# Random Question



## GRMM81 (Nov 29, 2007)

I noticed that the EMT's and paramedics would wear their id badges backwards so that their picture can't be seen. I was just wondering if anyone knew why they did this.


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## Rattletrap (Nov 29, 2007)

Self explanatory. I will give you my name if it is needed. Otherwise people will call and request you or call and complain about you for stupid stuff. No name carries less weight. I don't want to be called to a lonely old woman's house to take her bp every day because I was nice and she is always requesting me.


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## Epi-do (Nov 29, 2007)

Our ID's for class don't have our pictures on them, but they did put our first and last names on them.  All of us have covered up our last names, and the other girl in my class has a very unique first name, so she always wears her name tag backwards during clinicals.


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## Arkymedic (Nov 29, 2007)

GRMM81 said:


> I noticed that the EMT's and paramedics would wear their id badges backwards so that their picture can't be seen. I was just wondering if anyone knew why they did this.



Technically it is the patient's right to know who is taking care of them and what level of certification they are. This is why most hospitals use and require photo IDs with name and position.


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## reaper (Nov 29, 2007)

Only the first name though!


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## ErinCooley (Nov 29, 2007)

I havent noticed this, I will be interested to see if the medics I ride with do this.


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## medicdan (Nov 30, 2007)

Thats really interesting-- I do that too! MDA requires some staff (depending on the administration's frugality at the time you pass any given course) to wear metal nametags-- but they are really small-- and hard to read. They dont require us to wear our ID's outside, but many do, because we need to swipe in and out, and sometimes open doors at the hospitals. 
I never use my last name here in Israel. I sign my charts "Dan"-- and unless they compel someone at the headquarters in J'lem to look me up, I stay anonymous to patients. I have never been asked my last name, but I dont volunteer it.


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## wolfwyndd (Nov 30, 2007)

You all are required to wear name badges?  Until we got issued our 'new' police looking uniforms about 6 months ago (which have our last name embroided on like the military does), we never had our names on our uniforms.  When I look around at all the other jurisdictions that bring patients to the same hospital I bring patients too I've never seen any of the other jurisdictions wearing name badges.  At least not on duty uniforms.  Now on dress uniforms I've seen it quite a bit.


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## Arkymedic (Nov 30, 2007)

emt-student said:


> Thats really interesting-- I do that too! MDA requires some staff (depending on the administration's frugality at the time you pass any given course) to wear metal nametags-- but they are really small-- and hard to read. They dont require us to wear our ID's outside, but many do, because we need to swipe in and out, and sometimes open doors at the hospitals.
> I never use my last name here in Israel. I sign my charts "Dan"-- and unless they compel someone at the headquarters in J'lem to look me up, I stay anonymous to patients. I have never been asked my last name, but I dont volunteer it.



We wear gold metal tags black letters with first and last names with county service below it.


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## Lets_roll (Nov 30, 2007)

We got reamed at clinicals for turning the id badges around the medical director and my instructor came down on us heard


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## Ridryder911 (Nov 30, 2007)

Lets_roll said:


> We got reamed at clinicals for turning the id badges around the medical director and my instructor came down on us *heard*



Heard? Nope, did not hear a thing? 

R/r 911


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## Flight-LP (Dec 1, 2007)

Texas requires photo identification with name and level of certification. Why cover it up? Do your job proficiently and you have no worries. If the biggest thing on your mind is worrying if the little old lady down the street is going to request you because she is lonely, well you may need to take a step back and reevaluate your career priorities. EMS is a social service sometimes. I think we sometimes forget that..................................


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## Lets_roll (Dec 1, 2007)

Ridryder911 said:


> Heard? Nope, did not hear a thing?
> 
> R/r 911




Hey man it is about 21 degrees and i cant feel my fingersh34r: it was susposed to read "hard"


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## Grady_emt (Dec 1, 2007)

Here we fall under the hospitals umbrella policy that your badge must be "above the beltline and visible at all times"  Ours have our last name in larger letters than the first name, Department (EMS..duh), and position/certification and have a wonderful mugshot as well.

