How do you protect your identity?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

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.

Thanks for the tip Miketherun. Next time, I will make sure I have the wherewithal to hire a bodyguard. I feel if a celebrity can cause a hospital to post a guard service, then a stupid little nobody like me ought to be able to pay for my own guard. My nurses on that unit certainly didn't care about me. Heaven forbid, the stranger didn't come out of my room and fix their wagons too. Entirely possible. They had a stalker in their midst, and they didn't even care. But I did get one visit more that night than I got from my assigned nurse! Maybe I should have asked that person for some pain medication! Imagine that. More attention from a mean spirited stranger than from the person who was being paid to monitor me.

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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.

I guess I am crazy then. I have asked for the full name so that I could tell the hospital what a great job my nurses do.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

When our hospital applied for Magnet, they actually placed banners that were like large flags in front of the hospital that can be seen on the parkway of nurses, which included their names and where they worked without the permission of the nurses! Mine was not displayed, thank goodness, however, I was outraged and the ones that discovered their pictures out on such a lavish display were even more upset. They are supposed to obtain written permission from them before doing this. Since then, I NEVER allow them to take my picture for any reason.

I still stand by changing certain pertinant information on my computer file for identity theft. You NEVER know what people are up to.

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I still stand by changing certain pertinant information on my computer file for identity theft. You NEVER know what people are up to.

Also, to prevent financial identity theft, the most valuable information is your social security number. Whenever you are asked to supply it, ask them why they need it. Don't give it out unless you absolutely have to. When I fill out medical forms at a doctor's office, I write "prefer not to answer" on the form where it asks from my SSN.

Never use the same password for different websites. All all my credit card and bank accounts online have different passwords.

Pick a four-letter word that is not in the dictionary, such as tofg or dwtx. Memorize this word and never write it down anwhere. Use this as the first half of ALL of your passwords. Then write the second half of all your passwords on a piece of paper. For example:

chase credit card: 3$20

citibank credit card: 2#de

online banking: 3%34

(The full passwords will be:

chase credit card: dwtx3$20

citibank credit card: dwtx2#de

online banking: dwtx3%34)

but never write the FULL passwords anywhere. This way, if someone steals the piece of paper with your passwords, they will only know the second half of your passwords. They will not know your full passwords because you have the first half memorized.

I have about 40 different passwords written down on a piece of paper, but no one will ever know my full passwords because I have the first half of the passwords memorized.

Also, make sure you have good anti-spyware and anti-virus software and a good firewall so hackers don't steal your passwords as you type them.

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also, to prevent financial identity theft, the most valuable information is your social security number. whenever you are asked to supply it, ask them why they need it. don't give it out unless you absolutely have to. when i fill out medical forms at a doctor's office, i write "prefer not to answer" on the form where it asks from my ssn.

never use the same password for different websites. all all my credit card and bank accounts online have different passwords.

pick a four-letter word that is not in the dictionary, such as tofg or dwtx. memorize this word and never write it down anwhere. use this as the first half of all of your passwords. then write the second half of all your passwords on a piece of paper. for example:

chase credit card: 3$20

citibank credit card: 2#de

online banking: 3%34

(the full passwords will be:

chase credit card: dwtx3$20

citibank credit card: dwtx2#de

online banking: dwtx3%34)

but never write the full passwords anywhere. this way, if someone steals the piece of paper with your passwords, they will only know the second half of your passwords. they will not know your full passwords because you have the first half memorized.

i have about 40 different passwords written down on a piece of paper, but no one will ever know my full passwords because i have the first half of the passwords memorized.

also, make sure you have good anti-spyware and anti-virus software and a good firewall so hackers don't steal your passwords as you type them.

that's a good idea about the passwords. i'll have to try that.

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Specializes in Telemetry, Case Management.

There are many weirdos in the world. Some of them are patients or family members of patients. Some of them get upset enough about normal hospital procedures, and want to make sure someone knows about it. Or threaten to make sure WE know about it. I have been scared to go to my car at night because of irate, irrational family members. Just because people walk the streets freely does not mean they are not just a tiny bit "off".

I protect myself by putting first name only. If they want to identify me, they can say Karo on floor x on day shift, with blonde hair. The powers that be can figure out who I am. This goes whether they want to complain, or compliment me.

My last nurse manager insisted I go get a new badge with my last name on it. It got "lost". And stayed lost. She wasn't the one dealing with some of these people.

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Specializes in rehab; med/surg; l&d; peds/home care.

When I worked out of state, a nurse was being stalked by her psycho ex boyfriend, who shot and killed her in the hospital parking lot. After that all employees had to be escorted to their cars with security during dark hours. Employees coming in to work during dark hours were seen and security met them at their car.

