Is Your Last Name On Your Badge?

Nurse Valium · Dec 9, 2005

Ours is on our badges and one of our techs in the ED received a phone call at home from a former patient who had looked her up in the phone book and was interested in "seeing her again." Luckily, the guy took the hint & didn't pursue the issue but he could just as easily Googled her phone number & received a map to her home!

ERERER · Dec 9, 2005

NO NO NO

I am a professional, an ER nurse, and entitled to my privacy and safety. Also, have been the victim of a stalker, and have worked inner city ER's where violence is the norm.

NO LAST NAMES. why do they need it??? If there is a lawsuit, or something like it, be sure the lawyers will find you. If it is for a compliment, your first name, date and shift should point you out.

DID YOU KNOW THAT YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS are easily accessible from the internet??? go to your nursing board's website, do a licensee lookup and voila.... there you are. as are other health professionals. I had to have my address removed.

There are too many wacko's out there to take the chance......

bluestar · Dec 9, 2005

First name and last name initial.

GooeyRN, ADN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN · Dec 9, 2005

I work med/surg. My last name is on my badge. However I cover it up w/ white tape. I work night shift so none of the suits noticed this. I live in a small town in a rural area, and everyone knows everyone and where they live and work an go to church, etc. I have a lot of church members and neighbors as patients. I still feel more comfortable hiding my name for when we get the occasional out of towners. When I worked in a psych hosiptal we only had our first names on the front of the badge. Our full name was on the back in very tiny letters. Most staff didn't wear their badges, and administration didn't do anything about it. We went by our first name only.

medicrnohio, RN · Dec 9, 2005

We have our last name on our badge, unless you work psych or ER. It hasn't caused any problems for me yet.

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · Dec 9, 2005

Since I am a nursing instructor, I have three different badges from three different hospitals, all with my full name. Also, our school name tag that the students and I wear has the full name.

yvonnemuse, BSN, RN · Dec 9, 2005

Yes my last name is on my badge. it happens to be the same last name as the current president and it allows a few jokes to be made and cracks the ice for nervous pt sometimes. What is covered up is my photo..with a smiley face sticker! I worked with a nurse who insisted that ONLY her last name be put on her badge as "Mrs. Jamison" . her reasoning was that she afforded the patients the respect of addressing them by their title and last name that she was likewise entitled to the same reciprocated courtesy.

elkpark · Dec 9, 2005

I've been a psych nurse for >20 years (as staff nurse and as CNS), and I have always used my first and last name on my badges, unless it was the employer's policy not to put last names on badges and I wasn't allowed to. Even when my last name was not actually on the badge, I have always introduced myself to clients by first and last name, and have never been secretive about my last name (although, for clinical/therapeutic reasons, I rarely disclose other personal info). When I was a student, our school of nursing badges identified us as "Miss Jones," "Mrs. Smith," or "Mr. Smith" (I actually caused a stir by being the first student in the history of the school to use "Ms." on my badge :) ).

I haven't had a bad experience yet as a result of people knowing my last name.

I agree with Jim Huffman on this -- nurses are the only group who have any aspirations of being taken seriously as professionals who would even be having a conversation about whether or not to use their last names at work. The whole "Susie," "Jane," "Bob" thing is one part of why we do not get taken as seriously as so many nurses think we should. (As I always say,) children and pets do not have last names (i.e., do not get referred to by their last names) -- reasonable, responsible adults have last names.

2002MissRN · Dec 9, 2005

I'm a psych nurse and only first name is on our badges. It is actually hospital policy that in our psych/behavioral health unit it is not on our badges. We receive lots of threats, some empty, unfortunately a couple were not and nurses were hurt and after that powers that be decided we had a right not to have last names of badges.

BeenThereDoneThat74, MSN, RN · Dec 9, 2005

i've worked for 11 yrs, in multiple institutions, and never ever seen only a first name on a id badge. i never really gave it much thought.

i do agree that there is something to say for the professional image of the nurse. would you be satisfied with only knowing your doctor's first name? there are so many people that use their last name professionally; teachers, lawyers, doctors, etc. we could conceivably stalk and atack and look up all of these people as well. i am not trying to minimize the concern for safety that some of you have (or have experienced). i just never saw it as a big deal. maybe b/c i'm not a psycho and don't plan to do anything more with the last names of my doctors, teachers, nurses, lawyers, etc.

allele, LPN · Dec 9, 2005

We used to have both first and last names on our badges....I never had a problem and never really thought about it. And I do work in an inner city hospital. But once we got the contract for prisoners we got new name badges that had just out first name and initial only for last name. I think nurses should just have the choice as to whether their last name is on their badges or not. If any of my patients ask me what my last name is, I tell them. Don't have a problem with it at all! :) I guess it just depends on the area you work in and on your comfort level with letting other people know your last name. We have a CNA that works with us that had been physically abducted and assaulted.....obviously her privacy is VERY important to her...especially since the person that did this to her is now out of prison. So again, it should be the nurses decision since we all have different life experiences. :)

Turd.Ferguson · Dec 9, 2005

When your first name is "Turd" you don't want it on your badge. Patients don't want to see it either. The last name is best for me.