Nursing in Texas- Full Name legality on badge

[rkitty198, BSN, RN]

Hello all,

Hope I am in the right forum?

I work in the state of Texas, and as I am sure like most states we are to have our name, first and last on our ID badges.

I recently recieved a very disturbing and disgusting phone call about a month ago, the man was describing some very sexual things when I picked up the phone. He stated his wife had a hysterectomy and I took care of his wife. He then said that he had to find out more about me, as he was very sexually attracted to me (in more disgusting terminology of course). I asked how he found me and he said "easy, I paid $9.95 online and got your address, phone number and credit score." I was terrified and hung up my phone and since I do not have caller ID I was unable to identify the number. Since then, this person has contacted me three times. I told him if he did it again I would call the police and since then nothing.

I went to hospital administration about this, as other female and male nurses have encountered the same thing. I was told there was nothing I could do.

We need to protect and advocate for the patients, but what about my protection?

I would like to know where I can go to advocate that we not use the entire first and last names on our badges. I live in a border city and with the drug cartel activity creeping over to my city I am terrified that anyone can get my information and come after me. This may not prevent these people from finding us healthcare providers and harassing us or worse, but it may make it harder to obtain personal information about us and our families.

What do you all think?

[racing-mom4, BSN, RN]

My state also requires we have 1st and last names on our name badges...The mass majority of the nurses I work with--including myself have strategically placed either our nursing pins or our breast cancer ribbons-etc etc etc pins OVER our last names...Mgmt has never once commented on it.

So yes my last name is on my badge but you cant read it.

[nrsang97, BSN, RN]

The hospital I work for now has gone to first name and last initial on badges. Everyone has to get a new badge soon. I am glad. I really don't think last name on our badges is necessary for those very reasons. I would deffinately get my number changed to unlisted and call the phone company and have that number blocked. (They can look at the phone log from you number and if you can give dates and times they can figure out the number.)

[iteachob, MSN, RN]

The regional hospital here (Eastern KY) uses first name and title only.

[litbitblack, ASN, RN]

THe hosp i used to work at had both but the last name was really small so you couldn't really see it. maybe that would work. sounds like you need a petition and it needs to be taken to the safety officer of the hospital

[BlueTexas89]

The hospital that I work at has our first name in big letters and our last name directly under that in small print with NURSING in big letters under that. So it's kind of like an eye game when people try to read your badge.

-Scott

[vamedic4, EMT-P]

Texas does not require both first and last names on ID badges. Our ER has first names and only the first initial of the last name on our badges. You should petition management and / or HR about this as it is a safety issue, particularly for those in ER.

[BabyLady, BSN, RN]

Events like that can happen to anyone in any profession and nurses are no more of a target than any other profession.

The public has a right to know who is treating them.

Physicians, lawyers, social workers, police officers, college professors...all of these professionals work with the public...all of them encounter from time to time people that they work with that they have upset, angered, or even infuriated.

They can't hide behind a first-name only basis...so why should nurses be able to?

PS: You are assuming you were called just because you were a nurse. We had a convicted child molester that was calling my parent's home and was threatening to molest my neice...that my parents took care of..when she was little. Guess how he found them? The phone book...when he called my niece answered the phone and he just took it from there. Yes, they caught him.

[Inlocd454]

Actually, when I first started in the ED I had my full last name (so sweet, so innocent) and a few of the other people told me I should change it.

I agree a petition would be in order, I'm sure you're not the only one.

And in response to the above post, I don't think that just because I choose to not put my last name on my badge that I'm "hiding" behind a first name only... If a patient has a complaint as to my care, they're free to go to my manager and my manager will know exactly who they are describing, first name only.

[BabyLady, BSN, RN]

Actually, when I first started in the ED I had my full last name (so sweet, so innocent) and a few of the other people told me I should change it.

I agree a petition would be in order, I'm sure you're not the only one.

And in response to the above post, I don't think that just because I choose to not put my last name on my badge that I'm "hiding" behind a first name only... If a patient has a complaint as to my care, they're free to go to my manager and my manager will know exactly who they are describing, first name only.

I disagree.

Nurses have been fighting for years to be regarded as "professionals" instead of merely the side kicks for doctors. In my mind, nurses have accomplished this task tenfold, but this is a step in the wrong direction.

The profession can't have it both ways, especially when that profession carries a license that is supposed to be public information.

I can't think of another profession that is similar where someone "hides" their name. When you take steps to cover your name badge or start campaigning to have the last name removed, yes, you are hiding.

Psychos are everywhere in life..not just the hospital. If there was some statistical study somewhere that showed that nurses, specifically, were more of a target for criminal violence or harassment than other professions, I would back you up 100%.

[rkitty198, BSN, RN]

Thanks for the replies. I am not specifically saying that nurses are the only ones that encounter issues relating to ones privacy at home or ones protection because of the name badge.

This is a nursing forum and therefore I am only bringing up the issue related to me and my profession as a nurse, and the other nurses out there that may go or have gone through the fears I have.

I am also worried that since I live where there are drug cartel members that have been treated at our hospital, and other hospital staff that work in Mexico have been killed for caring for a member or family member of the drug cartel, that we too on the US side are at risk.

Say we took care of "maria" and she was a grandmother of the drug cartel, and say "maria" did not like our care we provided. Easily one of us could be the next on a drug cartel hit list.

I did not want to bring up the issues between countries here, as a nurse myself I do not judge whom I care for as long as I did the best that I could and the patient was safe under my care...however, this is a huge issue for the city I work for and with the increasing violence both here and across the border I am scared.

Has anyone heard of the hundreds of women murdered in Juarez Mexico?

I know this has been going on for years and years; I guess I had never thought about it affecting me until I recieved that terrifying phone call that day.

I thank you vamedic4 for clarifying what is legal and what is not. I appreciate that, because when I went to my safety officer, he said that we HAD to have the entire name on the badge.

I think maybe a cute little button or trinket over my name might do me some good here in this case, where I have to protect myself.

[BabyLady, BSN, RN]

I am also worried that since I live where there are drug cartel members that have been treated at our hospital, and other hospital staff that work in Mexico have been killed for caring for a member or family member of the drug cartel, that we too on the US side are at risk.

To me, that is a valid concern. However, I couldn't help but notice that you used the term "worried"...has this actually happened at your facility or in facilities around you (that are in the USA)?

If it has, then I support you 100%.

If the hospital staff wants to venture into Mexico, that is risky in itself. It is well known that the Mexican government does virtually nothing to stop the illegal drug trade and turns a blind eye all too-often...those drug families will only commit crimes that they are pretty sure that they can get away with.

Try not to compare what happens there to here. Mexico is never on my list of vacation destinations. I had a friend once that went to Cancun on vacation and ended up spending 18 days in a Mexican jail because someone HIT HIM in a rental car. By the time he got back, a few months later he had to be treated for Hepatitis.