How to list your nursing credentials after your name

Order and categories from the ANA and ANCC How to Display Your Credentials.

The logic is permanence. Your degree goes first because, as the ANA puts it, it is a permanent credential that cannot be taken away except under extreme circumstances. Your license and state designation come next because they are required to practice but can lapse or be revoked. National certifications are often voluntary, so they follow. Awards and honors are always voluntary, so they come last. The whole string reads from the most permanent part of your identity as a nurse to the most optional.

Is it BSN, RN or RN, BSN?

The ANA recommends BSN, RN. Your degree goes before your license because a degree is considered permanent and a license can lapse. You will often see RN, BSN in clinical settings, and it is not wrong in everyday use, but the ANA-recommended order is degree first.

Why does the degree come first?

Because it is the most permanent credential. The ANA notes a degree cannot be taken away except under extreme circumstances, while a license or certification can lapse or be revoked. The order runs from most permanent to least: degree, license, state designation, certification, then honors.

Do I list both of my degrees?

Usually just your highest. The ANA says if you have a doctorate and a master's, omit your bachelor's. The exception is a second degree in a different, relevant field. For example, a nurse executive might list MBA, MSN, RN, putting the highest non-nursing degree first, then the highest nursing degree.

Do I list my associate degree (ADN)?

Yes, if it is your highest earned degree. You display your highest degree, whether that is an ADN, BSN, MSN, or doctorate. You only drop lower degrees once you hold a higher one.

Where does a certification like CCRN or a fellowship like FAAN go?

National certifications (CCRN, RN-BC, FNP-BC) come after your license and any state designation. Awards and honors such as FAAN come last, after your certifications.

Does the order ever change?

It is a recommendation, not a legal rule. On legal documents like prescriptions and chart notes, use the credentials your state requires for your role. In professional contexts such as publishing or speaking, list all your relevant credentials. Many employers also set a standard short format for badges and signatures.