Our admin is adamant that our last names be visible on our name badges. We've all done the cover-it-up-with-tape thing, but she has us remove the tape. Last night made me really think about this policy.
Had a just released inmate from prison who flipped because he couldn't smoke. He started throwing things and we had to call security. Three of us were holding him down while we waited (and waited) for security. He let loose a string of threats that I will try to tone down...to the effect of 'I'm gonna rape you, you f-ing whores, I'll rape you in your *** and afterward I'll bash your brains in, you'll find out what pain really is...blah blah'...this went on for about five minutes, MUCH more graphic than the above.
Now I for one, have an unusual name--there is only one of me in this town. What else can I do besides go unlisted in the phonebook? He could even look me up by name under Florida's Nursing Board, too I think. I hate to over-react, but I'd hate to be sorry later.
Timothy I respectfully have to disagree. I am sure you know of experiential testimony?
I have been called at midnight by a patient's family member who didn't want to bother the doctor with a fever of 99.9, or who was angry about something that happened at the hospital. I got called once about a bill someone got from my hospital and asked could I take care of it. I have an ususual last name too.
We might also investigate if males have the same problems as females. I've been kicked, hit, spat on *in* the hospital. But when you get heavy breathers on the phone, or someone following you down a dark street when you leave the building at 07:30, you have to believe that it is not just coincidence.
Ownership bah-humbug. Tell that to the nurse who was stalked by the homeless man or the respiratory therapist who was hit by a car belonging to the widow of a man who'd died in ICU. The RT was riding his bike out of the parking lot.
There are few doctors compared with the many, many other members of the health care team. THEY get to park in the big garage, escorted to the Drs lounge etc. We have to find our own space, sometimes pay for it, and then get to walk half mile in the cold/heat to get in the building. Security? Ha they say they have cameras monitoring, but who monitors the cameras? *I* have ownership of my name and use it proudly, BUT I want to have control over who has access to its use. Oh and I also have a bunch of alphabetics after my name when I choose to, but usually defer to plain old P_RN.
Timothy I respectfully have to disagree. I am sure you know of experiential testimony?
I have been called at midnight by a patient's family member who didn't want to bother the doctor with a fever of 99.9, or who was angry about something that happened at the hospital. I got called once about a bill someone got from my hospital and asked could I take care of it. I have an ususual last name too.
We might also investigate if males have the same problems as females. I've been kicked, hit, spat on *in* the hospital. But when you get heavy breathers on the phone, or someone following you down a dark street when you leave the building at 07:30, you have to believe that it is not just coincidence.
Ownership bah-humbug. Tell that to the nurse who was stalked by the homeless man or the respiratory therapist who was hit by a car belonging to the widow of a man who'd died in ICU. The RT was riding his bike out of the parking lot.
There are few doctors compared with the many, many other members of the health care team. THEY get to park in the big garage, escorted to the Drs lounge etc. We have to find our own space, sometimes pay for it, and then get to walk half mile in the cold/heat to get in the building. Security? Ha they say they have cameras monitoring, but who monitors the cameras? *I* have ownership of my name and use it proudly, BUT I want to have control over who has access to its use. Oh and I also have a bunch of alphabetics after my name when I choose to, but usually defer to plain old P_RN.
Ive done ER for 2 decades now, where Im at. Ive been bit, scratched, spit on,
I was even bit so hard ny one pt, she took a Old silver Dollar sized chink of flesh our of my forearm and swallowed it. I lost 3 teeth by a kick in the mouth. Had knives and guns pulled on me. I wonder that I haven't been seriously hurt.
But, I still wear my last name proudly on my badge. Like you I also defer all the alphabets stuff, and just go with plain RN. And Like some of the Female RNs, Even at my age I still get some indecent propositions, and I get flashed by women, and even some guys. I get calls at work from women and some men that were patients. I just politely hang up on them, sometimes not so politely. I am very happily married for 30 yrs now. Ive had women wait for me in the parking lot, or come up to me at the mall, I just excuse myself.
