I am not sure if anyone has discussed this before but I think this needs action from us all....
I just went to the Secretary of State website to find out the status of my license and realized I could type a last name of any licensed nurse and find there home address. Give it a try, I could find any of my coworkers old classmates etc... (this is in Ga., I am not sure about other states)
I dont have much of a problem with it because I am a guy and dont think I will be stalked anytime soon but for the 75% of the female nurses out there it is a tragedy waiting to happen.
As nurses, we deal with all sorts of people, both good and bad. I for one do not want my patients having my home address without my knowledge.
I am going to send a letter to the Secretary of State to ensure this matter gets resolved but this is a heads up that I may need your help.
State of Arizona posts Full legal name, any licensure you carry or have carried, any complaints against you and a category of it's nature but not what it actually was, positive drug testing, licensure on suspension or revolked. All information is on the web and is sent out in a quarterly mailing. Just basic stuff, but what gets me: they are known to be inaccurate or have a duplicate name. For example: one RN supervisor had her name listed as license being revolked. It never was, it was a clerical error because payment reached the office late to renew. The other, two people same names, different middle names. Was was RT the other RN. RT's name was listed as the RN who had license on suspension. So co-workers thought our RT was actually an RN who had her license revolked due to unsafe care. Hmm: that made for interesting talk around the water cooler. But I believe RT have a different governing board and it had been clarified and cleared.Gott to love the information hiway!:uhoh21:
The BON is a consumer protection agency. Just like contractor boards, just like medical boards. Information is listed so that the consumer can check you out. They have a legal right. They also have a legal right to know your name and license # and Town so you can be checked out. Some state boards may feel it is necessary to list street addresses to reduce doubt which "Mary Smith RN" they are looking at.
When you assume a license to practice anything you give up certain rights of privacy.
You have an option; educate your legislators that your safty is at risk by revealing certain information. Have research and specifics to back up your claims. Use this to petition for a bill to change the law.
I am not sure if anyone has discussed this before but I think this needs action from us all....
I just went to the Secretary of State website to find out the status of my license and realized I could type a last name of any licensed nurse and find there home address. Give it a try, I could find any of my coworkers old classmates etc... (this is in Ga., I am not sure about other states)
I dont have much of a problem with it because I am a guy and dont think I will be stalked anytime soon but for the 75% of the female nurses out there it is a tragedy waiting to happen.
As nurses, we deal with all sorts of people, both good and bad. I for one do not want my patients having my home address without my knowledge.
I am going to send a letter to the Secretary of State to ensure this matter gets resolved but this is a heads up that I may need your help.
Thanks
Jim
With the internet and the invention of the "Wayback" machine...if a psycho patient really, really wants to find out where you live....they can.
Why does the general public need to be able to look up our license information? Make it easier for the public to report issues directly to the B.O.N, but don't publish our information on the net.
If you truly are afraid of some "crack pot" locating you stay off the internet. Do not have a phone with a listing. Do not give out your address ever to anyone. Do not have your address printed on your checks. Do not have your address of your diver's license. I could go on and on.
As I said earlier I have found complete strangers who use a fake moniker online and have been able to positively locate them within minutes.
Oh yea, when you go home from work don't go home you may be followed. (it has happened)
I think a little reality check is needed. You can be located by anyone if they want to badly enough. Let's face it generally you are not that interesting to people for them to do this. Crack pots have stalked nurses true. Generally they do not go to the trouble of looking you up on the BON web site to find you because there are easier ways of doing it. Like finding you at work or following you home. Or checking out your car or license plate #, etc.
I agree. I don't think a nurse or a doctor is any more likely to be stalked than the general population. A last name doesn't matter either, and considering my first name is EXTREMELY common and my last name isn't...I would GLADLY have my last name on a name badge rather than a complaint getting filed and someone thinking it's me when it isn't.
I agree. I don't think a nurse or a doctor is any more likely to be stalked than the general population. A last name doesn't matter either, and considering my first name is EXTREMELY common and my last name isn't...I would GLADLY have my last name on a name badge rather than a complaint getting filed and someone thinking it's me when it isn't.
I disagree. If you are doing your job, you are spending wayyy more time with the pt than the MD which means making yourself more of a target, not less. Being that I work in psych, NO WAY am I giving out my last name etc. My phone is also unlisted. I'm not getting pulled into someone's delusion, thank you very much!
Regarding getting a complaint filed against me for something I didn't do...that is called LIBEL and defamation of character. I would have absolutely no qualms and would immediately file a countersuit.
I agree you must protect yourself more if you are in psyc. However, with that said. The BON is a consumer protection agency not a nurse protection agency. Too many nurses think the BON is there to serve the nurse it is not. That is the job of your State Nurses Association.
As far as psyc. When I did my psyc rotation in LPN school and again in RN school I ran into psyc patients whom I knew and who knew me outside of the hospital. They knew where I lived already. There are just too many psyc. patients out there. This is a small world and it is not unheard of to find your neighbor is psycotic.
Agnus
2,719 Posts
The BON is a consumer protection agency. Just like contractor boards, just like medical boards. Information is listed so that the consumer can check you out. They have a legal right. They also have a legal right to know your name and license # and Town so you can be checked out. Some state boards may feel it is necessary to list street addresses to reduce doubt which "Mary Smith RN" they are looking at.
When you assume a license to practice anything you give up certain rights of privacy.
You have an option; educate your legislators that your safty is at risk by revealing certain information. Have research and specifics to back up your claims. Use this to petition for a bill to change the law.