Addressing patients by their first name...

[tytkhat]

...I was being shown the run down in the ER, and when the nurse with me came across our patient, a lovely 88 yo, she addressed her by her first name. I was mortified! I grew up addressing my elders as 'Sir', 'Ma'am', Mr. Soinso, etc. I would be sporting one heck of a nugget from whatever blunt object my grandmother wielded if I addressed otherwise. Apparently, this is how the patients are addressed...I asked...first name only. I am a tad uncomfortable with this (no, more than a tad). Also, the employee IDs show our first name only. It is weird for me. Has anyone else experienced this at their facility? How do you feel about addressing the patient by the first name only?

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

Using first names only is standard practice in psych: it's done for privacy reasons.

And given the names that some of my psych patients request I address them as, calling a patient by their first name doesn't seem that bad to me.

[akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P]

While I was in school and in my practice as a Paramedic before that, I would typically introduce myself and then ask if their full name is... or ask them what their full name is. Then right away I'd ask them how they'd like to be addressed and then address them that way unless I'm required to. What I want to do right away is begin laying the foundation for establishing trust and comfort. Some of that trust comes from "the position" but you also have to earn their trust. Establishing a level of comfort with the patient also helps you provide the care that's needed. All that starts the moment you enter their space.

I don't necessarily think it's at all unusual to address people by their first name, regardless of their age. Just make sure you respect their request about how to be addressed within the limits of policy.

[Cuddleswithpuddles]

I have the same approach as akulahawk. I address patients how they say they would like to be addressed. 99.9% of the time, patients prefer their first name or some nickname they are used to. I have never, ever had a patient ask me to address them as Mister, Miss, or Mrs. XYZ (although I would be happy to do so if asked).

As for the other 0.1%? I have had one bipolar hippy-dippy patient who asked me address him as Black Dancing Star. First, I suppressed laughter. Second, I asked this person what was the significance of this name. That seemed to put him at ease enough to change his mind and tell me to just call him by his first name. Which was good because I probably could not do it with a straight face.

[applewhitern, BSN, RN]

I address my patients by Mr. or Ms. Last Name, as required by every hospital I have worked in. Here in the deep south, it is considered disrespectful to address someone by their first name, unless you know them personally outside of work. That would be a big no-no in my current hospital.

[MunoRN, RN]

It's definitely a regional/cultural thing. I usually start off with "Mr/Mrs so-and-so" and then ask what they would like to be called, to be honest I don't think I've ever had anyone say they wanted to be called Mr. or Mrs so-and-so, the answer is always a first name. All of our docs prefer to be called by their first name, and will repeatedly correct you if you insist on calling them "Dr. so-and-so".

[exp626]

We ask our patients what they prefer to be called, so there's always a first name on the dry-erase board in the room. I was raised in the south and am not comfortable calling elders by the first name, though have no problem if a patient is my contemporary or younger than me. I have had people correct me and ask me to call them by their first name, and at that point I make an effort. These days the younger doctors introduce themselves by their first name, but I call them doctor unless I see them outside of work.

[kool-aide, RN]

I usually just go for the first name.....on night when I wake pts up, they usually respond more quickly to their first name.

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

I find it interesting that we, as nurses, the doctors and residents all call pts my Mr/ Ms/Mrs and OT/PT calls most by first name. I hardly ever call a pt by their first name.

[aeris99]

I always referred to my clients as Miss Jane or Mr Bob once I got to know them because it always made them chuckle. (Plus working on the unit I did some didn't recognize their last names)

I worked in HH and LTC up here in New England though. So again the cultural requirements are different.

[SquishyRN, BSN, RN]

I always address them by Mr/Mrs/Ms when I introduce myself in the morning and then ask what they'd like to be called. Most prefer their first names, but I never address them as such right off the bat.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

IN the ED we did not show our last names either....it is for protection of the staff. You see the general public and plenty of prisoners. I use a mixed bag of fist and last names. I ask the patient. There are many elderly patients that you see all the time and after a while you build a rapport with them....they are like "family". You get to know their meds and allergies. You build "personal" relationships with them...I have had some frequent patients that I knew who it was by the EMS radio report.

Confused patients also respond better to familiar things like their first names.