How do you protect your identity?

Nurses General Nursing

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Just curious what methods you all use in order to protect yourself while at work?

I'll start:

I try to keep my last name secret to my patients and block out my last name on my badge as well.

Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.
Do you know the names of all your airline pilots, bus drivers, and rollercoaster operators?

Your patients do not need to know your name unless they are harmed. That's why you sign your nursing notes.

As for knowing patients' names, nurses need to know their patients' names so they know they are treating the correct patient.

I don't do rollercoasters but on every bus, train, ship or plane I've been on the Pilot, Driver, Captain etc...has been identified.

I think because of the personal issues we handle as well as their protected health information I think they have the right to know our first names. IMHO. I wouldn't appreciate being a patient and not knowing my nurses name.

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I think because of the personal issues we handle as well as their protected health information I think they have the right to know our first names.

First name is fine. Last name is too much info. There are bad people in the world.

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Specializes in NICU.

Our hospital just reissued all our IDs- they're two-sided now! Yay! No more turning them around!

I assume at some point they'll be banning all those little extra cards we hang from them with phone numbers, IV rate formulas, union rep info, etc. Far more important for pts to know our full name than for us to have safety-related information close at hand, right?

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Specializes in CVICU, MICU, CCRN-CSC.
Our hospital actually told us not to cover our last name. The solution is to wear the badge backwards so patients don't see the front of the badge. Then you can act like it is backward by mistake.

That's what I do!!! I have been known to flip it backwards on purpose because I felt threatened by a family member or patient. Sometimes they think you "should be able to fix Mama" no matter what and get REALLY mad when you can't, despite your best efforts. Never felt that way about anyone I work with though.

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I have been the victim of stalking and assault and battery by both a coworker and family member of a patient, so I'm well aware of the bad things that can happen to a person. I found that in the normal course of things, there was really nothing I could do to protect myself. Everything that I tried was futile. When these people wanted to harass me or bother me they very easily found me or found out my new phone numbers or got others to assist them with their activities. Law enforcement was no help whatsoever. You can only take normal precautions, hope for the best, and deal with the situation when and if it arises, the best you can. The best defense you have is a family member or spouse or boyfriend who can help protect you. That is it. If you live by yourself, you truly are on your own. I would never expose my surname on an id badge at work. Not that it makes that much of a difference. When someone gets it in for you, they can find out anything they want to know.

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2. Don't have personalized license plates: 'traumrus, ER nurse, ER RN", etc..

I also refuse to attach any hospital parking stickers to my car. I'll place it on the dash while I'm there, and store it out of sight after work.
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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

My job requires that first and last name is printed on the ID badge. I think it is the one of the rights of the patients to know who is caring for them, and yes, it is true that one can check on line to see if the nurse's license is active or if there were any charges against her. I would want to know that.

However, the computer age can allow for identity theft. We had a situation where one of the nurses broke the HIPPA law by accessing information about another nurse and spead the business throughout the hospital. What I did to protect myself after this horrible incident was to go into the system and change the last 4 digits of my social security number, changed the address, left my cell number rather than my home (with the same area code) and changed my mother's maiden name. These are some of the main ways that a person can steal your identity...and in most cases, it is usually done by a shady co-worker rather than a patient.

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Specializes in Medical Surgical.

I know a nurse (very dedicated) who was stalked by a family member of a patient. One of those family who sat by the bed and watched everything and had lots of comments, then continued the complaints on a personal level after discharge. The nurse was single and had an uncommon last name, so easy to find out her home address. The whole thing made her physically ill. No, I don't think patients/families have the right to our last names. If they have complaints knowing our first name and the date and floor we worked would be enough. I wish I didn't have to have my full name on my badge; some departments' personnel don't.

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Specializes in Cardiac Care, ICU.
I'd be flattered if any patient was even taking notice of my name. I don't think they are interested in the least.

I'm thinking back to the last few times I went to hospital, and I can't remember the names of the nurses who gave care, badges present and all.

Why just nurses, then? Would the doctors need pseudonyms?

The sane ones probably won't (unless they want to complain about you). It's the crazy folks that will look you up!

Thanks to those who have posted. I live in a small community and have not seen much of this but we are growing and I expect problems will happen.

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Specializes in Ortho, Neuro, Detox, Tele.

It's important to have ways of just saying "no"....patients ask me sometimes..."What's your last name?, are you married?, and Do you live nearby?"

I simply reply..."x, like the letter", I don't discuss my personal life at work, and about 10-25 mins from here...." leaves plenty of wiggle room and I don't change the responses...

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First name is fine. Last name is too much info. There are bad people in the world.

I don't disagree with you, but what about your title? When you turn your nametag around, how do your patients know whether you are an RN, LPN, CNA, phlebotomist, or whatever? In my experience, that's what most people are looking for when they look at a nametag.

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Do you know the names of all your airline pilots, bus drivers, and rollercoaster operators?

Yes to all three (the first is announced, the second is displayed, and in the last case, it's Busch Gardens; the college kids who check your seat belts aren't operators). And every cop and all my kids' teachers and on and on. Your point?

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