Mandatory Staff Pictures In Patient Rooms

Nurses General Nursing

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I've been an RN in Illinois since 2004 and have been at my current (non union) employer for almost 10 years. A few weeks ago we were all told that the hospital had a "great" way for us to engage with our patients more. Since we are wearing masks all the time administration thought it would be great for us to have our pictures taken and put on the wall in the patient rooms so they can "see" who is taking care of them. Several staff members on my unit are completely uncomfortable with that. Do we have any recourse? Can we be fired if we refuse?

We have our work ID badges with our pictures on them so we're not sure why we need pictures of ourselves in the patient rooms as well. A compromise would be to change our ID badges and make our pictures bigger and easier to see but that idea was rejected. We were told that our pictures being in the patient rooms was "not an option, it is mandatory". 

Help!

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13 minutes ago, ClassOf2004 said:

Several staff members on my unit are completely uncomfortable with that.

What is the specific concern?

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Specializes in school nurse.

On a personal level I don't have a problem with it. I get the reality of masks cuts into cues that we normally receive from people and maybe interferes with our concept of them.

That being said, the mandatory thing really frosts my cornflakes...

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I guess I don’t see the issue.  Your picture is on your name badge.  PreCovid nobody wore masks so the saw your faces for the entire 12 hour shift.  It’s just a picture.  How would this be different if covid had never happened?

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Specializes in CMSRN, hospice.

I would be super unhappy with this too - but then, I was also unhappy when they handed me a blown-up copy of my HORRIFIC badge picture a couple weeks ago to wear into the rooms. What is the rationale they gave for rejecting that idea?

I guess I'm wondering if the pictures are a permanent fixture, or is it something like a magnet that you'd affix to the whiteboard next to your name and then take it down when your shift is over. Either way, it's totally annoying and I get why that's not sitting well with folks. Unfortunately, probably not much to contest it with.

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1 hour ago, LovingLife123 said:

I guess I don’t see the issue.  Your picture is on your name badge.

I don't think I have a real problem with it either. I wondered if it was an issue of the photos possibly being misused. Our photos are on our badges, yes, but someone would have to be pretty bold to attempt to get a decent picture of that (using their phone, etc.). But if it's blown up/hanging on the wall...maybe they'd make memes with it when they got bored, or worse. ???‍♀️.

I do kind of think it's weird, just probably not a hill to die on.

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Specializes in ER.

Another example of an idiotic idea cooked up after multiple meetings by otherwise useless people who take off their masks most of the day in the comfort of their offices.

Signed- Looking Forward to Retirement 

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Specializes in Mental health, substance abuse, geriatrics, PCU.
2 minutes ago, Emergent said:

Another example of an idiotic idea cooked up after multiple meetings by otherwise useless people who take off their masks most of the day in the comfort of their offices.

Signed- Looking Forward to Retirement 

You took the words right out of my mouth. We wonder why healthcare is in the shape it is now.

I think it's just really weird, I wouldn't want my fat face plastered on the wall of a patient's room either. 

This reminds me when we started sending Thank You cards to our surgical patients, who wants a thank you card for getting a colonoscopy? 

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Specializes in Dialysis.
3 hours ago, JKL33 said:

But if it's blown up/hanging on the wall...maybe they'd make memes with it when they got bored, or worse.

Oh, my, if DaveyDo were to get admitted, imagine the possibilities ?

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Specializes in ER.
On 2/2/2021 at 8:56 PM, TheMoonisMyLantern said:

This reminds me when we started sending Thank You cards to our surgical patients, who wants a thank you card for getting a colonoscopy? 

That sounds similar to getting a Christmas Card from State Farm?

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Geriatrics, Wound Care.

I don't know how much good it will really do. Many patients can't read the board much less make out pictures. It could help the patients differentiate by their primary nurse their other "nurses" (PT/OT/tech/doctor/phlebotomist)..

One hospital I worked with, the provider team gave their patients a color page that listed all of the doctors/NPs with a photo.  I have also seen staff photos used on patient boards before, can be especially nice if they include your name and your phone number (if you have an assigned number).

I would just hope they let you have a photo you like, even if you have to submit your own.

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Your administrators sound bored. Buy them a stack of crossword puzzle books or pull the fire alarms more often.

I think I would draw a mustache on my picture.

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