[Tweety]

I think they should allow you to call your coworkers what you choose when you have having personal conversations with them. Seems rather silly to have to send out a memo to adults like that.

I call one doc by his first name because he was in a bowling league before I met him profressionally and I can't get used to calling him Dr. Also another doc when he answers a page says "Hi this is John (not his real name)" so I call him by his first name. Everyone else is Dr. But I would be bothered by that memo because it's silly.

[explorer]

Originally Posted by trauma_junkie1

I've got a question for you all:

I work in a busy ED and we recently recieved a memo from our management stating that we had a new "Code of Conduct." Among other things (soem of which make good sense and some of which are rediculous) one of the new "standards" is that we (nursing staff) are to always address physicians by "Dr. Smith" instead of "John" (example...).

Now, when talking to patients, I refer to doctors this way, but when talking to the doctors, I use first names. We're all friends, it's a tight knit group. Even the doctors have said, "that's dumb, don't call me that." Our feeling is that this is an example of managment that is out of touch. (Most of our docs don't have any clue who the managers are and these are people who have GREAT relationships with the nurses!)

I can't think of any other profession that would be asked to do that. Doctors don't call each other "Dr" if they're close friends. I'm not talking about docs that we don't know, faculty consultants. I'm talking about our own ER residents! We will actually be written up if management hears us call them by their first name, citing that it's "unprofessional."

Am I nuts here?

The management is nuts! The management is working in the days of "One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest". Things have changed a lot since then!

[cotjockey]

For me, it depends on the doctor. We have one old and very respected doctor...sometimes, I forget he even has a first name because I couldn't imagine calling him anything but Doctor __________. For others it varies. I call my personal doctor by his first name...have known him forever and he laughs at me every time I call him doctor.

[oldiebutgoodie]

I have a Master's degree, so maybe everybody should call me "Master". (or Mistress, but that sounds like I run a B&D establishment!)

As a refugee from the corporate world, I would suggest that with this policy,you smile and nod, and file it in the round file. If you see management, say "Dr.", and then they will forget about it and it will all be over.

Depending on the management, if you make a big stink,they may use this case as an example of their power, and get really stupid trying to enforce it.

"Mistress" oldiebutgoodie

[veteranRN]

I know I am absolutely in the minority here but in the military we always addressed someone by their rank since it was something they earned. I feel physicians are the same way. If at all in a place of employment then they should be addressed as Dr. If outside work then that is a different story.

[trauma_junkie1]

I'm not sure what the basis for this stupid rule is. I do know from the diggin we've done that it comes straight from NURSING managment in the ED. This is NOT from higher up and (to the best that we can determine) NOT from any of the docs. Hell, we even call the chair by his first name. Most of them will stop new folks if they call them Doctor So-and-so and will say, "call me John (or Jane, we do have a good number of female docs :-)

Here's some more examples of the rules. We're not allowed to cover our last names on our badges. I've never worried about it, but I'm a big guy. Most of the women cover theirs to avoid stalkers and the like. We've had problems with everything from nurses who get hit on RELENTLESSLY (I one time had to pretend this one nurse was my wife so this guy would leave her alone!) to people who get ****** off because they can't get the drug they seek. Some have even called the ED later and threatened the staff. But, we can't cover our last names to prevent stalking because it's....that's right "unprofessional."

One of my favorites, "There is never a reason to be rube to a patient." Now, if this was casually enforced, ok. But, I'm sorry, the naked drunk at three in the morning who is masturbating in bed and making crude remarks to every woman in site NEEDS to be told to sit the hell down and shut the hell up. I kid you not. That nurse was written up for being rude to a patient.

One of our nurses actually photocopied the memo and shrunk it down so that she could tape it to the back of her badge so as to always have it to refer to in order to know how to behave.

Save us from management!

[mattsmom81]

This is just another way of keeping nurses under their thumb...they don't want us getting too familiar or comfortable on the job or they might lose power.

In front of patients I address doctors appropriately. When we are away from the patient and he/she prefers first name, I will then use it.

What kinda bothers me here is why is it OK for patients, staff and everyone to refer to US by first name...seems it would be more 'professional' for me to be addressed as 'Nurse Jones' as well, eh? I believe it overfamiliarizes to address by first name in professional settings with patient relationships, personally.

And I wouldn't mind being addressed as 'Nurse Jones' by docs, patients, etc by the way...it might help with public perception of our status as professionals. Particularly with so many hospital employees in scrubs today. When I first started out in nursing, we were addressed in this way for a short time til things relaxed a bit. Course we also wore caps and dress whites...

[missmercy]

Originally Posted by Marie_LPN

I'd feel weird calling a Dr. by his first name.

Me too - - one might think the docs are actually "human" or "normal people"!

I agree that we need to be professional -- and i guess if the Drs were offended by being called by their given names - and if they complained -- then I suppose it needs to be spelled out how they are to be addressed. I can't imagin our administration making it an official offense -- writing people up for it?! WOW!

Maybe we should just address them all as "your mighty excellency" or "Great and powerful one" -- if egos need that much bolstering.

[trauma_junkie1]

Originally Posted by missmercy

Me too - - one might think the docs are actually "human" or "normal people"!

I agree that we need to be professional -- and i guess if the Drs were offended by being called by their given names - and if they complained -- then I suppose it needs to be spelled out how they are to be addressed. I can't imagin our administration making it an official offense -- writing people up for it?! WOW!

Maybe we should just address them all as "your mighty excellency" or "Great and powerful one" -- if egos need that much bolstering.

I just want to emphasize that NOT ONE doc I've talked to has given two hoots in hell about being called by their first names. We have some of the best docs around and they treat all nurses as colleagues and not servents. This is definitley NOT coming from them. This is all coming from our "fellow nurses" in management.

I certainly wouldn't want to be responsible for adding fuel to the docs vs nurses war!

[BadBird]

Just another useless administrative policy, probably many work hours and committees to come up with such a waste of time. I sometimes think that all management should put on scrubs and work all shifts so they understand the "real" picture of what they are administering.