My phone is unlisted, My cell is unlisted, I am unlisted, my golf clubs are unlisted, everything of importance is unlisted. Even my kids, all 7 of them are unlisted.
But I do display my full name proudly. And will continue to do so. Im proud of my name and who and what I am.
Specializes in Acute care, Corrections, Psych, LTC.
Our admin is adamant that our last names be visible on our name badges. We've all done the cover-it-up-with-tape thing, but she has us remove the tape. Last night made me really think about this policy.
Had a just released inmate from prison who flipped because he couldn't smoke. He started throwing things and we had to call security. Three of us were holding him down while we waited (and waited) for security. He let loose a string of threats that I will try to tone down...to the effect of 'I'm gonna rape you, you f-ing whores, I'll rape you in your *** and afterward I'll bash your brains in, you'll find out what pain really is...blah blah'...this went on for about five minutes, MUCH more graphic than the above.
Now I for one, have an unusual name--there is only one of me in this town. What else can I do besides go unlisted in the phonebook? He could even look me up by name under Florida's Nursing Board, too I think. I hate to over-react, but I'd hate to be sorry later.
Hi-what does your state regulations say about badges and last names or your board of nurses? I'd check with them first. I think your first name and licensure or certification status is sufficient, but your boss apparently disagrees. Sometimes, you have to use your own good judgement in instances like this-policy be damned-I'll cover my last name when and if if I damn well need to! Do what you have to do, and keep it to yourself. Privatize your addresses and phone numbers as best you can, but if someone wants to find you they can-you just don't have to make it easy for them. Just my opinion, but then I've always been a rebel. These other posts about being proud of your name blah blah blah are irrelevant and miss the point that there are a lot of crazy people/patients/inmates, etc. who don't deserve to know our last names or where we live.
For those of you who really want to keep your address secret, you might want to consider a PO box. All my nursing related mail goes to a Mailboxes Etc. box and even the Mailboxes Etc. people don't have my home address. This is especially important in states that release a nurse's information. I also keep my phone number unlisted when I have a land line and otherwise just use a cell. No one has that number unless I give it to them. A lot of nurses I work with also choose to use their maiden name on their name badges. My current hospital has first name only on one side and both names on the other.
For those of you who really want to keep your address secret, you might want to consider a PO box. All my nursing related mail goes to a Mailboxes Etc. box and even the Mailboxes Etc. people don't have my home address. This is especially important in states that release a nurse's information. I also keep my phone number unlisted when I have a land line and otherwise just use a cell. No one has that number unless I give it to them. A lot of nurses I work with also choose to use their maiden name on their name badges. My current hospital has first name only on one side and both names on the other.
Good idea about using a PO box if your state BON allows it. Some do not.
Also, the last time I tried to use Mailboxes Etc, they wanted my real address. Why do you suppose they would want that?
Judging by the amount of nursing related advertising I get, the last 3 states I worked in release a nurse's information to anyone who will pay them for it. There are some places where you can rent an address rather than just a PO box, and I prefer that extra layer of privacy, myself.
They want your address so they know where to send bills when the time comes. I get around it by either giving them an old address or using my hospital's address.
My badge has my full name on it but I don't feel threatened, because most of my patients don't know their OWN name after anesthesia has been to see them. I have several friends who work in the ER though and I've seen some of the scary people they have for patients- we've had nurses be threatened etc. I think if a nurse feels safer covering up his/her last name, then they should have that option. Docs get different treatment than nurses so you can't really compare the two situations. Really, there is no need for a patient to know your last name and I believe that one's behavior goes a long way towards being treated like a professional. My hospital encourages the ER nurses to cover the last name-we've had too many incidents.
Tim, I know you are making a point for the thread, but TOS DOES prohibit full names here for security purposes, and there is a good reason for that. I would ask you edit our your full name here, for that reason. You are opening up for a WHOLE world of people here, and it's quite different than using your full name for professional purposes in your place of business/work.
Thanks.
done.
But, you'll have to edit the subsequent quote that used it.
My apologies, I was making a valid point related to that post. I was not trying to overstep the safety bounds HERE in order to do that.
