Name Badges

[melsay]

Does anyone out there feel the same as I about our FULL name being branded across our chest for all the world to see. I have a problem w/ patients looking my name and phone # up, and calling me at home about their health problems. Although I handle this professionally when it does happen, tell them this is my time away from work and w/ my family, and if they want to call me at work they are more than welcome to, and I will discuss their issues then. It is just very frustrating. I'm not sure if there is a legal issue behind our FULL name being on display. Anyone have any ideas where to find info. on this. BTW, I live in VA. Myself and my fellow nurses have voiced our concerns to administration, w/ no explination as to why they have to be there, or only first name, etc...(then again who ever gets a straight answer from those guys)

In this day and time it is scary to think that a disgruntled patient can look your name up in the phone book , then do a search on the net, and get your ADDRESS!! Does someone have to be stalked and murdered before the "rules" will change.

Thanks for listening to my gripe...

[Nurse Ratched, RN]

Originally posted by Lausana

On second thought, next time some wierdo calls, give them the name of one of the deaf administrators to look up and call and see how they enjoy that.

Now you're thinking!

I am aghast at this as well. My first name only is on my badge at work at the hospital d/t being a psych ward. All staff who float up are REQUIRED to cover theirs if they have it on. If a patient from anywhere called me at home, they would get that I am not their on-call nurse, they are not to call me again, and they need to follow whatever plan they had ready for if they hadn't reached me. Anyone who needed to be given this spiel after a second phone call might also hear that I consider it harassment - as does the law - to call me at home when I specfically asked not to be.

My nunber is also unlisted, but probably available somewhere on the internet. No problems ever thus far.

[ThirdWorldGirl]

Good morning ! I'm new here and didn't think I would find a topic that I could reply to so quick but I did. The hospital I work for has our full names on our badges except for the people that work at the psychiatric unit. Well I'm a float pool LVN and my full name was on my badge and I just requested HR make me a new one without my last name in case I got pulled over there and didn't think to place a piece of tape over it. I used to work for a juvenile correctional facility, and somehow a kid there managed to get my number either by calling information or whatnot, and I got a crank call from him, needless to say I was very upset. Good Luck

[OBNURSEHEATHER]

Ours have our first name very large, and then out last name in smaller print underneath. I saw the other day that one of my employees put a little piece of tape over her last name, maybe I'll do that.

My mom works psych, too many horror stories. I don't see why my patient would need to know my last name.

Heather

[emily_mom]

We have a choice whether to have the whole last name or just the first letter. I did the latter. Also the same for school. When we went to the jail to do TB testing, we don't wear it at all.

When I used to be a mgr at a store and worked nights, I NEVER wore my name badge. Just the fact that it said manager = safe = money = my death....

Kristy

[ThirdWorldGirl]

Can I add another input here regarding maybe we as health care professionals should be addressed by our titles rather than our first names? When I used to work in long term care I had a male patient that was very arrogant and demanding, basically made the nursing staff dread having to go to assist him, please don't think I'm a rude person I am just telling it like it was, well he was a retired physician (many years ago) and I always referred to all the elderly patients as mr./ms. and it was just habit, well one day I was helping pass breakfast trays in the dining room and I took him his tray, and said "here's your breakfast mr. smith" he said "angela, I am a physician and you will address me as dr. smith" well I said "yes, sir" I walked off and started passing more trays and he needed some more jelly from the serving cart and said "angela would you get me some more jelly?" I said "dr. smith I am a nurse you will address me as Nurse Smith. Well his reaction was "you've always been so kind to me, you can call me mr. smith if you would rather" :) I really wasn't trying to disrespect him by not calling him Dr. like I said it was just habit to address all residents as mr.ms. Bye

[PowerPuffGirl]

I'm angered about the security and safety issues- I wish I could say that I don't believe patients are calling you at home... but I do believe it.

If management is so fixated on nursing staff having their last names on name-badges, perhaps everyone should change their last name to Smith or Doe?

Excellent points, too, about professionalism and use of titles. I'd never really thought about that, before.

[Whisper]

My official name badge 'broke', I hated it, It had my full name on it, as well as which university I am studying at.

Since it 'broke' I keep it in my pocket so I can show it to get into secure areas, such as peads, or pharmacy... every one elsse can read my train shaped badge with my name on. If I make it as far as qualifying I may buy a more mature badge, but until then I'll make do with this.

[fergus51]

Ours have first and last and won't be changed. The reasoning behind it is patients have a right to their charts where the first and last names of every nurse are there to see so having it on the badges is kind of irellevant.

[SmilingBluEyes]

Thank goodness, neither place I work requires, or even encourages, use of last names on name tags. I use my last initial only cause there are more than one "Deb" where I work.......

I would NEVER display my FULL NAME On a badge for all patients/family to see. Having read that thread about the nurse who was stalked and killed by angry family members re-affirms my beliefs strongly. If nothing else, PUT TAPE OVER IT WHEN AT WORK. That is what I would do.

[howie122832]

I would put a sticker or a piece of tape over my last name if I were you. My husband is a firefighter/paramedic, so we have our # unlisted so the lunatics cannot find him at home....Some people are really wacked...

[ERNurse752, RN]

Originally posted by fergus51

Ours have first and last and won't be changed. The reasoning behind it is patients have a right to their charts where the first and last names of every nurse are there to see so having it on the badges is kind of irellevant.

All the more reason to sign your name illegibly at all times.

I have my first name and last initial, as well as an unlisted phone number.

I've covered up my last name with tape at other places...and if mgmt ever told me I couldn't do it, I'd still do it.

There was an incident with a nurse I work with...her full name was on his discharge instructions, and he found her in the phone book and started calling her home and hanging up the phone, and leaving recordings of "Last Dance Mary Jane" (the part of the song where she DIES), on her answering machine...she had to have all her calls traced, and get a no-contact order from her local police.

[BadBird, BSN, RN]

Just put a cute little sticker over your last name. Or turn your badge backwards unless the suits are looking.