facebook "stalking" as a nurse?

[meghan91]

I was just sitting here thinking and thought, wow at my hospital we wear name tags that say our position, first name and last name.

**Does anyone ever worry about some patients who dont have your best interest in mind to try and find you on facebook and kind of stalk you?

** Has anyone had this happen to them, where a former patient kept bothering them via facebook?

** Has anyone had a patient literally stalk you? Do you ever worry about wearing name tags with your full name on it?

**What did you do to stop it?

** Do you think a full name is required on a name tag?

Im not saying all people will do that but working in the medical feild we all come into contact with a ton of people on a daily basis and some might not be the safest people ever either, it was just a thought on this name tag thing. What are your opinons on it.

[hiddencatRN, BSN, RN]

My facebook settings are adjusted so that unless you are on my friends list, you see very limited information about me.

[Mike A. Fungin RN]

Yeah, I hear peoples' concerns about facebook all the time so I guess they aren't aware of the privacy settings? It's very easy to control who does and does not have access to you on facebook.

[TiffyRN, BSN, PhD]

Maybe you would get information about me from a credit check or something but my facebook settings are locked up pretty tight. I've even been known to temporarily adjust individual privacy settings when there are things I don't want everyone on my friends list to be aware of.

I'm also super selective about who I "friend" from work. Of the dozens of requests I've had I have only accepted 3 people.

[tablefor9, RN]

What they said...also, how about not having last name on your badge? Who in the HR world still thinks that's a good idea? I think that's worth working to change in your facility, esp for areas like ER, ICU, and L&D.

[rkitty198, BSN, RN]

I had an experience that was very close to being stalked.

I took care of this patient and she had a hysterectomy. Her husband made comments like "oh she isnt a woman anymore." I couldnt believe my ears! He would make other comments about "finding a woman to play with." Poor wife.

Anyhow, a few weeks later I had messages from him on my Myspace account. He was telling me how pretty I was and how his wife "isnt the same after her surgery." He was asking to meet me after work and so forth.

I ignored him and never responded, to his 6 messages.

Then a few weeks later he called my home! He left me a message that was something like "you know who I am." At first I didnt and it clicked when he left me another message on Myspace. The message was blah blah I left you a message at home and why havent I called him back. The only message I sent him was "how did you get my number?" He then said it was easy because "you can get anything even your credit score online for the right amount of money." Still not sure how he got my number, because it wasnt listed and upon research I didnt see a way to purchase a phone number online. But he had my number nonetheless.

I was so creeped out.

I sent a letter to my Board of Nursing after I made a report to our head of security. We had our first and last names on our badge and security said that it was "law" and there wasnt anything they could do. I sent my letter about the incident to the Board of Nursing and they said it wasnt "law" to have my first and last name on my badge and I at least needed my first name on the badge. I showed the BON reply letter to the security department and nothing was done. I didnt make a police report because our security dept. made me feel like nothing would happen because this guy didnt "threaten" me.

Luckily we moved states and I didnt have to deal much with my "stalker" anymore.

I have to say I had some trouble sleeping, until I moved.

I havent heard from him again, I cancelled my Myspace and I will never erase an answering machine message like that again (I was so creeped out I thought erasing the message would make it go away).

I work for hospital now where we only have our first names on our badges thank goodness. Still where there is a will there is a way. With a discharge signature or some consent form another patient is able to contact me- I dont think we are safe from these types, being that we work in the public eye.

I did learn to be more careful when going to my car at night and to not be so naive.

[Dazglue, ADN, BSN, MSN, RN]

First and last name on badges are not ALWAYS going to sto someone from finding you because if they REALLY want to stalk you they'll find a way. But just don't accept friend requests from people you don't know. Don't accept a former patient's request. Just turn them down. And you're always able to keep your things private. There's even a setting where if someone searches for you by your name they can't find you.

[nursemike, ASN, RN]

In my state, and I'm guessing most others, patients have a right to know your first and last name and see a clearly visible ID. And, if you think of it, they really have more reason to worry about us than we have to worry about them. In five years, I don't think a single patient has ever asked to see my naughty bits or chased me down the hall, whereas I've done both more times than I like to think about.

[RNperdiem, RN]

I doubt the patients I take care of could remember my name, and I have never had problems with that.

I suspect if anyone is going to stalk me, it will be someone from work.

[Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN]

Unless you're on my friends list, you're not going to find out anything about me on my Facebook.

You know what's interesting, though...we have a nurse in our department who frequently "looks up" patients on Facebook. Does this person really have nothing better to do?

[JPRloverNurse]

I had a patient a few years ago who somehow knew what city I lived in. He told every nurse and aide that walked in his room what city they lived in too! I also had a psych patient who somehow knew I was a single parent, how many kids I had, where I lived, and the car I drove. He said he was going to be a great father to my children. SCARY! We had our first and last names on our badges there.

[JulesRN10]

I live in a small community where everyone knows everyone. After a lot of unprofessional coworkers and many lectures hospital wide about professionalism, I just don't participate in the Facebook/MySpace world much anymore. Even with my privacy settings set pretty high, it's too risky that the friend of a friend could be too savvy and get what they don't need. Besides, is my status of "Getting up and going to work today" really so life altering to anyone that it needs to be announced to the cyberspace world? As for stalking-like patients, yep, it happens, like I said...small town, not hard to track ya down if they want to bad enough. Our facility only puts our first name and last initial on our badge, but like another poster said, the patient "has a right to know who takes care of them" so even if you don't post your name on your badge, it is printed ALL OVER their discharge paperwork! Tried to change that, to no avail. I guess since we live in small town America, "IT" doesn't really happen here. Hoping it doesn't in order for a change to be made!