Too much stuff behind ID badge!!

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Does your employer require you to have placards behind your ID badge? Including my ID, we have to keep 9 things on our clips including a mission and values card. Why, oh why, so much stuff?

Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

yah..... I have just my 2 IDs front and back with my access card sandwiched between them. Even my big, heavy, red, RN tag I simply hung up in the same glass case as my Diploma. Screw all those badges and cards. I'll keep them in my backpack if I need it.

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Specializes in None yet..

Yes, and it must be because we have SOOOOO much free time for reading on the job!

:angrybird10:

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Specializes in None yet..
Nope. Just the ID badge and the bright red RN tag.

When I work at the nursing home, we had about 4 things besides our badges. We were told it was so that we could refer to them when state came around asking questions.

Me, too!

(Guess "the state" doesn't notice that staff is digging cheat sheets out of badges and reading off answers, eh?)

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Specializes in Medical Oncology, Alzheimer/dementia.

Another thing, the badge reel and my two badges with the plastic sleeve protector weighs down the neckline of my scrub top giving my patients an occasional free peek.

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Specializes in LTC, med/surg, hospice.

We had to wear those big AIDET buttons at one point. I HATED that. In addition to that, we had the Code chart, stroke info, mission statement and goals, and phone numbers behind our ID badge.

They expected those cheap clips to hold up all of that CRAP. And for a brief time we HAD to wear the clip they provided to us with the hospital logo on it.

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Name badge, access card, separate card with a bar code to scan for the one touch machine, mission statement and a separate card with our Hospital mantra on it. And then our manager gives out beads for certain things (voluntary OT, going the extra mile etc...) on a large ring (like a keyring). I removed the ring because if I had to run it jingled too much against my boobs!

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Specializes in Emergency.

Yeah....except for my actual ID w/ access swipe all that other....went in the trash.

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Specializes in Emergency.
I don't know what I'm required to have on my badge. But recently I removed everything but my ID and my RN placard because I got tired of it being weighed down. I know all the codes and RACE/PASS by heart, and the facility's values and statements are plastered on every other wall. Any codes/numbers I need to have on me I write on the back of the RN placard. So why should I have all that the extra plastic?

EXACTLY!!!

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Specializes in cardiac-telemetry, hospice, ICU.

So yes, the badges. Let's not forget the buttons, etc, ("flair") that we can 'earn'. That is the certifications, magnet status, customer service awards and the like. There are some nurses walking around with so much bling you can't read their name anymore. Personally, I think the whole idea cheapens us as a profession. Let's face it, many times our patients have trouble knowing who is the nurse, tech, phlebotomist, and the like. All that junk just confuses them more. Me, I wear my RN badge with my name all by itself and proud of it. No need for accessories at all.

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Specializes in Obs & gynae theatres.

Surely all this 'stuff' is an infection control risk?

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

I bet it all started out as a way to provide you with quick reference information, especially when surveyors might ask you something on the spot.

Ask your CNO or Educator if the "cheat sheet" can be put online so everyone can access as needed.

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Thank JCAHO. If you think your hospital wants to spend money on all that badge rattle, you are mistaken. Time to get lawyers & bureaucrats (on a funny aside my phone autocorrected to "burro rats") out of the way of those of us on the front-lines of healthcare!

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