patients family photographing your badge?

[melgrek]

Good Morning,

Issues on the floor at work with a patients family member. Pt can be difficult at times as far as refusing vs assessments meds etc. Waiting for placement. Management has been involved, notes documented by nursing & doctors. Family member may have her own pscy issues, (called an MD inappropriate name, telling staff to get out of room, raises voice for no reason accuses staff of lying about care given) but is now photographing nursing badges of the nurses that are caring for her mother. Our last names are on our badges, this makes me uncomfortable. Is this legal? Although this has not occured when I have cared for her.....just trying to prepare myself in case. Has this happened where you work?

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

I prefer not to be photographed for the most part.

I would permit them to write down my name and position, but would have a serious issue with being photographed.

[jbluehorseh]

the point of wearing badges with our names on them is that clients are legally entitled to know who is caring for them, and what the credentials of those persons are. while i agree that someone photographing my badge would seem kinda creepy to me, is it really that different from them just writing down the information?

while what you said is true, i never worked in a hospital were i had to display my last name. this is a safety issue. in the case the patient or family is stocking or wants revenge. cameras are not allowed in the hospital unless permission has been given (major hippa violation). if they need your last name they can get it through the department manager.

[AgentBeast, MSN, RN]

I think it would be safe to assume that, someone with a camera in a hospital outside of the maternity ward, has several screws loose.

[DeepFriedRN]

The other day I was looking for a phone number online for a friend. So I look the guy's name up, and along with the phone number, it had his complete address, and a map showing his house. Now, I have a unique name, and so I looked up my number too. Sure enough, there was me, with a map to my house and all. So no, I'm not letting any one take a picture of my badge, and they can't have my last name unless they ask my manager for it. I'll give them my first name and my credentials, that's it. I work in a gang infested area, take care of a lot of gangsters, and I'm not having any of them or their ticked off family members looking for me at home.

[sunnycalifRN]

Unfortunately, our ID badge has our first and last name, so that cats already out of the bag, so to speak.

[sunnycalifRN]

I think it would be safe to assume that, someone with a camera in a hospital outside of the maternity ward, has several screws loose.

Yes, you're right . . . but a lot of our patients and their family have many loose screws

[Zookeeper3]

there is obvious warning..someone walking up so close to you with their cell phone.... turn walk away what is the issue?? No you may not take a close up of my badge.

[red2003xlt, LPN]

Sounds like the pt family is planning lawsuit regardless of the outcome. Security cameras and microphones is a good idea.. cya

[diane227, LPN, RN]

I would ask her not to take my photograph and tell her that she does not have permission to photograph me. She will still probably not stop and so your manager is going to have to figure out how to deal with that matter. THEN I would DEMAND that management have an immediate policy change to eliminate your last name from your badge. In most facilities where I have worked only your first name and your title are on the badge. My husband has a large hospital badge that reads his first name and RN in bright letters, easy for people to see. But there are no last names.

[diane227, LPN, RN]

In addition, if they are going to attempt to bring action against the hospital, don't let it bother you. Just keep trying to provide the best care that you can and DOCUMENT everything. People used to threaten me with lawyers and my usual response was "this is my name and you can give it to your attorney" or I would give them the phone and ask if they needed the phone book to look up the number.

When I was in Houston I worked at a very large county hospital in the ED. One day this lady came to triage for some minor complaint and got really mad because she was going to have to wait. We had this consumer advocate reporter in town who was always on our butts about something. I happened to know him. So she starts yelling at me that she is going to call him. I told her "go ahead and let me talk to him when you get him on the phone. I need to see if he can get me some help around here". She went away. (Note: I don't recommend this approach, but I was younger then and my mouth would over ride my brain at times).

[Flying ICU RN]

Our last names are on our badges, this makes me uncomfortable. Is this legal?

As others have noted, cameras in the hospital setting fall under the jurisdiction of the hospital public affairs officer. Aside from that, a purposeful photograph of you in any setting requires your permission.

However, (and here is where I have seen people go wrong) if you are licensed personnel you are required by law to provide any patient or N.O.K. with your full name and or license number upon request. This is a legal requirement and not up for interpretation.

Therefore, I always recommend that you use your place of employment as your address of record with your state licensing authority. Online renewal processes have eliminated the fear of not receiving mail notices.