Nurses With No Last Names or Titles

[Plagueis]

I've been reading a few of the threads lately about referring to doctors as "Dr." and about how some nurses are concerned about putting their last names on their badges for safety reasons. Also, I have seen many instances in real life where doctors are always referred to by their last names, but nurses are called by their first only, without a title. These threads have got me thinking about how nurses are perceived based on how they are addressed, and I am wondering if anyone knows why many nurses are still called by their first names only, but doctors are called by their title and last names? Why can't Ellen Davis be called Nurse Davis, instead of Ellen? I have never had a doctor introduce herself to me with her first name only, but as Dr. Angela Jones or Dr. Jones, for instance.

[nurse_clown]

[color=gray]hmmm..... i never really thought about that. i guess doctors have given and maintained a certain level of respect for themselves. even though we snicker behind their backs sometimes or shake our heads at a decision they've made one of my friends got "written up" for not knowing a doctors name. ridiculous, eh?

on our name tags we have our full name on one side and our first name only on the other side. both sides also have "rn". i've found it of great benefit to wear the first name only on one side. besides my last name is difficult for some. i had a bad incident with an ex patient and he just wont go away. before that happened, i didn't think showing my last name was risky at all. i'd rather be addressed by my first name. it's just plain easier and comfortable. after all, i'm the one who's spending the most time with the patient right now. i keep thinking about the confused patients that keep yelling "nurse!!!! .... nurse!!!" it makes my ears ring.

[wooh, BSN, RN]

I tend to address docs by last name, but only because I'm bad with names, and remembering both the name to call them and the name to write on the chart is too difficult for me. I was totally charmed by a pt's dad that kept referring to me as Nurse LastName (he got it off my badge.) He was so very respectful, such a nice change!

[Euskadi1946]

Nurses at one time were addressed as "Miss Smith, Mrs. Smith or Mr. Smith. I prefer having only my first name on my badge and don't mind it at all if I'm called by my first name. As far as the doctors are concerned, I have worked in many facilities where the docs and nurses are on a first name basis. Doesn't bother me in the least. To me all that matters is that the patients are getting the best of care from both the docs and nurses.

[smilin_gp]

I like the anonymity of having only my first name, RN, BSN on my badge.

[MrsMommaRN]

does anyone remember on threes company, teri was an rn and she would introduce herself as teri alden rn?

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

This came up in discussion between my MIL and myself awhile back. She graduated exactly 50 years ago (no longer practicing) and she was telling me that she (of course) was known as Nurse Jones, or, if it suited, Mrs. Jones. She gave me her old name pin that said "Mrs. L. Jones, RN". No first names in front of the pts.

She wondered what I'd be called. Said as far as I knew, just my first name. And I was a little regretful that it wasn't still "back in the day" of the more respectful address.

I too have noticed that an MD will say to a pt "if you have any questions, you can call this number and ask for Dr. Smith, or you can ask Nancy here...." when motioning to the nurse.

Kind of a shame that I have the same familiar informality with pts in a professional setting as I do with my babysitter.

[Plagueis]

This came up in discussion between my MIL and myself awhile back. She graduated exactly 50 years ago (no longer practicing) and she was telling me that she (of course) was known as Nurse Jones, or, if it suited, Mrs. Jones. She gave me her old name pin that said "Mrs. L. Jones, RN". No first names in front of the pts.

She wondered what I'd be called. Said as far as I knew, just my first name. And I was a little regretful that it wasn't still "back in the day" of the more respectful address.

I too have noticed that an MD will say to a pt "if you have any questions, you can call this number and ask for Dr. Smith, or you can ask Nancy here...." when motioning to the nurse.

Kind of a shame that I have the same familiar informality with pts in a professional setting as I do with my babysitter.

This is what I am somewhat concerned about: how doctors get to use the titles that they have earned in their names, but nurses usually don't. At my job and in the ERs that I have been to, even when it seems like the workers know each other, doctors are called "Dr." followed by their last names, and nurses are called by their first name only. I know that referring to other nurses by their first names makes them seem less "formal," and more personable to the public, but why should nurses not use the title "nurse" and their last names? I don't hear anyone complaining that doctors who use the title "Dr" and their last names are less "personable" to their patients.

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

This is what I am somewhat concerned about: how doctors get to use the titles that they have earned in their names, but nurses usually don't. At my job and in the ERs that I have been to, even when it seems like the workers know each other, doctors are called "Dr." followed by their last names, and nurses are called by their first name only. I know that referring to other nurses by their first names makes them seem less "formal," and more personable to the public, but why should nurses not use the title "nurse" and their last names? I don't hear anyone complaining that doctors who use the title "Dr" and their last names are less "personable" to their patients.

I'm with you. Thing is, when I start at a new hospital in a few weeks, the hierarchy, protocols, expected patterns, etc are already in place. I can hardly start off by announcing myself as Mrs. Smith, RN or Nurse Smith, lol! And by the time I'll have been there long enough to even suggest any changes, I'll already be used to the system and that will be that. Ad infinitum.

Thing is, I have kind of a 'young sounding' name, even though I'm not so young . It's my given name, and I'm not changing it However, I don't think it sounds particularly professional, or sophisticated, or.....whatever. Maybe that's why I feel a tad disadvantaged when being introduced without the "Nurse" or "Mrs." part. Pretty sure Skipper Jones would make sure HE was known as "Dr. Jones"!

*I've really gotta stop saying "Thing is..."

[fergus51]

I refer to some people by first, some by last names. I expect them to use the same level of formality they want me to use with them. I think it's rude of them to do otherwise.

[rach_nc_03]

does anyone know why the use of 'nurse smith' fell out of style? I like first names, and have to make an effort to use 'dr. smith', especially if we're on a first-name basis. (We had a woman in my nursing school class who had a doctorate- people would joke to her about getting a nametag that said, 'dr. smith, rn'...she didn't think it was that funny.)

I think I lean toward first names with docs because I do find the 'nurse rachel/dr.smith' disparity disconcerting. i certainly don't want to be 'nurse rachel'....when i was a kid, my dance school used 'miss' in front of all the teachers' first names- miss nancy, miss sarah....that's always what it'll make me think of.

I think I could deal with 'nurse smith', though.

[mshultz]

...I have never had a doctor introduce herself to me with her first name only, but as Dr. Angela Jones or Dr. Jones, for instance.

As a patient, I had a doctor introduce himself to me with only his first name. One second after I was brought into the ED with a bad GI bleed, two nurses and the doctor positioned themselves around my stretcher as the third nurse was pulling the curtain shut. When this nurse finished closing the curtain, she (the nurse who had closed the curtain) then unfolded the blanket covering me, leaving me lying there naked. At this point, the nurses and doctor introduced themselves by first name only, no titles. I do not remember how the other two doctors introduced themselves when they stopped in to see me.

This approach, although somewhat impersonal, makes sense in terms of trauma: Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Mental Status (although the blanket was unfolded without warning, I was able to move my arm holding my wallet and keys off of the blanket before they got in the way), and Exposure.

As far as referring to each other by name, no one ever called me by name, and without a pen and notepad, there was no way I could ever remember their names. The first CCU nurse attempted to write her name on the white board, but could not find a marker. She also uncovered my naked body before introducing herself. Definitely an interesting new way of meeting people;) .