Id Badges

Wolfpax · Oct 6, 2003

The Feds want to be sure that the patients and their families know EXACTLEY who they will be terrorising, I'm surprised our addresses are not on them, seriously though... in our psych department we have tried to decorate them, little USA flags over the last name and we are not given a hard time over that, but if we flip it over so our picture is not showing or hidden then that's considered a bad...(for about a 7 month period I pasted Hillary Clinton's pic over mine until someone noticed...they weren't happy with that)

The bottom line is that in the ER and in Psych there is a high risk for finding one of our darlings sitting on our front door step some night when we get home...it happened to my nurse manager when she was a newbie... that should be enough to gaurantee our right to privacy as well... people will tell you if someone wants to find you it will not take much effort so I always wondered, why are we making it easier?

NursePru · Oct 6, 2003

Can't blame you here for being concerned for your safety. There are a lot of weirdos ot there. Especially the ones waltzing into the ER. I think that all of you should at least have the option to put stickers over your last name. Hope you are able to convince them...

zambezi, BSN, RN · Oct 6, 2003

We have first name, last intial (or last name if chosen...)"title" work area...actually our "areas" are critical care, patient care services, psych (recently changed from mental health to behavioral health on all signs), er...

OC_An Khe · Oct 6, 2003

One state board of Nursing that I know of required both first and last names as well as title on all ID badges. Their reasoning was the a patient has the right to know who is treating them and to whom they were entrusting their lives with.

My ID badge first name only with RN

live4today, RN · Oct 6, 2003

First and Last name with RN after it. I covered my last name for a while, but the patients could just walk to the nurses station and find out your last name from the unit secretary and/or by looking on a board that list both last and first names of nurses and what patients they are caring for with their phone extension next to their name. I actually had a patient call my phone from his room phone because he got my extension off the board at the nurses station. A family member did this too. Privacy? What privacy! :rolleyes:

santhony44, MSN, RN, NP · Oct 6, 2003

If people at the Post Office, public library, and Wal-Mart can have nametags with just their first names, I don't understand why nurses can't, unless it's state law. And if state law requires that, then maybe the law needs changing.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Oct 6, 2003

My hospital allows us to decide what goes on our IDs, other than our actual photo and first name, of course. (I used to have Catherine Zeta-Jones' picture pasted over my own mug until management noticed it......) I know several nurses who have both first and last names on their badges, but most of us stick with first name only. This is a small city, and it has its share of nutcases, druggies, criminals and so on whom I'd just as soon DIDN'T pay me a visit.......

Chrislynn2003 · Oct 6, 2003

My badge is like this:

First name in bold

Last name R.N.

Registered Nurse

stella123 rn · Oct 6, 2003

First name, last initial. Funny our doctor's don't wear name tags at all.

I forgot to add that we then have

RN

Picture

MEd/Surg

Elenaster · Oct 6, 2003

First Name in large letters

Last Name in smaller letters

RN

Intensive Care

My Picture on the Right hand side :nurse:

Rena RN 2003, RN · Oct 6, 2003

Rena, RN

picture below

there is no way i would work with my last name on my name badge. i can just see some of the less savory characters i deal with showing up on my door step.

Greg Bennett · Oct 6, 2003

Curious that the powers that be deem patient privacy to be VERY important while the people providing the care seem to be very public. I do understand the concern of being pursued outside of the work place, and hope such an event never occurs. By the same token, I am proud of my work and don't mind signing the canvas!