I have been hit by a patient (not badly, he had a bad reaction to some medication and in the morning profusely apologized)l

A coworkers boyfriend came into the building and busted down the door where I was hiding with her and basically picked me up and threw me out of the way (this happened in a patient room, since that was where we were when he was looking. it just kills me that this place had no security and the supervisor let him in).

At my last job I worked (I am disabled w/ cancer and back issues) both first and last names were on our badges but I covered my last name up. Two nurses had their identity stolen and opened up some credit cards in their names (get this....it was from the payroll lady, who was promptly fired).

I have also worked agency and there was a place where two of the aides were best friends. until one stole her "best friends" credit cards and maxed them up at the mall on her lunch break (they caught her obviously due to the cameras of where she purchased)l.

In my state, only nurses city and zip code are given out online, thankfully. I wouldn't like my name and address out there for all to see.

Good thread. This world gets scarier every day.

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Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.
I guess I am crazy then. I have asked for the full name so that I could tell the hospital what a great job my nurses do.

I've had patients ask me for that purpose and I tell them just mention Dutchy H on the 5th floor. It works every time...no problem.

And no nobody knows me as dutchy that's my name on allnurses.

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Yes, ALL employees should have the option of hiding their last name, including physicians. Of course, if someone WANTS to display their last name, that's up to them. I would think that most physicians want to display their last name.

Patients usually get to choose their physician, so knowing their last name fulfills the need-to-know condition. Patients do not choose their nursing staff, so they do not need to know nurses' last names.

If someone is so paranoid about the people they are dealing with maybe they should work from home...if soemone is dealing w/my health, finances, real estate or other business I always ask for a business card (most times I dont even have to ask for it); I guess that's one of the hazards of being alive. I wont trust my health or business on someone who wont reveal his/her name to me.

When I was sick the nurses/doctors/techs all had full names on their tags. It was gratifying to know they trusted their pts., especially since they knew the pts. name, DOB, health records etc. I would be uncomfortable talking about my intimate health details to someone who just says "i am a registered nurse" but wont show me an ID.

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If someone is so paranoid about the people they are dealing with maybe they should work from home...if soemone is dealing w/my health, finances, real estate or other business I always ask for a business card (most times I dont even have to ask for it); I guess that's one of the hazards of being alive. I wont trust my health or business on someone who wont reveal his/her name to me.

When I was sick the nurses/doctors/techs all had full names on their tags. It was gratifying to know they trusted their pts., especially since they knew the pts. name, DOB, health records etc. I would be uncomfortable talking about my intimate health details to someone who just says "i am a registered nurse" but wont show me an ID.

Why stop at their last name? Why not ask for their social security number?

I think you would have less of a holier-than-thou attitude had you been stalked in the past. Some people only learn the hard way. I guess you have a "will never happen to me" attitude.

You are assuming that all patients and family members are safe respectable people. That is an unwise assumption. Like it or not, they are strangers.

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Why stop at their last name? Why not ask for their social security number?

I think you would have less of a holier-than-thou attitude had you been stalked in the past. Some people only learn the hard way. I guess you have a "will never happen to me" attitude.

You are assuming that all patients and family members are safe respectable people. That is an unwise assumption. Like it or not, they are strangers.

Because I dont need SSN for an identification; full name & title are sufficient in case I need to follow up (like, so-&-so told me these terms of financing etc)

No I havent been stalked. However when we choose certain professions we should understand the risks...police officers, firefighters & social workers routinely have to go to "bad areas"; schoolteachers have to deal w/ violent students. Whatever one's life experiences are, one has to move on with a sense of trust if one wants to interact with the rest of the world...if I am in a car accident I cant possibly ask my employer to allow me to work from home forever b/c there are crazy drivers...when I was a med school instructor I had my name, degree, grad school, office addr, phone & email on the school's public website...

While there are pts & families who are less than respectable. people also have had babies stolen from hospitals b/c someone waltzs in wearing a scrub & no one checked their ID...& hospital workers themselves may be in danger if people's identities are not displayed, like the murder of Dr Kathryn Hinnant...so it cuts both ways...despite the bad apples trust is so necessary in the healthcare field.

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Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.
If someone is so paranoid about the people they are dealing with maybe they should work from home...

I don't advocate turning the ID badge around backwards, I think that is just wrong, IMHO.

I don't see any problem with first name and title, no matter, the profession. I expect a first name and title. No one needs to know my last name or where I live, it has nothing to do with my level of care but my title sure does.

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