Last names on ID badges and retaliation by patients

Nurses Relations

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I am a nursing student who would like input on her school's policy on ID badges. We are currently required to display our full first and last name on our name tags at our clinical sites.

I contend that this is a significant safety risk to me and my fellow students, especially in light of recent incidents of violence against health care workers.

Would you be willing to share your stories with me? I am specifically looking for instances where a patient or visitor found out your last name and was able to harass you as a result. I may share a few of these anecdotes in my presentation, so please let me know if I can include your story.

I am aware of an OSHA document that recommends against the use of last names on ID badges. Do you know of any other news or scholarly articles I can present to them.

Thank you all for your help :)

I agree with what you are saying, Mr. Huffman. However, have you considered that you might have a different perspective on personal safety because you are a man?

I feel the same way and I'm a woman. I just think people are kidding themselves to believe that not including a last name on a tag will make them safer. If some patient/family member wants to hurt me, they know where I work. They don't need to look me up, they just have to wait outside the hospital doors.

My family is full of cops who deal with more dangerous people every day and none of them have ever tried to only use their first name while working because it doesn't make them safer (and yes, there are women included in that group). I think it's something that makes some nurses feel better, but is otherwise pretty ineffective at preventing violence. If we are talking about a determined crazy stalker, they will not have much trouble getting your name from the chart (how else can patients make complaints to supervisors/BONs?). If we are talking about a crazy opportunistic nut, they will just wait for you to leave work.

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Specializes in OR, Hospice.
If you wonder what you can do with a last name, try this out.

http://www.zabasearch.com/

Now THAT'S disturbing!

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Specializes in NICU.
Now THAT'S disturbing!

Ha, I'm in there with four different addresses. The best defense is to move around a lot, I guess....

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I once done a search on my full name on a new website in the uk for phonenumbers and found that just my name would give not only my phonenumber, but my full address. I blanked out my surname with my managers permission, but am awaiting my new name badge, I'll be interested to see if they try to include it again!

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I agree with what you are saying, Mr. Huffman. However, have you considered that you might have a different perspective on personal safety because you are a man?

Yes, I have considered that. However, while I'm hardly a feminist, I tend to assume that women -- like men -- are able to care for themselves. And I think that projecting an unafraid, confident air tends to keep the kooks at bay. (And, trust me, I am well aware of the kooks).

I am married, and have 3 daughters (a son, too, but he's not germane to the discussion). And I encourage my wife and daughters to do what they want to do/what's important to them, and not be afraid. Obviously, this involves not doing stupid things (men should avoid those, too) but going through life afraid is no way to live. And to give you a personal example, my wife is a college professor. She's had her share of problem students, and they obviously know her name, and could find our address, but it just isn't a problem.

One of the most encouraging (and funny, too) things I've read in a long time is the following:

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050615/NEWS03/506150321

They're not nurses, but I suspect they were all women. I suspect the thief will not likely want to tangle with them any time soon.

Jim Huffman, RN

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

This had happened to our ER nurses and aides SEVERAL times ("*****, you wouldn't give me my medicine, i'm going to hunt you down" being something that sticks out in my mind). So now it's an option to put last names on badges. It took nurses getting threatened with their lives for HR to wake up and say "hey, maybe this is a problem?"

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Yes, I have considered that. However, while I'm hardly a feminist, I tend to assume that women -- like men -- are able to care for themselves. And I think that projecting an unafraid, confident air tends to keep the kooks at bay. (And, trust me, I am well aware of the kooks).

I am married, and have 3 daughters (a son, too, but he's not germane to the discussion). And I encourage my wife and daughters to do what they want to do/what's important to them, and not be afraid. Obviously, this involves not doing stupid things (men should avoid those, too) but going through life afraid is no way to live. And to give you a personal example, my wife is a college professor. She's had her share of problem students, and they obviously know her name, and could find our address, but it just isn't a problem.

One of the most encouraging (and funny, too) things I've read in a long time is the following:

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050615/NEWS03/506150321

They're not nurses, but I suspect they were all women. I suspect the thief will not likely want to tangle with them any time soon.

Jim Huffman, RN

I agree with what you've said about not going through life afraid. I don't. You also said "obviously this involves not doing stupid things"...and I very much agree with this also. I just think that for me, putting a badge with my full name on my chest or around my neck falls into that category. I respectfully acknowledge that this is not your opinion. We just see things differently.

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Patients and family members most vivid recollection of us is at a particular moment...usually when they are seeing us face to face. That's when they see that name tag and mentally capture that full name along with their feelings towards us. So..IMO it DOES help limit the opportunity for those with motive, to not be advertising the full name on a tag. Can they see the chart later??? Yes, but they will be less likely to put the name with the face then IMO.

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Totally agree with you sbic56!! You couldn't have said it better. Mr. Huffman has a pretty common name, but I don't have a common first or last name. If someone looked me up...it would be ME and not another someone with the same name.

I fully agree. Lets face, we as nurses often have more personal and intimate, long term contact with out pts than most docs do. We also have no choice as to who we accept as a pt, and know nothing of their history. The nurse/pt relationship is not the same as nurse/doc. In my hospital we are required to wear ID with first and last name, photo as well as it must be displayed on the top right of our uniform facing forward. Im aware that if someone really want to stalk me, they can follow me, search for me etc. But why make it easy for them? If someone wants to steal my car or break into my home, they can also do that, but locking the doors, removing the keys and taking other safety precautions only makes good sense. imo...

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Specializes in ER, NICU, NSY and some other stuff.

GO to yahoo people search and type in your name and you will not only get your address and phone number but also a map to your house.

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Some idiots equate the term nurse with sex object, as nurses were once almost exclusively female.

Think about it...Nurse Huffman conjures up a sexier image than James H.

Don't you just love stereotypes?

Good one!

I agree with those who don't want to be forced to put their last name on their name tag and to me it has nothing to do with being a professional nurse to have "Nurse Huffman, Registered Nurse" on your name tag - kind redundant anyway.

I have my first name only and RN.

It is, in my opinion, my right.

And I live in a small town where everyone knows me because I married into one of the pioneer families here. ;-)

steph

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I guess in a small town it makes little difference...they know ya anyway...LOL! but in the big city, you can better believe I take steps to protect myself. Too many entitled, hostile nutcases who get pizzed at the nurse and immediately eyeballs (and remembers) the full name. They just don't need to have it so readily, IMHO.

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