Wearing name plates or not?

[uglyEMT]

My shirt has my first name embroidered on it. I think it is nice and makes working with others outside my squad easier as they can call me by my name instead of hey you. Nice hearing a medic actually talking to me by my name.

As for patients I usually introduce myself.... "Hi my name is _______ I will be your EMT today / tonight." Seems to break the ice and calm an already hectic situation. Yes it is not original, it was what was stated by pararescue jumper (PJ) David Ruvola during a rescue in "The Perfect Storm" to Melissa Brown a female passenger on a yacht caught in the storm. I do give credit where credit is due. His actual line was, "Hi my name is David, I will be your pararescueman tonight."

As for stalkers or what-have-yous. Been there done that have the TRO for it. Usually subsides after some time, thankfully. With all the PCR info and other laws it isn't hard for a patient to find out who you are so I don't see a problem with them at least knowing my first name.

Edited June 1, 2011 by UGLyEMT

[Bernhard]

Cool discussion - keep on!

I would agree that the patient has a certain right to know in whoms hand he/she is. But in most cases I encountered the patient was not the aggressor but a bystander or relative. I don't have any business with them, but they're able to identify my name if it's clearly written on the uniform.

From the patients point of view, I don't think anyone with an emergency condition tries to read the name tag, even if he would.be able to. I recall only few times a patient calls me by name he read from my name tag or I noticing a patient reading my name. Far more often a non-injured/-sick bystander/relative reads the name tag. Do we have the name tag for them? There wouldn't be a call report for them anyway.

As far as involving police should be a help, I'm not convinced. I have the experience, that they won't do anything and to a certain degree can't do anything until it really happens. Unfortunately even in this case they're absolutely understaffed here, so even if I call them in real quick need, they might need more than 20 minutes to arrive. Once I was only four street corners away from police station and they needed >15 minutes (measured by dispatch protocol, my feeling was much more).

To answer the question about introducing myself: usually I don't say my name but instead "hello, we're from emergency medical service" (sometimes getting louder and using local dialect if needed), because that's what (I think) the patient wants really to know: there is someone for helping him, Giving a name would add no more information to that. However, if I feel it fits, sometimes I introduce me by name, but not as a rule.There is no real reason to not introducing myself, I just don't do it, and still mostly can establish a calm and friendly setting. If the patient requests my name (friendly), I have no problem giving it to him.

[HellsBells]

Personally, I don't know what being a public servant has to do with wearing a nameplate. I don't see many garbagemen with nametags on.

As for wearing one, I have no problem with it. We were given 2 pin-on nameplates when I was hired, I wear them when I think of it, but often misplace them. I typically introduce myself to the pt by name, and if they demanded my last name, I'd give them my employee number, and give them the number for my depts pt advocate. I don't consider it the "right" of the pt to know my last name. If they have a compliant they can follow the official channels. That way I can aviod any potential for harrasment at home.

[ERDoc]

Personally, I don't know what being a public servant has to do with wearing a nameplate. I don't see many garbagemen with nametags on.

So we are striving to be on the same level as garbage men?

[xselerate]

I'm sorry but I've been dealing with this in both an urban system and a rural system for years and have never known anyone to have a problem with there name being known. That gang banger that charged you doing an arrest? There not coming after you when the job is over. I've been there. Maybe every single experience I've ever had interacting with the public is the abnormal case but I've never had a reason to worry about someone coming after me. This sounds like such a no-brainer to me I'm surprised it's garnered so much discussion.

[BushyFromOz]

I'm sorry but I've been dealing with this in both an urban system and a rural system for years and have never known anyone to have a problem with there name being known. That gang banger that charged you doing an arrest? There not coming after you when the job is over. I've been there. Maybe every single experience I've ever had interacting with the public is the abnormal case but I've never had a reason to worry about someone coming after me. This sounds like such a no-brainer to me I'm surprised it's garnered so much discussion.

Look pal, just because YOU have never had a problem with people doen't mean other people have had the same easy ride. I have had some unsrupulous asshole used my name badge to find me and where i lived, in your words "Ive been there", and the end result for me isn't the same warm fuzzy land you ended up.

It boggles my mind that you cant except that some people are uncomfortable with what equates to random strangers knowing your full name, who you work for and by default, probably the area you live in.

Its sounds like such a no brainer im surprised you lack the ability to understand other peoples point of view.

[xselerate]

Hey bushy, pal. There's some great jobs selling insurance if it's that rough for you.

When your making decisions that effect life and death, 1000 dollar ground transport vs 20k medivac, painful electrical therapy vs long half-life meds, RSI vs cpap, etc ad nauseum, you don't get to be anonymous.

[BushyFromOz]

Hey bushy, pal. There's some great jobs selling insurance if it's that rough for you.

When your making decisions that effect life and death, 1000 dollar ground transport vs 20k medivac, painful electrical therapy vs long half-life meds, RSI vs cpap, etc ad nauseum, you don't get to be anonymous.

Are you one of these hero guys? "hey, look at me, im in charge of a 20 thousand dollar medivac?"

My patients get the appropriate care and transportation required without your theatrical "i make decisions that effect life and death" and they get to call me by my first name, that being the one i introduce myself as. Professional, succinct and approppriate care quite easily performed without them knowing my surname, is that too difficult for you to comprehend?

Theres some great jobs being a fighter, I hear they like gloating about how awesome they are too.

edited for stupid spelling errors

My name is Bond, James Bond... Wasn't so hard...

LOL

I'm batman...

Edited June 2, 2011 by BushyFromOz

[paramedicmike]

I'm going to have to disagree with this definition. I don't think that 'public service' is defined by your employer, but rather by your client base.

A public servant, by definition, is a governmental employee.

By your definition, hookers, drug dealers and mob bosses who run store fronts to hide their real business ventures are also public servants. Aside from the notion being completely false, is that really what you want to argue?

[usalsfyre]

When your making decisions that effect life and death, 1000 dollar ground transport vs 20k medivac, painful electrical therapy vs long half-life meds, RSI vs cpap, etc ad nauseum, you don't get to be anonymous.

I can't say that even when I was new and sparky I ever thought this way....

A little to melodramatic for me.