Do you get discipline for not wearing ID badge?

Nursing Students CNA/MA

Published

On our employee's handbooks it said that we are required to wear our ID badge. But what I see is that not everyone at work is wearing their ID, especially the people that work PM only a few of them wearing it and Noc about 1-2 ppl have their ID on so the rest just dont bother to wear it at all. When I was still a new cna I wearing them for a few months and then after that I stop wearing my ID b/c I just don't want everyone to know my last name...but it turn out like the whole facility already know it by now. And also b/c I see many CNAs not wearing them so that's why I stop wearing my ID too.

My question is, do we get in trouble for not wearing our ID while on duty?

And how many of you not wearing your ID and why?

Thx!!

We are required to wear our badge even when we are not working.

..go to pick up our paycheck and are off the clock, badge MUST be worn

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Specializes in CNA.
And also b/c I see many CNAs not wearing them so that's why I stop wearing my ID too.

For pity's sake, do not ever, ever, EVER do something wrong at work just because your coworkers did it.

Especially as a CNA.

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Specializes in geriatrics, dementia, ortho.

We don't get disciplined for not wearing ours, although they do list our first and last names. Ours are the magnetic type which means they fall off pretty easily, and when you have a combative resident grabbing your scrubs and pulling you in to try to give you a whoopin' the magnets are just no match. I often take off my nametag ahead of time so I don't have to worry about losing it in certain resident's rooms. Then I put it back on when I'm done with them.

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The discipline part is going to vary from place to place. All facilities probably have a policy of some type and place.

As a patient or visitor helping the patient....This is my #1 pet peeve in health care. Well, #1 is any person walking in my room and not introducing themselves. Doctors included. Then, you have no clue who is who doing what if they are not wearing a name tag.

Last names aren't necessary, but just about everyone wears scrubs. Housekeeping, laundry, nursing (nurses, techs) phlebotomy, dietary etc.....

yeah, it might be easy to figure out who is housekeeping if they are pushing a mop, but not always.

Why hide your name...be proud of the work you do!

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Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.
There is no way some stranger could "wander in" to my facility wearing scrubs and start wiping butts without everyone questioning it. I think it's MORE of a security issue when last names are used. No one has ever just wandered into my workplace, however it is not unheard of to have "lonely" family members make creepy remarks to staff, follow some of them home, look up their numbers and call them at home, etc.

Sure they can...do you never have new employees starting?

I can see it now, "Yes, my name is Registered Sex Offender Bob, I used to work here several years ago and I just started back this week...glad to be back on the team! Wow, place has really changed!"

Seriously...it is THAT easy.

To me, if you are going to be a professional, then you shouldn't have a problem with your last name being seen...police officers have to do it, judges, lawyers, physicians, nurse practitioners...but then again, I am all for the elevation of the profession of nursing instead of supporting practices to set it backwards.

To me, the ONLY exceptions should be taking care of psychiatric patients and prisoners...other than that, if I was the DON...no way would that fly.

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Specializes in LTC.

Maybe our turnover is just not crazy-high, but when someone new is hired they are put on the schedule that everyone signs daily and the DON escorts them to the unit they're working on and introduces them to their nurse and the person that's training them. We had one person who had been working there about a year show up with a new and different hairstyle one day and admin followed her down to the time clock before they recognized her. We get new patients (and their visitors) far more often than we get new employees.

And you can still be professional on a first name basis. I had a stalker at a previous place of employment, and it was terrifying. The police were useless until he started threatening very bad things. I ended up leaving that job. If not wanting to display my full name makes me backwards, fine.

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I work in a NURSING HOME, but that doesn't stop occasional visitors from bringing firearms and other weapons into the facility and threatening staff and residents. I do NOT want my full name displayed to these gun-toting maniacs. These days, ANYONE can get your full address, phone number, and goodness knows what other information with only the internet, your full name, and $19.95. Full name on name badge? If I were a primary care provider, maybe. But as a CNA? No thanks.

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Specializes in CNA: LTC & DD.
For pity's sake, do not ever, ever, EVER do something wrong at work just because your coworkers did it.

Especially as a CNA.

If all of your co-workers started shaving their residents' heads bald instead of washing their hair, you wouldn't follow suit, right?

....Right?!

My last job all our name tags had was our First Name, Last Initial, and our title and a picture of us on it. At my current job, we are not issued name tags - one more thing for somebody to grab off you and stick in their mouth/brief/toilet/etc. And honestly, in the small group homes I work in, name tags are sort of redundant after a while. A stranger with no authorization stands out IMMEDIATELY. "Uh, you're not on shift, and you aren't on the schedule, who the f*** are you?!?"

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I'm a CNA. There is NO reason anyone needs to know my last name. A doctor, yes, this information needs to be known. Same with an NP, a lawyer, etc. You elect to hire these people. You personally choose what doctor you use, and his license stands on its own. You can't equate a CNA with an MD.

I am a CNA in a facility. I do wear my nametag. I would not wear it if it had last names. It is not anything even REMOTELY similar to knowing a Dr.'s last name. My faciility is responsible for knowing who I am and regulating who they hire, and if a family member has an issue with me, my first name is sufficient. It is none of anyone else's business to know my last name.

It's not a matter of "elevating nursing", it's a fact that it's different.

But you know what? If you want to start paying me a doctor's wages, then sure, I'll start taking the risks involved with having everyone who walks into my facility know my full name.

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Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.
I'm a CNA. There is NO reason anyone needs to know my last name. A doctor, yes, this information needs to be known. Same with an NP, a lawyer, etc. You elect to hire these people. You personally choose what doctor you use, and his license stands on its own. You can't equate a CNA with an MD.

I am a CNA in a facility. I do wear my nametag. I would not wear it if it had last names. It is not anything even REMOTELY similar to knowing a Dr.'s last name. My faciility is responsible for knowing who I am and regulating who they hire, and if a family member has an issue with me, my first name is sufficient. It is none of anyone else's business to know my last name.

It's not a matter of "elevating nursing", it's a fact that it's different.

But you know what? If you want to start paying me a doctor's wages, then sure, I'll start taking the risks involved with having everyone who walks into my facility know my full name.

Physician's are licensed by the state.

CNA's are licensed by the state.

The public, has a LEGAL right to know who they are interacting with.

It is that simple.

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I'm a CNA. There is NO reason anyone needs to know my last name. A doctor, yes, this information needs to be known. Same with an NP, a lawyer, etc. You elect to hire these people. You personally choose what doctor you use, and his license stands on its own. You can't equate a CNA with an MD.

I am a CNA in a facility. I do wear my nametag. I would not wear it if it had last names. It is not anything even REMOTELY similar to knowing a Dr.'s last name. My faciility is responsible for knowing who I am and regulating who they hire, and if a family member has an issue with me, my first name is sufficient. It is none of anyone else's business to know my last name.

It's not a matter of "elevating nursing", it's a fact that it's different.

But you know what? If you want to start paying me a doctor's wages, then sure, I'll start taking the risks involved with having everyone who walks into my facility know my full name.

Wearing your name tag and what it says on it may very well be State law where you live, it is in the 3 States I'm licensed to practice in.

And yu do realize that even if your name tag doesn't have your last name if a patient asks you have to tell them. It's one of the prices you pay for working in healthcare, the patient has the right to know exactly who is taking care of them.

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Again, CNAs are not LICENSED by anyone. A certification is not a license.

Beyond that, I am not going to continue to argue about this. I wear my nametag, as I said, and my facility agrees that there is no need for our last names to be on there. If you think they should and you want everyone you come in contact with at work to know your full name, knock yourself out, I don't care.

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