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".
I'm sure some pt or family must have complained so TPTB had to think uup something. Just how 'personal' are these pix? How big? What about when 'floaters' work? Is it like a wall gallery of photos? A photo for your 'professional portfolio?
I got to tell you though, I just completed a course of out-pt rad tx. I was NOT able to tell most of the staff apart. It really wasn't critical to my tx or my 'need-to-know' or my LOC. But it was DEFINITELY annoying.
The 'mandatory' approach is just too over the top!
Specializes in Oncology, ID, Hepatology, Occy Health.
Check out the legal situation with a law person.
I don't know about the US, but in many European countries your image is private property and you have the right for it not be shared publicly if you so wish.
We have one of those "meet the team" boards with our photos on at the entrance to the unit. One of my colleagues has refused to let her photo be used and it's not an issue since it's her legal right here in France. I personally have no problem with it but I might have felt differently if it was mandatory.
Some hospitals allow you to just have for example David, Nurse on your name badge and not display your family name. I knew of cases in the UK of nurses being stalked and hunted out by fruitloop patients, so I don't think it's such a bad idea.
This topic of pictures have always been a concern to me,especially for my privacy and safety.I have always refused to pose for patient /family pics.It is a concern for those who are having certain type of domestic issues,stalker issues,or in a witness protection program or just general safety.No good will come of this terrible idea.Your ID is sufficent,know your rights,just like they can not force your ss number to appear everywhere.We work all different hours ,have to travel by many different means, some unsafe locations.See how many nurses have disappeared coming to or leaving work and never made it home.Sorry to say ,not all our patients/family are sane.
A manager on another floor in my hospital required her staff to have their pics taken and then they were all put at the entrance to the unit. I saw the same thing on a floor at a competitor. It seems to be about the whims of the manager in charge.
Although I do understand this situation is a little different since everyone is masked up now. The pics I saw were from years ago and I was waiting for it to take off across the nation like bedside report and hourly rounding. LOL
Don't see it happening where I used to work since when they took over they kept are same photo for the new hospital name badge. Mine was over 20 years old. LOL
I wouldn't like that at all. Not only do I hate my face, but I have taken care of my fair share of very vocally and physically inappropriate patients and I don't want to imagine them staring at a blown up picture of me on their wall while they do their thing.
I won’t participate, as a woman who lives alone it’s no ones business what I look like. Many woman have reasons for keeping private thing private. Personally, I don’t give a crap about “engaging” with patients, admin can do that if they feel it is so all important.
amoLucia
7,736 Posts
I'm sure some pt or family must have complained so TPTB had to think uup something. Just how 'personal' are these pix? How big? What about when 'floaters' work? Is it like a wall gallery of photos? A photo for your 'professional portfolio?
I got to tell you though, I just completed a course of out-pt rad tx. I was NOT able to tell most of the staff apart. It really wasn't critical to my tx or my 'need-to-know' or my LOC. But it was DEFINITELY annoying.
The 'mandatory' approach is just too over the top!