name, as it’s the most permanent credential that a nurse can have. This positioning honours the extensive knowledge, advanced skills, and specialized training obtained through their highest degree, establishing a strong foundation for their professional practice. It symbolizes their dedication to continuous learning and mastery within the nursing profession, reflecting a commitment to excellence and the delivery of high-quality care.
Nursing is a regulated profession, and displaying the mandated requirement, such as nursing licenses, after the more permanent nursing degrees further establish a nurse’s professional qualifications and capabilities to provide high-quality patient care. As mentioned, this is a less permanent credential than a degree, as it needs to be constantly renewed by following the requirements of the regulatory body. Displaying this credential also shows a nurse’s accountability, transparency, and commitment to adhere to regulatory standards.
In the US, state designations for nursing indicate that the nurse is allowed for advance practice in that state, and may include credentials such as APRN (Advanced Practice Registered Nurse), NP (Nurse Practitioner), and CNS (Clinical Nurse Specialist). In Canada, where different provincial regulatory bodies oversee the nursing practice, on the other hand, this may also encompass both the mandated requirement for nursing and authority for advanced practice.
Certifications for nursing further establish a nurse’s credibility in providing high-quality care for their patients. Nurses with these credentials undergo further training to specialize in certain areas of interest, such as primary care, wound care, and gerontology.
Voluntary credentials for nursing, including awards and honours, are credentials added last, either in order of relevance or chronology. This is because they are credentials that aren’t really necessary to practice nursing, but are important nonetheless to further establish one’s credibility within the field of nursing and in the healthcare industry as a whole. Having these credentials shows a nurse’s dedication to excellence, ongoing professional development, and significant contributions to the field of nursing.
Oftentimes, nurses may also earn other academic degrees not directly related to nursing to explore other roles, aside from being a staff nurse providing bedside care. For example, nurse managers may possess a master’s degree in business administration to show that they have gained additional skills aside from those relevant to patient care, thereby establishing their credibility in holding leadership positions in the organization.
When listing multiple credentials, it’s important to know how non-nursing educational degrees and credentials were also designated to demonstrate professionalism not just within the nursing field, but also to the field you have earned your other certifications in. Upon knowing this, you should then list these credentials either in chronological order (i.e., in order in which you have earned them) or in order of contextual relevance (i.e., in order of relevance to the position that you are applying to).
Take a hypothetical nurse, Sarah Johnson, who we will be using only for visualization purposes, for example. Suppose she gained her nursing qualifications from an associate degree as an entry to practice to masters in nursing (MSN) and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) as advanced degrees, then became a registered nurse and primary healthcare practitioner. She may choose to list her credentials as follows:
Sarah Johnson, DNP, MBA, RN, NP, PHCNP
It’s important to understand when and where to display your nursing credentials, as it might be considered an overkill when one displays them, even in non-professional situations. Here are some common scenarios where it’s appropriate to list your credentials:
Accurately displaying your nursing credentials is a crucial aspect of professional nursing practice. By following the recommended order and format, you can effectively communicate your qualifications, expertise, and commitment to the nursing profession. Remember, the proper use of credentials can open doors to new opportunities, enhance your reputation, and ultimately contribute to the delivery of high-quality patient care.
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