Patients adding me as a friend on facebook...

Otessa, BSN, RN · Nov 9, 2009

Patients have a right to know who is taking care of them.

Never had my last name on my badge for ANY nursing job-it was for safety reasons.

They know my first name and KNOW who is taking care of them. Not putting my family at risk or needing an unlisted phone number-many MDs have unlisted #s for this reason.

otessa

wooh, BSN, RN · Nov 10, 2009

This wasn't a patient but I had a friend one time who forgot her manager was her fb friend. After she came home from work she posted how horrible her manager was and so on. Needless to say she was fired the next day, so I agree keep it private and don't add anyone you wouldn't want to read and see everything.

I questioned whether I should accept my manager as a friend. I figured it would actually be a good reminder to me to watch what I say on facebook. If I wouldn't let my boss hear it, I probably shouldn't put it out there in public.

I have coworkers that friend patients, and then they post stuff like, "Having a boring day at work." Just what we need. Patients already think we spend all of our time on the internet (never mind we're actually charting), that's JUST what we need. Or even better, "Hoping that tomorrow with room # isn't as bad as today was!" Some people just don't think. I don't know what it is about facebook that makes people stupid. :cool:

HappyNurse2005, RN · Nov 10, 2009

Yeah, I have some issues with facebook. Most of friends are posting personal pictures of themselves and family members. I tried to explain to aunt that you NEVER know who is looking a your profile: creeps, potential employers, friends etc. As for patients, you did the right thing. You are now a professional don't mix that up with your social life on facebook. Patients should stay at work.

you can set your facebook profile/pics so that only friends can see it. some people, and maybe even facebooks default, im not sure says "friends of friends" can see profile/pics/etc I have 300 FB friends. so if each of them have 100 friends (being conservative), thats 3000 people who can see my information! so i have it so only friends can see it.

i also dont approve ppl i dont know. I've never had a patient friend request me.

Guest321574 · Nov 10, 2009

Patients have a right to know who is taking care of them.

I think Meriwhen works in psych, where it is probably common to not disclose last name. I know my facility has first name and last initial only on ID's. I'm only 2 days off of orientation, and I've already been threatened, called horrible names, threats on my family etc. I wouldn't be comfortable with acutely psychotic pts knowing my full name.

jessiern, BSN, RN · Nov 10, 2009

Patients have a right to know who is taking care of them.

You can reveal however much you want to about you and personal life to your patients. Personal, knowing my name is Jessica, I am an RN, and I will take excellent care of you is enough for my patients to know. People are crazy, and I've known more than one nurse to have patient's look them up and call them (or stop by for a visit).

I_LOVE_TRAUMA, RN · Nov 10, 2009

I would NEVER tell patients my last name-EVER, I work in a county ER and not a day goes by where I am not threatened with rape, death, or some type of mutalition. I even carry a gun at all times. Anyone who thinks that that type of relationship withany patient is okay should be very careful. Patients can find out a lot about you on the net using just you first and last name-facebook or not.Also, we had a very sick young frequent flyer at work recently, a lot of our staff is young and we got to know her very well. A huge majority of our staff added her as a friend on FB-well needless to say they were all confronted and promptly fired by our manager for violating HIPPA and for having an unprofessional relationship with a patient-and she was not psych. Please be smart-this is your career

Jessvball · Nov 10, 2009

I wouldnt add them as well. I would aslo set the profile to private to where only your friends can view your pics/postings. I havent come across that issue as I work in the NICU.

gentle · Nov 10, 2009

OP and everyone else, I hope the post makes sense. I'm tired.

After my 12 hour shift, I am gone. I don't like the idea of a patient finding me on facebook and I am very glad that I no longer work for a county facility for this very reason; and I wasn't working in the ER. (We were required to show both first and last names.)

That was a very risky situation . (There's more to this story obviously but I won't elaborate.)

In general, I think it's dangerous for nurses to share their last names. The only thing anyone needs to know is that my name is "(first name) and I will be taking care of you today". [end of conversation] If someone pushes me for more information, I change the subject or let them know I don't share personal info but I do provide pain medicine when it is needed and when it is time. That usually ends the conversation.

And someone knowing your first and last names, is the only way that a patient would be able to locate you through facebook. Well, in addition to you listing the name of the company where you are employed.

You did well, by ignoring the patients cyber approaches. And thank you for bringing up this topic. I will be re-examining my security settings in light of all the good advice shared.

Is there any way that you can block out your last name on your ID badge? I would definitely start doing this if at all possible.

Virgo_RN, BSN, RN · Nov 10, 2009

Patients have a right to know who is taking care of them.

They have a right to know "My name is Virgo_RN and I'll be your nurse today." They do not have a right to know my last name.

JeanettePNP, MSN, RN, NP · Nov 10, 2009

You can reveal however much you want to about you and personal life to your patients. Personal, knowing my name is Jessica, I am an RN, and I will take excellent care of you is enough for my patients to know. People are crazy, and I've known more than one nurse to have patient's look them up and call them (or stop by for a visit).

In my hospital you are required to introduce yourself by first and last name. Required. Revealing my last name isn't "sharing my personal life." Sure, you don't need to add anyone as a facebook friend and shouldn't, and go ahead and set those privacy settings so you can't be easily googled. But hiding your last name is paranoia.

jessiern, BSN, RN · Nov 10, 2009

In my hospital you are required to introduce yourself by first and last name. Required. Revealing my last name isn't "sharing my personal life." Sure, you don't need to add anyone as a facebook friend and shouldn't, and go ahead and set those privacy settings so you can't be easily googled. But hiding your last name is paranoia.

And when I go back to work, I will tell that to our DON that last year changed our policy so that all our badges not include our last names after a co-worker got home to find an obsessive mental patient waiting in her garage

Face it, even in med-surge we deal with some looney folks. And all it takes is a first and last name, and that patient that threatens to kill me in my sleep because he can't get pain meds can do just that. I have been threatened, and as I said above, my co-worker was horrified to come home to a schizo patient that formed an attraction to her sitting on her front porch.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Nov 10, 2009

This is making me think about hiding my last name...who wants THAT? It is not paranoia-it is protecting one's welfare as well as family. People have a tendency to misread professionalism and overstep their bounds. I don't know whether or not there is a policy on whether our entire name has to show or not, but I just put a paper to acclude my last name as I am typing this during my lunchbreak. They can see my picture and first name, but, due to the population of patients I encounter, I can expect the same...confrontations, threats, and intrusion of my personal life.