A nurse with a difficult name??

[Moonkitten]

I'm a PreNursing student and my name is very...unique and hard to pronounce. Ever since I learned my name as a child I wanted to change it. I remember getting tired of correcting people so I just let them pronounce it any kind of way, it wasn't their fault my name didn't make any sense. I've been worrying about patients or employers not being able to pronounce it or thinking that it's stupid. Introducing myself to people is really annoying because sometimes even I stutter on my own name (which is SO embarrassing) and people never remember it. I was thinking of changing my name to a shorter or similar version of it, something that people can understand and pronounce, it will be easier for me and everyone that I meet. But the name change process seems like it would take so long. Are there any nurses with unique names? Should I change my name to something simpler? What do you all think?

[Leader25, ASN, BSN, RN]

​Oh please,you should have been where we were, so many unpronounceable names,

this is what we do : some are called only by their last name,[when it is shorter than first name]

some are called only by their first name

sometimes a name and a fruit to make it easy to recall.

Some have a nick name

some use a code name that only a few knew.

One nurse that we knew her for years as lets say "Cindy" we found out not even her legal name which was a complicated foreign name.She gave her name as Cindy to everyone.

So if you want to change you can [have known some who did] no big deal

or pick as nice new nickname.How about Betty?

[Emergent, RN]

My husband was from another country and just went by the English version of his name. He never officially changed it. I called him his original name, which is tricky for an English speaker to pronounce.

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

It's not necessary to change you legal name, as others have said you can go by any name you want as long as you continue to use your legal name for legal documents. If your given name doesn't have any family significance that makes you want to keep it changing your name legally isn't too bad a process. There's a court filing fee and a meeting before a judge to explain the reason for name change then the judge signs the papers and you are legally whatever name you choose. Considering the outlandish names that some celebrities have chosen for themselves obviously judges don't say no to the change and the cost is just the filing fee and court fee. My daughter in law is transgender so we went through the name change with her, total cost was $140.00 so it wasn't exactly a bank breaker.

[Chrispy11, ASN, RN]

I have a longer name and answer to a shortened version. My family calls me something else. I also have a nickname HS friends gave me. I answer to them all. One of my classmates has a common name spelled a but different and it wound up causing a major issue with her application to the state BON. I've heard quite a few stories, so the less paperwork you have to send in, the better. IMHO, keep your name, change the name tag. It makes for the least amount of work for you.:)

[FurBabyMom, MSN, RN]

My given/real name is not common but is also not so rare it's unheard of. My name is uncommon enough that most of the time at Starbucks I am surprised by the creative spellings.

At work, I introduce myself to my patients by my first name. Some/many of my coworkers call me things other than my full given name. I answer to a few options, and if I feel someone is talking to me I'll ask for clarification. I have a few nicknames with various stories behind them.

Our hospital allows us to to use either our legal or preferred name on our badge. For documentation purposes, our legal name is used (makes total sense). We also have to, if asked, provide our full legal name to our patients/their families if requested.

Go by a nickname if you'd like, or don't, if you prefer not to.

[mheisey]

It could work to your advantage! Patient thinks you are Cathy but you are really something different then when they try to complain they will not be able to "legally" tie Cathy to you lol

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

I work with multiple providers who have foreign names. They all have nicknames or abbreviations of their name - no issues whatsoever.

I go by a shortened version of my full name but my last name is longer and more unusual and few people pronounce it right.

[djh123]

My first name is pretty unusual. I don't worry about it with patients. Some will say it, some will say some slightly-botched version of it, and others will just call for 'Nurse!'.

[Amethya]

Kinda related to you, but kinda not. My niece lives with me after her mother passed away 6 years ago. Her name is Saniya, which is an Arabic name, meaning Brilliance, radiant. I love her name, it's unique and beautiful. But as she's gotten older and has been in school, she started to dislike her name. Her logic is basically because everyone mispronounces her name. It's not Sah-Nah-Yah, it's Sah-Nee-yah, but no matter how much she corrects people, they mess it up. She wants to change her name, but I tell her not to because her mother picked it for her and it's a beautiful name. I have told her to maybe use a nickname, like Sani, and I think maybe I would too with you. Shorten it to a small nickname, maybe it would easier on you and your patients.

[aaronadams92]

I'm curious, without giving away too much, what's the origin of your name? What's it mean? Is it long or short?

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

Based on what others have said, it does not seem too difficult to legally change your name. Questions only you can answer: what does the name mean to you? Would you be willing to part with it, or does it have a significance to you that you do not want to change it? As far as I am concerned, there is no right or wrong answer, but only you know how important that name is for you.

If you do not want to change your name, find an easy to pronounce nickname, and introduce yourself as that. My suggestion if you don't legally change your name: have you nickname start with same 2 or 3 letters as your legal name, that way you can be easily found in an email address book, etc. I have had coworkers with fairly common last names who go by a nickname, yet the nickname is quite different that their legal first name, so they can be difficult to find when looking them up in a directory. For example, a coworker might have the given name of 'Eleanor Smith,' but always goes by her nickname of 'Mary,' and it would be very difficult to find her in the address book if you did not know her full legal name (name changed to protect the innocent).

[anon456, BSN, RN]

I have a "nurse name" that I use only at work, and otherwise I am called by my real name. While I expect people in my life to learn and say my name, I don't expect that of sick people or stressed out people. Nor do I want to have to explain my name because it takes away from the patient.