If your badge is not visible, hospital security will not wave you through the metal detectors in the ER, and they have the right to stop you and make you put it on the outside.

There are many people that wear them backwards here at Grady, I dont because I don't purposefully do anything that it would be needed.  Its also great when PD asks for your name and unit number to point to the set of foot tall numbers on the rear quarter-panel and thrust your ID in his direction, as they have a tendancy to ask when you are otherwise preoccupied.


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## Onceamedic (Dec 1, 2007)

I am continuously amazed at the differences in different areas of the country.  Here in the Midwest (small urban area) there isn't even the thought that you wouldn't want to wear your badge on the outside with picture, name, affiliation, etc. showing.  We introduce ourselves to our patients (First name - position) immediately on encountering them.  Our clinical instructors had us replace our lanyards with pins because sometimes the badge would turn on the lanyard and would be backwards.  If I was in a big urban center with lots of s*** going on, I would probably look at this in a different way.  
I am wondering how much of these cultural differences (because thats what they are) are related to work environment and how much is dependent on individual contributions and point of view.  In the corporate world (where I spent 25 years) culture is always "top down".  Attitudes and approaches develop from the values of the leadership.  If you lie down with dogs, you get fleas.  People who don't fit in don't stay.  
Interesting topic.


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## katgrl2003 (Dec 1, 2007)

This will probably sound weird, but I don't have a name tag.  Everyone in the company was given one a year ago, but I lost mine.  They haven't given out any since then.

-Kat


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## Airwaygoddess (Dec 2, 2007)

*Nametags*

With all of the events since 911 it is a matter of security.......


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## EMTryan (Dec 2, 2007)

I asked this same question when I did my observation time in my EMT class. I noticed that the EMTs for the agency I was riding with only had their first name and last initial on their uniforms. The crew I was riding with said that it is mainy for privacy and to possibly deter a stalker. For example, an EMT by the name of John Smith would have a nametag 'John S.' 

It makes sense...when I was in college I was a student volunteer for a crisis line service. One night I was talking with a caller and we had a really great conversation. In the call I mentioned that my name was Ryan and I was majoring in Spanish and History. That was all that was needed for her to search the school directory, find me and e-mail me. I attended a big college (30000+ students). I don't consider her a stalker but I do think that the privacy issue is important. I too was suprised that I was the only Spanish and History double major at such a huge college.


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## NJN (Dec 2, 2007)

Around here, none of the BLS 911, services have to wear name tags. I only see it on the transport companies' employees and the medics from the hospitals. I did wear one when i first started because no one could spell my name right for the run sheet. Once people started memorizing it i got rid of it. I work in a city that has some very shady parts to it (shots fired almost daily and a 4th grader brought a loaded .45 to school this past week) so we don't generally introduce ourselves by name, just by cert level and service.


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## Arkymedic (Dec 2, 2007)

katgrl2003 said:


> This will probably sound weird, but I don't have a name tag.  Everyone in the company was given one a year ago, but I lost mine.  They haven't given out any since then.
> 
> -Kat



If its a metal tag they probably expect you to provide yourself a new one. If it is a picture ID did you report it lost? That can be a security issue and is pretty easy to impersonate someone else with an id badge. Even worse if its an ID that opens doors and such at the ER like hospital based EMS services usually have.


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## katgrl2003 (Dec 3, 2007)

It is a picture id with my company name, my name, title, and how long I've been with the company.  Nothing special as far as access to hospitals.  To tell the truth, its probably buried in my desk somewhere.  They were given out a year ago, and the only people that wear the nametags now are the people that go out and get a metal one made.  I can probably list 5 people in a company of over 100 that have nametags.

