I Have A Name

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

I run a long term care facility. We have regulations for everything including how to address residents. I have had the displeasure the past two days of being a patient on a telemetry unit at the local hospital.

I have been called Cutie, sweetheart, honey, hon, lovey......mind you, I am not an old person. I find it disrespectful. Call me Ms. Mermaid or even by my given name, CapeCod, but please don't call me one more cute name.

End of rant.

[BlueLightRN]

Same goes for patients who think they can call me "sweety" just because I'm a young woman. You may call me Nurse BlueLight or you may find that I'm not very "sweet."

[SHGR, MSN, RN, CNS]

Gross. I got in the habit of calling almost all patients Ms. Smith or Mr. Jones unless they have another courtesy title they would like me to use. It makes everything easier. They like it, I like it. We use courtesy titles for the staff too- Ms. Beverly, for example.

If a nurse called me sweetie, I would not be pleased.

[generalRN2008]

In some states it is illegal

[HyperSaurus, RN, BSN]

Some of the nurses I worked with would call all of their patients "Sweetie", "dear", etc. I've always felt, if you're young enough to be their daughter or granddaughter, you have no business calling them cutsey names. Heck, even when I'm old enough to be the patients mother, ect, I don't want to be calling them cutsey names. I hate being called them myself and I feel that it is disrespectful. These aren't children, these are accomplished adults with their own families and capabilities.

That being said, now I work in a NICU, it's expected for me to call my patients cute names--and adults pretty much just get referred to as "Mom", "Dad".

[Whoatemyburger]

I address my patients by their last names ( Ms/Mr), but I do not mind being called cute names. Blah life is to short to be bothered by silly things. I do understand people who doesn't not like it and I totally respect it.

[TheMoonisMyLantern, ADN, LPN, RN]

I can see how that would be irritating but I think I'd just focus on getting well and not sweat the small stuff.

[uRNmyway, ASN, RN]

Eh, while I do address all my patients as Mr or Miss, regardless of age, I have occasionally let slip with 'dear' with some of our pleasantly confused folks.

But seriously, with some of the things I've gotten called by patients when not getting the goodies they want, sweeties and honeys are the very LAST thing that is going to offend me! But that's jus' me...

[thenursemandy]

My pts are addressed as Mr/Mrs or sir/m'am unless they request otherwise.

[ashleyisawesome, BSN, RN]

We have white boards in patient rooms where we write our names, the attending's name, the aides name, and patients preferred name. When I get a new admission I always ask "what would you like us to call you?" I hate when people call patient's pet names, no matter their age. It is weird and offensive to me.

[Caffeine_IV]

I don't like pet names either but I get it all the time. I always call people sir/ma am unless they don't like it. First names if they request. For some confused patients they only respond to their first name.