**Alert**Our Right to Privacy as nurses???

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I am not sure if anyone has discussed this before but I think this needs action from us all....

I just went to the Secretary of State website to find out the status of my license and realized I could type a last name of any licensed nurse and find there home address. Give it a try, I could find any of my coworkers old classmates etc... (this is in Ga., I am not sure about other states)

I dont have much of a problem with it because I am a guy and dont think I will be stalked anytime soon but for the 75% of the female nurses out there it is a tragedy waiting to happen.

As nurses, we deal with all sorts of people, both good and bad. I for one do not want my patients having my home address without my knowledge.

I am going to send a letter to the Secretary of State to ensure this matter gets resolved but this is a heads up that I may need your help.

Thanks

Jim

Where on the Secretary of State website can you verify license? I can't find the link for WA

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Not only can you find out information on nurses, it's ANY licensed person! Cosmetologist, EMT, Accupuncturist, Vet. Tech etc. This is exactly why our hospital has allowed certain departments to take our last name off our badge: ER, ICU and L&D.

This is the same for CNAs, too, at least in this state. Last year when I checked my name in the state registry to see what would come up (I had just received my certification), it had my name and town listed. I am going to check again today to see what comes up. I know that many news reports encourage the general public to look up their healthcare provider's information in order to see if they have any disciplinary actions against them, or whether they have been sued for malpractice, or even if they are actually licensed by the state. I don't see how listing a home address is relevant to this.

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I am an LPN in S.C. and I did a search to find myself. I could find my state and city, but not my address. This does not say much, as I receive a lot of snail mail with my home address on it. Offers of jobs and educational oppertunities that i know can come only from my address for my license.

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i just checked for my license, in the state of Pa. they have my town and state where i live, listed next to my name and the status of my license, you are right, any crackpot can find out where you live! I just went to the portal and i only had to list my last and first name , and, viola! there everything was! from my graduate licence number to my professional number!:angryfire What happened to our right to privacy? I agree.

I guess the state says you loose that right when you assume the license. Again the BON is not concerned with nurses' rights or welfare. They are only concerned with protecting the public. That means protecting the public from us.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, ICU.

You would figure that with the shortage of nurses you would want to protect the ones they have.

Jim

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Specializes in ICU, Education.

I honestly don't see how giving out our private home address(and that of our families) protects the public. If the public has a problem, I'm sure the BON will be in touch directly.

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Specializes in ICU, Education.

Hey rjflyin,

Just saw you rampart squad 51 note. That sure brings back memories!

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Utah, unfortunately, lists city, state and zip.

Washington has full name and birth date, no address.

Illinois lists full name and city, state.

Missouri lists full name, city and state as well.

I protect my license MORE than I protect information about my bank account.

I have been leary about this information being publicly accessible for a very long time. Anyone can look up information they don't belong seeing. Why does the general public need to be able to look up our license information? Make it easier for the public to report issues directly to the B.O.N, but don't publish our information on the net.

Only hiring institutions, schools and the like should be able to access this information, IMHO.

I see this as another way of being able to steal your identity. Just imagine how much more difficult it would be to clear your license of infractions someone else did while claiming they were you. Super scary!

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1st Edition, check your PMs. I sent you the link to the WA State DOH.

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Utah, unfortunately, lists city, state and zip.

Washington has full name and birth date, no address.

Illinois lists full name and city, state.

Missouri lists full name, city and state as well.

I protect my license MORE than I protect information about my bank account.

I have been leary about this information being publicly accessible for a very long time. Anyone can look up information they don't belong seeing. Why does the general public need to be able to look up our license information?

I rechecked my CNA registry information yesterday, and it has my town listed, but not my address. Moreover, I was able to find the hometown of LPNs in this state not only by a LPNs last name, but I was able to search for one by a FIRST name only. In other words, even if a LPN didn't have a last name on her badge, someone could find her hometown by using her first name only, especially if she doesn't have a common first name. As far as license information that is accessible to the public, many news reports and articles encourage this so that the public can find out if their healthcare providers are actually licensed, or if they have any lawsuits or suspensions against them.

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State of Arizona posts Full legal name, any licensure you carry or have carried, any complaints against you and a category of it's nature but not what it actually was, positive drug testing, licensure on suspension or revolked. All information is on the web and is sent out in a quarterly mailing. Just basic stuff, but what gets me: they are known to be inaccurate or have a duplicate name. For example: one RN supervisor had her name listed as license being revolked. It never was, it was a clerical error because payment reached the office late to renew. The other, two people same names, different middle names. Was was RT the other RN. RT's name was listed as the RN who had license on suspension. So co-workers thought our RT was actually an RN who had her license revolked due to unsafe care. Hmm: that made for interesting talk around the water cooler. But I believe RT have a different governing board and it had been clarified and cleared.Gott to love the information hiway!:uhoh21:

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

In NC it's our name & city as well as other names you've had and any other titles you've held (like CNA). I am not crazy about that. I think it should be limited to name, license #, and any action taken against you. I think those should be fair game but nothing else.

I agree with the poster who said we should Google ourselves. It's surprising what you can find about yourself!

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