Name Badges

[melsay]

Does anyone out there feel the same as I about our FULL name being branded across our chest for all the world to see. I have a problem w/ patients looking my name and phone # up, and calling me at home about their health problems. Although I handle this professionally when it does happen, tell them this is my time away from work and w/ my family, and if they want to call me at work they are more than welcome to, and I will discuss their issues then. It is just very frustrating. I'm not sure if there is a legal issue behind our FULL name being on display. Anyone have any ideas where to find info. on this. BTW, I live in VA. Myself and my fellow nurses have voiced our concerns to administration, w/ no explination as to why they have to be there, or only first name, etc...(then again who ever gets a straight answer from those guys)

In this day and time it is scary to think that a disgruntled patient can look your name up in the phone book , then do a search on the net, and get your ADDRESS!! Does someone have to be stalked and murdered before the "rules" will change.

Thanks for listening to my gripe...

[red606]

Although I work in a small town, no one has ever called me at home after they read my name badge..........Make you phone # unlisted would solve the problem.

[PCU-RN]

my phone number has never been listed or published in 35 years. that does not necessarily mean that someone cannot get it if they really want to. many years ago some "friends" gave our address as a forwarding address when they moved. a credit card company managed to get my name and phone number by using my address and called my house looking for our friends. when i asked them how they got my number, the woman stated that they can get any information that they want. i was told by the phone company that if i ever put my number on a check in a store, then i essentially unlisted my number. that information goes into a data base and can be sold to other businesses. so my name stays off my badge and the stores get made up phone numbers.

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

At my hospital, we have a choice as to whether we want our first & last names, or just first names on our badges. Although my number is unlisted, this area is small enough that somebody will always know somebody else who knows me, which is why I have only my first name on mine!