-Kat


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## wolfwyndd (Dec 3, 2007)

> With all of the events since 911 it is a matter of security.......


<rant on>Once again, this is just my opinion so take it as such, but I think the whole 9/11 security issue has been blown WWWAAAYYY out of proportion.  I think we're in as much danger of being attacked now as we were after the 1993 WTC bombing and we went almost 10 years without doing anything different before anything else happened.  And to think that terrorism of ANY kind can be prevented is ludicrous.  So to put all these extra added security measures in place is just a lot of nonsense to make people feel like we're doing something about it.  The way I see it the only thing that's changed is it's now HARDER for a law abiding citizen to be able to do damned near anything he / she wants to do.  You have to have passport to go to Canada or Mexico or just about any of the Caribean countries now.  You have to worry about who your friends are and what you say on the phone because you never know who's listening.  I have to wonder who is going to read this post and go, 'gee, is he a terrorist we have to keep an eye on?'  If law abiding citizens don't start saying, 'enough is enough' then the USA will become a dictatorship one of these days.  <rant off>


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## Guardian (Dec 3, 2007)

I think we should be properly identified.  This is the responsibility that comes with being a public servant.  That said, I don't wear a personal identifier, so I guess I'm a hypocrite.  What can I say, I believe in the fine old american tradition of hypocrisy.


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## katgrl2003 (Dec 3, 2007)

What's wrong with being a hipocrite? Those are the people that make life interesting.

-Kat


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## BossyCow (Dec 3, 2007)

Our ID badge gets us into the movies for $1!


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## SC Bird (Dec 3, 2007)

Granted I am a newbie with almost zero street experience, but in my internships, I have no issue with a pt. knowing my name.  Especially since it helps to create some rapport with them and helps set them at ease.

-Matt


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## Aileana (Dec 4, 2007)

Here, only students have to wear nametags, and my first preceptor got me to cover my last name on the nametag with stickers . Medics don't need nametags, but obviously they introduce themselves by first name to the patient.


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## Ridryder911 (Dec 4, 2007)

Most of the hospitals around here will no longer allow entrance without picture I.D.s. Simply put, there is no reason not to have one. It has nothing to do with 9/11 rather impersonations of health care staff, infant abductions, thefts, etc. 

Personally, I never want my last name on my I.D. The reason is I have been tracked by psych patients, or people I do not want to contact me.. etc. If they have a concern they can inform my supervisor, administration, etc. using my first name. As a nurse, I am pretty identifiable as a male at 6'4 and auburn hair.. kinda hard to hide..


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## MSDeltaFlt (Dec 4, 2007)

Personally I don't like name badges simply because they are a physical nuisance as to how they are secured.  I'm always losing mine or it is getting in the way.  That being said, I firmly believe in letting everybody know precisely who and what I am; first and last name.  Everything I do, in regards to patient care, is MY decision and I stand behind my action... or lack there of.  If anyone has a praise or a complaint, they know exactly who they are talking about.

Stay safe.


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## eggshen (Dec 18, 2007)

Been followed home (attempt) X 2. Keep your badge I say, my safety and that of my family is more important. That being said I wear it due large in part to the fact that I have no choice. No badge means no uniform and that means no stay at work. Got bills man. I think that first name last initial should do but anyway.

Egg


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## thowle (Dec 18, 2007)

At the EMS I'm shooting to get a job at, they have custom made uniforms that on the left side have your level of training (EMT, PARAMEDIC, OFFICER ...), and on the right side I beleive it is just your first name.

Our local county EMS has custom made shirts (not really uniforms) that have on the left side, the name of the EMS service, and on the right side "FIRST NAME LAST INITIAL., TRAINING (EMT-B, EMT-P)".

Around here, haven't seen any "badges", especially with photos... most of the time when an individual goes into a residence, or scene of a call -- their face is exposed.. hardly ever do you see going on-scene with a full-on nomex covering your face , but hey -- that gives an idea!  j/k


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