Outraged by no more privacy

[inquiringaide]

I want to know why do RNs, LPNs, and NAs now need to have their fingerprints in the system in PA. I consider this a huge violation of privacy for employees. Under what circumstance would they need the fingerprints in the first place. And I've tried to find the law that states it be required. Other than having most of my entire history, criminal background, child abuse clearance, and drug test, along with my SS# everywhere, why do I need to subject myself to more validity and no privacy. By the way, I have nothing on my record and have never taken (nor will I ever) taken drugs. So this isn't about covering up indiscrepancies. If you agree or have an opposing view please comment. And if anyone knows the law I'm looking for and could provide a link. Thanks.

[Vanillanut, DNP, RN, APRN]

We, as nurses, are priveledged to have full access to other human beings at their most vulnerable state.

Why would you not want people in our position to have background checks?

This.

I am irritated with the amount of personal info I have to reveal, but at the end of the day I have to think: if it was me laying there in that bed, I'd want to feel safe knowing the person caring for me was licensed, not on drugs, etc.

I think nurses have a social responsibility due to the nature of their positions to be somewhat "transparent" when it comes to certain things.

[greenfiremajick]

Privacy in the US? Never.

Don't forget to mention the illusion of freedom being in evidence in this country.........

[Anne36, LPN]

kellrn4, I dont want to hijack the thread with a vaccine debate but what are you talking about?

If I get splashed with body fluid, the last thing Im worried about is contracting, measels, mumps, rubella, flu, diptheria, or even Hepatitis B for that matter(treatable or may go away on its own if acute)

[klone, MSN, RN]

I have nothing to hide, but I still don't like invasion of privacy and some of the fascist laws we have.

AZ has been requiring fingerprints for several years. But they're top of the list for fascism.

[greenfiremajick]

I have nothing to hide, but I still don't like invasion of privacy and some of the fascist laws we have.

AZ has been requiring fingerprints for several years. But they're top of the list for fascism.

I must agree (coming from a SE AZ resident)....................

[BrewerRN]

NC has also required fingerprinting for nurse licensure. I had to do it in the early '90's for my LPN and later for my RN. Guess, it won't be too easy for me to shoplift! )

Funny thing is, though, I need to be fingerprinted to go on any field trips with my daughter's class if I am going to be an official chaperone. If I am only going to be just with my daughter, I don't have to be fingerprinted. Weird, Huh?

[klone, MSN, RN]

Funny thing is, though, I need to be fingerprinted to go on any field trips with my daughter's class if I am going to be an official chaperone. If I am only going to be just with my daughter, I don't have to be fingerprinted. Weird, Huh?

I don't think that's weird. As just your daughter's parent, they wouldn't put you in charge of the other kids, nor would they allow you to take another child to the restroom.

Funny story about that - my daughter joined T-ball, and the coach asked us to fill out the "parent volunteer" form - not in order to volunteer, but only so that he had our names, numbers and addresses on record in case he needed to reach us. So I filled it out, but left my SSN# blank. A rep from Little League called me, saying that she needed my SSN in order to do the background check for parent volunteer. I said no, I wasn't interested in being a parent volunteer. She said "But I need your SSN!" I said no, you don't, I don't want to be a volunteer. She said "But if you don't give me your SSN, you can't even accompany a child to the restroom or help out with games!" I said that's fine, I DON'T WANT A BACKGROUND CHECK AND I'M NOT INTERESTED IN BEING A VOLUNTEER.

Three weeks later I got a thick letter in the mail. She had submitted my info anyway (sans SSN#) and I was denied because someone with my name was a child molester in Rhode Island.

[TakeOne]

I went to nursing school and got my first jobs in the days before criminal background checks were the rage. That said, we had to have photo and finger print IDs to sit the licensure exam (back in the days when it was only given twice a year and we had to sit and literally write it over two days). Prior to that I had only been printed once, to sit a civil service exam. Being printed is just no big deal, and it has nothing to do with surrendering your privacy. It's all part of background checks and those are mandated by regulation for direct care providers. Just get finger printed. No biggie. If you find it extraneous and objectionable, there are other ways to make a living that don't call for it.

[pers]

One state I'm licensed in doesn't require fingerprinting and the other only requires it for those who graduated from nursing programs at some point after I did. I'm grateful I didn't have to mess with it because I've been told it can be a bit of a paperwork hassle (and been the source of delay for many new grads getting their ATT).

If I worked in some sort of government affiliated aspect of healthcare I wouldn't object to being fingerprinted. I don't see why it would be necessary for me working in a regular hospital though, kind of silly. And I'm not buying the whole "in case something happens" bit unless every employee is being fingerprinted. Housekeeping has greater access hospital wide than I do so if someone/something went missing they're in a much better position than I am to take them/it! Especially since my absence is more likely to be noticed by patients and staff alike. As for killing off patients and fingerprints on the syringe, well, if I was stupid enough to not wear gloves and leave my fingerprints then I imagine I'd be stupid enough to leave other evidence behind too. And my fingerprints are all over countless syringes anyway which according to tv should make a frame job really easy!

I don't have anything to hide but I don't welcome the idea of my fingerprints (or any other info for that matter) being readily available.

The one thing I do object to is an employer running a credit check on an individual. Unless you are in a position where you will be handling large amounts of cash or other people's finances it shouldn't be done. Having bad credit doesn't effect anybody's ability to perform a job. Especially in today's horrible economy when people have to rely on credit after their savings are depleted just to put food on the table and buy clothes for their kids.

Going to disagree on that. I don't think bad credit translates to bad, or even irresponsible, person by any stretch but I do see a use outside of jobs that require handling large amounts of cash. People with bad credit tend to have a lot of debt and I can appreciate the link between debt and bribery enough to understand why a credit check would be prudent even in fields where handling large amounts of cash isn't the norm. I agree it doesn't seem useful for most nursing jobs, but I could understand it if someone was applying to be a cop for example.

[wooh, BSN, RN]

Playing the devil's advocate here.....

Imagine you just delivered a baby and in the middle of the night your baby goes missing from the hospital nursery. Somehow cameras did not catch the person nor did anyone see anything. The only thing they have to go off of is the fingerprints on the stuff the baby was in.

I would be willing to bet at that point you would be happy nurses got fingerprinted.

Great, so every nurse that cared for the patient is a suspect, but techs and housekeeping that were in the room touching things aren't suspects?

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

Playing the devil's advocate here.....

Imagine you just delivered a baby and in the middle of the night your baby goes missing from the hospital nursery. Somehow cameras did not catch the person nor did anyone see anything. The only thing they have to go off of is the fingerprints on the stuff the baby was in.

I would be willing to bet at that point you would be happy nurses got fingerprinted.

In the scenario you describe, she'd be a patient, not a working nurse.

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

You will be glad they had you get those vaccines the first time you get body fluids splashed all over you and trust me, it WILL happen no matter how careful you are... :)

Sorry, but a lot of nurses never get splashed. Furthermore, is the HIV vax required of nursing students now?