ID badges/anyone know the law in california?

suzanne4, RN · Mar 7, 2004

Any hospital where I have ever worked in the Emergency Dept, all of our badges only had our first names, NEVER had last names. And this didn't change even in different states.

LoriRN911 · Mar 7, 2004

Any hospital where I have ever worked in the Emergency Dept, all of our badges only had our first names, NEVER had last names. And this didn't change even in different states.

I worked in Corrections in the Boston area and we were allowed to white out our last names. As a matter of fact the deputies told us the less they knew about you the better. However if the inmates want to know anything about you they are going to find out. Last year one of our CO's had found in an inmates cell the names, address and phone #'s of the staff. Hmmmmm How do they get these things?? Ther'ye not in there for being good. This was an all male facility.

Lori

fiestynurse · Mar 8, 2004

There is a law in California, AB 1439, that went into effect on Jan. 1, 1999, and states that all healthcare practitioners must be identified with their name (first and last) and practitioner license status (title) in at least 18-point type. The bill does clarify, however, that "if a healthcare practitioner or licensed clinical social worker is working in a psychiatric setting or in a setting that is not licensed by the state, the employing entity or agency shall have the discretion to make an exception ... for individual safety or therapeutic concerns."

The law does allow nurses to put only their first name on an ID badge in a Psychiatric or Correctional Facility. Your facility should have a policy regarding this. I have seen badges with the first name in 18-point type and the last name much smaller underneath.

NurseChick04 · May 2, 2004

I worked at a prison in Texas that we only went by our last name..but it wasn't too hard for the inmates to figure out our first names???