Identifying staff by first names and credentials is valuable for patients' convenience and comfort, but you should reconsider hanging nametags from lanyards. I am not a fan of things hanging from one's neck. There are too many possibilities for contamination of the surgical site with a dangling string, as with any necklace. Because of the risk of bacterial contamination, AORN's guidance is to avoid lanyards altogether. There are also the safety risks of a lanyard string getting tangled in a piece of equipment or being pulled by a patient emerging from anesthesia. We use magnetic nametags that state the staffer's first name (only) and credentials.

Kris Sabo, RN
Pend Oreille Surgery Center
Ponderay, Idaho
[email protected]