During the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, healthcare workers often appeared on television news segments; they were interviewed about their work while wearing their uniforms, and you would usually see a form of identification either hanging from lanyards or clipped to their scrubs. This identification system is called a badge buddy, and it serves various purposes in healthcare settings. Keep reading to explore the different types of badge buddies available!
The Badge Buddy
Badge buddies are the result of various laws and regulations promulgated at the state level for the purpose of quickly and easily identifying healthcare personnel. In Pennsylvania, for example, badge buddies became a requirement in healthcare facilities after state legislators passed HB 1482 in 2010. In essence, the law stipulated that all medical centers should design and maintain an identification system compliant with specific requirements such as displaying photos along with names and occupational titles printed in block letters.
Efforts similar to HB 1482 in Pennsylvania are being adopted by lawmakers in many other states, and law firms that focus on medical practice believe that badge buddies could become either federal or uniform laws in the near future. Other states that have thus far implemented mandatory badge buddy regulations for healthcare facilities include Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, and Oregon; once the number of states adopting such regulations is equivalent to one-quarter of American jurisdictions, it is safe to assume that they will become federal or uniform law.
Benefits of Having a Badge Buddy
A badge buddy is an additional badge or tag that is worn along with an identification badge. Badge buddies are often used in settings such as hospitals and schools, where employees may have multiple roles or responsibilities and need to display different types of badges. Some benefits of using a badge buddy include:
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Clarity: Badge buddies can help to clearly identify an individual's role or department, making it easier for others to understand their responsibilities and the services they can provide.
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Efficiency: By displaying all relevant information on a single badge, badge buddies can help streamline communication and improve efficiency in busy environments.
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Convenience: Badge buddies allow individuals to easily switch between different roles or responsibilities without having to carry multiple badges or swap them out.
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Security: Badge buddies can help to prevent unauthorized access to restricted areas by clearly indicating who is authorized to be there.
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Customization: Badge buddies can be customized with different colors, graphics, and text to clearly convey information and distinguish between different roles or departments.
Overall, badge buddies can be a useful tool for individuals who need to display multiple types of identification in their work or daily life. They can help to improve communication, efficiency, and security in a variety of settings.
Customized Badge Buddies For Every Industry
Visible ID badges are standard for many professionals at various workplaces; however, unless they are subject to jurisdictional regulations, they may not always as functional as they should be. Many name badges in use these days are not easy to read because they were mostly designed to work like identification cards. In the case of badge buddies, they serve a different purpose because regulations clearly specify that healthcare facility workers should be easily identifiable to anyone at all times.
Badge buddies and badge holders provide visible identification to supplement an existing photo ID card. They typically come pre-printed in a variety of healthcare titles such as a doctor, registered nurses, and licensed practical nurses; physical therapists, laboratory technicians, and other job titles can be easily included.
Badge Buddies For Nurses
Having a color-coded identification system in the healthcare industry is a great way to recognize visitors from employees or RegisteredNurses from Student Nurses and so forth. It prevents false identification and makes patients feel at ease knowing exactly who they are consulting with.
In the medical field, patient safety is paramount. A hospital may want to make sure that all nurses wear badges identifying them as registered nurses (RN) or licensed practical nurses (LPN). They also might want to ensure that only RNs or LPNs enter certain areas of the hospital. This is where barcodes come into play. Barcode scanners read the codes printed on the badge and then compare those numbers against a database of authorized personnel. If the code matches, the person is allowed access.
Badge Buddies for Teachers
Badge Buddies are a tool used in some schools to help teachers and students quickly identify each other's roles and responsibilities. They are essentially small cards or badges that display a person's name and job title, such as "teacher" or "student." The idea is that by wearing these badges, teachers can easily distinguish between students and other staff members, and students can easily identify their teachers and other school personnel. This can help to create a sense of community and improve communication within the school.
How To Create Your Own Badge Buddy
At Specialist ID, you have the opportunity to create your own customized badge buddy with no technical skills needed. Our browser-based template allows you to customize your badge buddy in just three steps:
* Choose between horizontal badge holder or vertical badge holder.
* Select from 18 vibrant background colors.
* Type your own text with two lines available.
Specialist ID no longer requires a minimum order for custom printing badge buddies. Also, any of our custom-made products will require 10 to 14 business days to process. After that, you can expect to receive your custom badge buddies in 2-6 business days. This is something to keep in mind when placing your custom badge buddy just in case you need to meet a deadline.
Things To Consider When Designing Your Own Badge Buddy
You’ll find that in terms of wording, you’ll have more space with the horizontal template. While both templates can take on a considerable amount of text, you’ll find that the more you use, the smaller the font gets. It’s best to keep that in mind when creating your badge buddy. Be sure to review your state guidelines when designing the appearance of your ID badges.
Keep in mind why you wanted a badge buddy to begin with to provide visible identification. Our template allows you to enter up to two rows of text. So, it might be best to try to abbreviate the occupational title to keep the text as large as possible. If you wish, you can design the badge buddy to be placed underneath existing ID cards; since the badges are printed on both sides, name and role recognition will remain visible even if the badge is turned around.
Final Thoughts
The badges manufactured by Specialist ID are laminated with an extra durable coating material; they feature a punched slot so that they can be immediately clipped. We carry a full line of items and accessories to make your identification system more functional and efficient. Feel free to browse our catalog so that you can evaluate badge holders, badge reels, lanyards, and stethoscope tags. We also carry visitor management items as well as card printing supplies.
As a wholesale distributor, we can offer generous discounts on our custom badge buddies. With a minimum order of 25 units, you can save at least 4%. Depending on how many badge buddy units you order, your discount could be as generous as 34% off the purchase price. Place your online badge buddy order today, or contact us through our online form if you have any questions.