who the heck are you...

[loaparker]

I work at a hospital where we all wear identification badges, mostly hanging off of lanyards (scary) and no other form of ID. I am a new grad and find this a huge issue. I watch my patients faces as doctors, dietitians, physio's, etc, file in and out of their rooms. Badges swinging in the wind-- hard to read, and minimal if any introduction from the patient.

As I am new, and live in the middle of Australia, could you tell me... does the hospital you work in have mandatory name tags with professional designations (in addition to, or other than photo id cards on lanyards)?

Would love to know if someone can point me in the right direction for evidence based info on this-- I must be searching in the wrong areas because I am finding very little on this.

Thanks for your help!

[racing-mom4, BSN, RN]

Our badges have 1st and last names ( not too crazy about that) and say rn or lpn or cna in small letter below, our picture is also on there, drivers lic style.

As a side note, when I had baby #3, my pediatrician was out of town when his new partner, whom I had not met came to get my little guy for his circ, I asked to see his drivers lic. As he was in jeans and a golf shirt, and looked about 22. After he showed it to me and I thanked him I then followed him and baby in the cart down to the nursery just to make even more sure the nurses knew who he was by letting him in the nursery!!

12 years later I still go to that practice and every now and then he will ask me if I need to "card him" when he walks in the exam room!!!

[Shenanigans, RN]

The uniforms nurses' wear at the local hospital have "Registered Nurse" sewn into them, so you at least know they're an RN.

However, I think it can be a bit dodgey if pts know your full name. While I strongly support a pt's right to know who's caring for them (even the pscyh pts), my dad's a lawyer and I"ve had quite a few pts ask me if I was related, and then have hounded me if I said yes, and have made further comments if I said no. (I'm just a student).

Its a small town, and not a lot of peopel have my last name.

It also doesn't help that a guy with the same last name, but not related, was busted for paedophilia and EVERYONE and their dog knows about it and if people don't inquire about my dad, its' about "so, are you married to that paedophile?" (It really doesn't help that I was in the same class at Intermediate with said paedophile!!!) Not a great question to be asked by a pt in a public waiting room.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

The clip I have has never come off. And "retractable" . . that was the word I was looking for. Thanks!

steph

[towntalker]

not giving a patient/family your name will do little to protect you

there are many ways for them to obtain your info

lanyards do not need to be long and dangling, shorten t up so that it will be easier to work around

[nyapa, RN]

Hey loaparker,

I too are from Down Under.

We have lanyards, but they have clips on them, so they can be clearly seen.

Our badges have a photo, and a coloured stripe at the top. Blue for nurses, white for doctors, green for allied health, yellow for patient care assistants. And a whole variety of other colours.

When a patient comes in, I usually tell them, blue is for nurses, white is for doctors, yellow is for pcas.

As to name...we choose what name we would prefer to be called - our first name. Say your name is Leanne, but you choose to be called Lee, the latter will be on your badge

Underneath in very pale grey letters, is our full name.

So there is no risk of people hunting us down as all they have is our chosen name. I have to say, I think this idea is really clever...

[eccentricRN]

My badge has been transplanted to a retractable cord. It can be pulled out to swipe, etc... & snaps back up tight to my uniform so as not to fall into anything... you know....

Lanyards have been banned at my hospital just for that reason.

[JBudd, MSN]

Lanyards are dangerous, even the ones with breakaway tabs. When I'm going into the locked room in the ED, I don't even like having my stethescope around my neck. Its just too easily made into a weapon.