credentials

[Babes in arms]

I'm not sure if I've spelled the title correctly, but here is my question-

Under what circumstances do you add your credentials to your name? Every time you sign? Only when you sign something related to the field you are certified in?

Have you ever had someone ask you not to list them? I'm thinking of those of us who do birth work parttime and hold another job. If you're job is maternal-fetal health, but not birth specifically, would it be appropriate to list them? What if you work in a totally unrelated field?

I had an upsetting experience today and am curious if other people have dealt with this.

Thanks for your input.

[time4another]

I only list them on occasion. They are not even on my business cards!!! But that's also because I have unrelated credentials as well and if I listed all of them my name would be as follows...

Heather D-C, BS, CLSPcg,CLSPmg,CLC

Notice the middle 2? They are Lab Science Credentials...which don't really go too well with my last one...and the ones yet to come...

[`guest`]

I think it's really cheesy to use your credentials unless you are in a professional situation relating to the specific profession. For any profession.

[tlcdoula]

I usually only have it in my e-mail signature because otherwise it is way too long!!

Mine would look like the following if I listed all of them all of the time:

Michelle D. Hardy, MS, CMT, NCTMB, Cht, CD(DONA), CLD, CPD, CCCE, ICCE, CHBE

As you can see - waaayyyyy too long to list all of the time. I do not even have all of those listed on my business cards and strictly keep it to e-mail only, and then it only goes out if it is a business related e-mail message.

[kate3]

I only use my credentials professionally (publications, formal letters, presentations, etc) and in my email sig. I find that in other situations no one even understands what they mean and it's not appropriate anyway.
In the world of academia I'm PhD, RN, WHNP-BC, but when I see patients I usually just scrawl NP after my signature in the chart or on prescriptions and leave out the rest.
When my kids tell their friends what I do I'm "just a nurse"