[AuntieRN]

I think it is a law. I remember we learned about it in school and our hospital has it in orientation...the louis blackman law I think is was its called. The pt has the right to know who is taking care of them. Something to do with a child who died and the mother thinking someone was a doctor who wasnt...I forget exactly now...Im terrible arent I LOL? So I dont know if its just a SC law or what.

[jadamsrn]

Are you working at a PA hospital? I'm just curious because I hadn't heard that. I've worked at two ERs (in Pittsburgh and now Hershey) and the norm is *not* to have your last name on the badge. I questioned it back when I was a runt, and of course the answer was "safety." Did your facility come up with that rule or was it really the DOH saying that?

[kayla123]

Only children and pets don't have last names? What the heck does that mean?

[ZASHAGALKA]

Originally Posted by kayla123

Only children and pets don't have last names? What the heck does that mean?

It means that we diminish our status when we refuse to use our last names.

We can't simultaneously claim to be professionals AND the anonymous help.

~faith,
Timothy.

[soapaddictOH]

The hospital I work at gives us an option if we want our last name or our last initial. I have my last initial only.

[ERbunny]

In 40 years of nursing , mostly in ED, where patients are at their worst, I am sure I have ticked off one or two (LOL)...Have yet to have anyone look me up....All they have to do is pay five bucks to get their medical record, and Bingo! there is your name in all its glory. Obviously it is a non-issue for me, altho my hospital leaves off the last name for ED badges. The rest of the nurses have both names on their badges. My state does mandate that we are readily identified as RNs, however.

[RedSox33RN]

Well, during my short ED career so far, I've had one patient a few weeks ago that was repeatedly pawing at me and asking me for my last name while triaging and getting vitals on him, because "you're just so darn cute..blah, blah, blah". I even happened to be in the same hallway a couple hours later as he was being d/c'd and walking out, and again he stated something about "there's that cute nurse...." to his friend. This really creeped me out, and I don't know if he ever would have tried to look me up had my last name been on my badge, but you can be darn sure I'm glad it's not.

I am a professional, but also a single woman who lives alone, and while I have no home phone (just a cell) so obviously no phone listing, providing my last name would make it easier to find someone. If there is ever any issue with my nursing, I'm sure the hospital would be glad to provide my last name and other necessary information to the appropriate people.

[ecnav]

Originally Posted by phillyrn10

For YEARS we have had only our first name on our hospital badges (only in the ER and Psych floors), the rest of the hospital uses full names. This week we were told we MUST wear badges with our first and last names because it is against the law! (Note the Dept. of Health was visiting) Is this true??????

Walk the units in my area hospitals and you'll be heard pressed to find employees displaying their id badge. Even though it's mandatory by law, most obscure it, hang it backwards, or do whatever hides it from view. Reason: fear. Coworkers, patients, and visitors alike won't hesitate to report someone to the health department or hospital administration; anonymously. False and malicious reporting is rampant. Unsubstantiated claims ruin careers everyday. Someone is always working an angle.

So, the big dumb martyr in me, I had all my scrub tops monogrammed with my... First Last, RN. Very simple, no elaboration. Now the sight impaired have less trouble reading it, the memory impaired (like me) don't need to repeatedly ask, and hospital staff know who I am. Frankly, I think it should be mandatory of all staff. Everyone deserves to know who everyone else is. As for the evil-doers working an angle... we simply need to address the errors of their ways.

[northshore08]

Worked in SC a long time...It is the Lewis-Blackman Act, specific to SC, giving the public the right to know who is treating them and what they do. Our facility even asked us to stop using the pull-down string clips because the tags would turn around. I agree with that, but I had the problem of having to scan my namebadge to get into the ED from triage. Clip, unclip. Clip, unclip. Arrghh.
I worked a shift at a prison, and they covered my last name for me. "This is prison" they said, and I believe them.
Now I work in Hawaii, and they gave me a nametag that has only my first name on it, my last initial, and RN. I plan to use the stringy thing for the scanners. I guess if they want to find my name, they can access the medical record.

[Code_VSA]

I use to work the ED in Tennessee. We had our first and last names with our picture and credentials on our badge.

One day I got a call at home from a man who said I was his nurse a week ago and he wanted to ask me out for a date. I was incredulous! I asked, "How did you find my phone number?" He replied, "Oh, I called Human Resources and they wouldn't give it to me (Duh!) so I went through all the phone books."

The next day I went to my Manager and Human Resources and told them what happened. After that, staff didn't have the last name on their badges. But, I wondered why they did not implement the no last name policy eight years prior? A patient that one of the RN's had in the ER was found in her house naked and hiding behind a couch.

I now work in Canada. We have our first name, our picture, our department and our professional title(s).

I also learned my lesson. No name in the phone book....ever.