Nurse in light blue scrubs wearing a hospital ID with a red RN badge buddy below it on a retractable badge reel

Common Badge Buddy Titles: What Hospitals Order Most

A badge buddy is a card that clips behind a photo ID on the same clip or reel. It is a little longer than the ID, so a job title shows below it in large letters, printed on both sides. Patients and families can tell the nurse from the aide from across the room.

Every badge buddy title we offer is now in one place: the badge buddy page. You can search more than 310 titles, browse them by department, open a page for each popular title, or design your own.

Horizontal badge buddy behind a hospital photo ID, showing the title NURSE LEADER in large letters on a blue bar below the ID

The badge buddy hangs behind the photo ID, so the title shows in large letters below it.

The titles hospitals order most

These are the most-ordered titles from our own orders over the past year, ready-made and custom combined. Each one links to its own page, with every size and color.

Nursing

  • RN, by far the most ordered title, plus RN BSN for nurses who want their degree shown
  • CNA (certified nursing assistant)
  • LPN (in California and Texas, LVN)
  • Nurse

Physicians and providers

Clinical support

Students

Emergency, pharmacy and more

Looking for something else? Respiratory therapists, phlebotomists, surgical techs, housekeeping, transport, chaplains, veterinary teams and hundreds more are on the badge buddy page.

Choosing the wording

  • Shorter titles print larger. The fewer letters, the bigger each one can be. A long title like Chief Executive Officer reads better from across a room as CEO.
  • Use the wording your hospital uses. CNA or C.N.A., Unit Secretary or Unit Clerk, Housekeeping or EVS: type it exactly as your team says it.
  • Use a second line when it helps. Add a unit, a specialty or a credential, such as RN over ICU or VETERAN over U.S. ARMY.

Size and orientation

  • Horizontal or vertical: match the way your photo ID hangs.
  • Standard is for an ID worn on its own.
  • XL is one inch longer, so the title still shows below a badge holder or sleeve.
  • Clear has a see-through top with a colored title bar.

Chart of the four badge buddy sizes: vertical standard, vertical extra large, horizontal standard and horizontal extra large, each shown behind a sample ID with its width and height

Standard for an ID worn on its own, XL when the ID is in a badge holder.

Nurse in light blue scrubs wearing a clear vertical RN MSN badge buddy with a blue title bar behind their ID on a retractable badge reel

A clear vertical badge buddy: see-through top, colored title bar.

Colors

Badge buddies come in 19 standard colors plus rainbow. Many hospitals assign a color to each role, for example one color for nurses and another for aides, but there is no national standard, so check yours before ordering for a unit. Need your hospital's exact color? Send us the Pantone (PMS) number with a quote request and we will match it as closely as full-color printing allows.

Ordering for a unit or a whole hospital

  • No minimum on standard and XL. Order one, or one for everyone. Clear badge buddies start at 25.
  • The price per badge drops as the quantity goes up. Each page shows the price at every quantity break.
  • Mix titles in one order. Add each title to your cart, or send us your list with a quote request and we will set up the whole order, including your logo or a reference card on the back.
  • Fast shipping. Ready-made badge buddies ship from stock, and custom standard and XL usually ship in 1 to 2 days. Each page shows the current lead time.

Don't see your title?

Search the badge buddy page. If your title isn't there, we will print it anyway: design your own, type any title, and see it on the badge before you order. Questions? Call us at 1-800-380-6726 or contact us online.

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