I strongly encourage, respect, and am proud of allnurses for being that safe place.
Good idea about using a PO box if your state BON allows it. Some do not.
Also, the last time I tried to use Mailboxes Etc, they wanted my real address. Why do you suppose they would want that?
Judging by the amount of nursing related advertising I get, the last 3 states I worked in release a nurse's information to anyone who will pay them for it. There are some places where you can rent an address rather than just a PO box, and I prefer that extra layer of privacy, myself.
They want your address because its the law. You cannot hide behind a PO box for purposes of avoiding subpeonas, etc.
They have to provide your physical addy to anyone w/ a certified letter that states they are trying to serve a subpeona. And, since that includes PRO SE litigants (acting w/out an atty), that means that anyone that wants to get your addy from a PO box badly enough need only lie about their intent.
In actuality, I've USED this provision of law before to get my former landlord's addy to sue him for my deposit. And, I did it PRO SE.
But it's just like last names. If somebody wants your last name badly enough, you will not prevent them from obtaining it.
Docs get different treatment than nurses so you can't really compare the two situations.
But, what I would humbly like you to examine is this: WHY do docs get treated differently?
Why do the situations not bear comparison?
I'll submit that it's not just because of not using last names. But, that IS a symptom of the disease.
We have to own our profession. You cannot do that by being relatively anonymous.
Many in the threads here say that nurses will only come into our own when we become independent contractors. Tell me, how can you bill separately if you cannot put your name on the bill?
Deborah Tannen, a noted liguistics expert says, "Power governs asymmetrical relationships where one is subordinate to another; solidarity governs symmetrical relationships by social equality and similarity."
See, by setting us up to be 'first name' employees, we CREATE an asymmetrical power disadvantage for ourselves in the workplace. Don't you dare doubt that you going by a first name and the docs going by 'Dr.' is intentional and intended to put you at a disadvantage.
Language has power. When you DECIDE to be a first name character, your role is that of an 'extra' in whatever script you are acting out.
You are giving up lots of power to be a first name only character. I think nursing is better served by being Last named professionals and combating directly the situations that make us vulnerable - - instead of hiding from them.
~faith,
Timothy.
You make an excellent point. It still bothers me that I see nurses call each other by their first names, but doctors are ALWAYS called by "Dr" followed by their last name, or even their full name. When I've asked about this, I'm told that doctors "worked hard" to earn the title "Doctor," so they should be called by their professional name. I argue that nurses worked hard to become nurses, so nurses have earned the right to use the title "Nurse" followed by their last name. I'm then told that patients/residents would be "confused" by this, and that nurses need to use their first names to show that they are on a personal level with patients. (But doctors who use their title and last name are never viewed as not being on a personal level with patients!)
P_RN, ADN, RN
6,011 Posts
Timothy I respectfully have to disagree. I am sure you know of experiential testimony?
I have been called at midnight by a patient's family member who didn't want to bother the doctor with a fever of 99.9, or who was angry about something that happened at the hospital. I got called once about a bill someone got from my hospital and asked could I take care of it. I have an ususual last name too.
We might also investigate if males have the same problems as females. I've been kicked, hit, spat on *in* the hospital. But when you get heavy breathers on the phone, or someone following you down a dark street when you leave the building at 07:30, you have to believe that it is not just coincidence.
Ownership bah-humbug. Tell that to the nurse who was stalked by the homeless man or the respiratory therapist who was hit by a car belonging to the widow of a man who'd died in ICU. The RT was riding his bike out of the parking lot.
There are few doctors compared with the many, many other members of the health care team. THEY get to park in the big garage, escorted to the Drs lounge etc. We have to find our own space, sometimes pay for it, and then get to walk half mile in the cold/heat to get in the building. Security? Ha they say they have cameras monitoring, but who monitors the cameras? *I* have ownership of my name and use it proudly, BUT I want to have control over who has access to its use. Oh and I also have a bunch of alphabetics after my name when I choose to, but usually defer to plain old P_RN.