Last name on namebadge

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Hospice, Ortho/Neuro Rehab, camp nurse.

Does anyone else think it is a bad idea to have your last name on a badge? I worked at a place where we had an extremely abusive spouse who cornered most of the staff, and could only visit w/ a police escort. We did not have our last names on our badges @ this particular facility, thankful because this person used to say "if I find out where you live"..... Anyway the place I work now uses first and last names, I do not agree w/ this, since many times a pt will say something like "oh you're a ( last name) did you grow up in (town) or (last name) hey baby are you in the phone book? it's scary sometimes that people know my entire name. Any thoughts on this?:uhoh3:

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lil red

i totally agree with u...at my facility i have noticed that quite a few nurses have opted to tape over their names and use a first name only. I dont know about in your area, but here we have quite a few mentally unstable people on the unit. For that reason i think is a safety issue.

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I work in psych (including in some v. rough urban settings over the years), and have always used my first and last name on my badges. To me, it's a matter of professionalism and accountability. Lots of nurses get worked up over having their last names on their badges (there are plenty of existing threads here on the issue), but, to me, that's a red herring. Yes, there are some risks involved in the work we do, and there are reasonable, prudent things we should do to be careful about safety, but, IMHO, not having your last name on your badge is so low on that list that it's not worth worrying about.

If someone really wants to find out who you are, where you live, etc., s/he can do that regardless of whether your last name is on your badge.

To me, not having our full names on our badges and not using our last names freely with clients just makes us look like we don't take ourselves seriously and communicates to clients that they don't have to take us seriously, either.

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Specializes in criticalcare, nursing administration.

I think first name and credentials ( RN, LPN etc) are better. Agree that both names can be risky. I've worked in hospitals in 4 different states and no one does last names unless specifically requested.

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I completely agree! That's always bothered me...

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Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

Having been stalked by a former patient, I am completely against having last names on badges. My last name is unusual, and it made it easy for the patient to find me. It was a very ugly situation.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

I'm also in psych. We have our first and last names on our badges. We are allowed to cover our last names up...however if asked what it is by a patient we must give them our last name, the reason being that the patient has the legal right to know exactly who is providing their care. Only one patient has ever asked my last name, and I told them.

On one hand, I like covering it up because like Whispera, my last name is unusual and I'd be easy to find. I will admit it also makes me more comfortable. On the other hand... it doesn't really matter in the end because my last name is on any paperwork that the patient gets a copy of. I can't just sign these documents "Meriwhen, RN" and leave it at that--I have to sign my full name.

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Bad idea if you ask me.We have full names on badges and What's worse is here in GA the BON posts your address for anyone who looks up your license to see!!

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On the other hand... it doesn't really matter in the end because my last name is on any paperwork that the patient gets a copy of. I can't just sign these documents "Meriwhen, RN" and leave it at that--I have to sign my full name.

Exactly, and that was my point earlier -- on so many threads here, people talk about not having their last names on their badges like that's some kind of magic talisman that is guaranteed to keep you safe -- as long as your last name's not visible on your badge, you'll be ok. Whatever it says on your name badge, people can find out who you are and where you live if they really want to, so I don't see why so many nurses get so exercised about the last-name-on-badge thing.

(On the other hand, I do think it's scary that some state BONs publish licensees' home addresses with the license info on the websites. That seems completely unnecessary to me, and I'm glad I've never been licensed in a state that does that.)

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as a male, being threaten (i'm talking credible threats), stalked, etc. doesn't really happen. i tend to get called into a room or to take over a patient's care when the above happens with SOME of the female nurses, the other female nurses seem to have balls of steel, are tough as hell and/or they would love to have someone stalk them, ha.

name tags have to do with customer service, a nurse's safety off of hospital grounds doesn't really matter to admin, it barely matters on hospital grounds.

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Specializes in ICU.

Our name badges have our department, first name, and credentials on the front with a picture. The back of our IDs have our full name with last name and the barcode we scan to clock in and out. It works well.

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Specializes in Case Mgmt, Anesthesia, ICU, ER, Dialysis.

Florida publishes "addresses of record", so many nurses have started listing their employer's address, or, in my case, because my husband is law enforcement, I get to not have it there at all! I've always blacked out my last name, because there are crazy people out there (don't we all know it!) and if they ask, I'll tell them, but all they need to know is I'm the nurse doing my best to care for their loved one in the most professional, kind and compassionate way I can.

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