Is Your Last Name On Your Badge?

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Dec 9, 2005

As of 01/06, having our last name on our badges will be of our own choosing.

This was AFTER a bunch of nurses got fired up about threats and indecent proposals they were receiving from prior pts.

suebird3 · Dec 9, 2005

i wish we didn't have our last names, but there are several other sue's around.....

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[color=#483d8b]sueb

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SuzieQ_Scrapper · Dec 9, 2005

NO--and I'm glad.

SheriLynnRN · Dec 9, 2005

My last name is on my badge. It is state law here, even in mental/behavioral health areas. I think the right solution is to leave that decision to each individual nurse. After all, we are PROFESSIONALS, and being a professional entails having the right to make decisions about how you practice. I work on a surgical unit, and I feel safe with my full name on my badge. I don't introduce myself using it, but it's there for anyone to read. Besides, your full name is always in the chart, and every patient has a right to see that. If someone feels uncomfortable with having their name displayed, they should be able to have the situation remedied.

allnurses Guide · Dec 9, 2005

Nope.

steph

Trauma Columnist · Dec 9, 2005

Currently, I work as a case manager and its just my first name on my badge. However, once I'm an APN both my first and last name will be on name tag. As it is now, I introduce myself with first and last name.

bethin · Dec 9, 2005

We have a choice now if we want our last names on it or not. I put a blue child abuse ribbon sideways over my last name--it's easier than getting a new badge.

There have been nurses who have restraining orders against a few pts. family members. I don't agree with last names on badges. As long as your name, dept, and type of license (RN, LPN, RT, etc) is on the badge that's all that matters.

ICRN2008, BSN, RN · Dec 9, 2005

I started a thread about this at the beginning of the semester. I never did get anywhere with our current level coordinator, but we were not required to wear our badges in the setting to which we were assigned. I plan to bring up the subject with the administration again in January.

https://allnurses.com/forums/f8/last-names-id-badges-retaliation-patients-120320.html

James Huffman · Dec 9, 2005

As I've mentioned before (this topic is starting to sound like the movie Groundhog Day) nurses are the only professionals who seriously debate giving their last names in a practice setting.

The idea of having a judge, attorney, or physician who wanted to go by their first name is ludicrous on its face.

Part of being a professional is putting a public face on what we do. And for every time we practice nursing without giving our name, we are saying that we are just not really professionals. Whether we like to admit it or not.

Jim Huffman, RN

TreetopAngel_RN · Dec 9, 2005

Only once was my last name obscured on a name badge, as a student nurse on the psych unit. Since then my full name has been on the badge.

I believe we could get by with a first name and last initial, that should be enough identifier for anyone. If the patient knows the unit and date in question, then it should be easy to identify the staff working without giving out too much information.

bethem · Dec 9, 2005

I am a student, and I have my last name on my badge but I cover it with tape and a butterfly sticker. In our first year on clinicals, the nurses at the hospital I was at told me that they would never have their last names on their badges, because they had seen too many patients and families get crazy on them and they didn't want to make it easier to track them down. They also said we should never volunteer information about ourselves, and even if asked about our families or pets or anything we shouldn't answer or should evade the question. Maybe that's going a bit far, but I don't want people knowing my last name. In fact on our mental health placement, we were discouraged from even wearing our badges at all. We told the patients our first names. I just don't feel comfortable giving too much away.