Addressing patients?

Curious. How do you address a patient when you first meet them? And after?

I almost always call a patient Mr, Mrs, or Ms, unless it's a child. Unless a patient instructs me to call them by their first name, I continue with Mr, Mrs, or Ms. I introduce myself usually with just my first name (it's an unusual one), or say my first and last names as 2 distinct names, lest I be understood.

As a patient, family member, and nurse, however, I see more people that barely give their name, if at all and call the patient by their first name.

So....how do you all introduce yourself? And what do you call your patients?

Cindy

same as you...MR/MRS so and so and I say I am Brittney, your SN...

then once a therapeutic relationship has been established, I let the patient take the lead. They may say, call me so and so. And most of the time they call me hon or sweetheart (I'm young and I live in the south so that's normal and not offensive). I to will use endearing terms for special pt's that seem to need the affection and caring acknowlegement...never been a problem

I am older, so I usually just say: "Can I call you by your first name?" right off the top.

IF the patient is more ELDERLY than I - I'll say Mrs. or Mr. first.

Usually the men over 40 will just say: "Call me Harry, John.." whatever and give me that wiggling eyebrow look". :stone

I'm pretty good at reading people and I go with my gut. It hasn't failed me yet.

... How do you address a patient when you first meet them?... I almost always call a patient Mr, Mrs, or Ms, unless it's a child...

Think that's really the best way to go.

I ask them how they wish to be addressed, after introducing myself as Debbie, their RN for the shift.

I try to get on a first name basis as soon as possible, with their permission. If I'm giving you a bath and wiping your butt, it stands to reason that we're on a first-name basis. :)

I always call them mr. or mrs. unless they tell me differently. I call people that are close to my age buy thier first name. I introduce my myself and title

I always address people by Mr., Mrs. etc but without fail when I am the patient I am referred to by my first name and without my permission which makes me grit my teeth.

I try to get on a first name basis as soon as possible, with their permission. If I'm giving you a bath and wiping your butt, it stands to reason that we're on a first-name basis. :)

Oh that is toooo funny! I like to think that the person taking care of me would consider themselves my friend, and my friends call me by my first name:)

I am curious though: I call my spouses doctor's by their first names since we see each other a lot. In the future, while working in the same hospital, I guess that I would address them as Dr. ____? Right? Maybe I can insist that they call me Tracy, Registered Nurse:lol2:

T

I usually address the patient by Mr or Ms and their first name and their parents by Mrs. or Mr. and their last name (I work in Peds). I usually introduce myself as I am Debbie and I will be your nurse today.

I usually greet my patients with Mr/Ms last name and a smile. I introduce myself using my first name, I'm a registered nurse, and I'll be with you until (3 or 7 depending on that day) today. In most cases they will ask my last name, and then comes the discussion of whom I might be kin to...Easily nipped in the bud when I state that I am from "out west." I will only seldomly use a term such as "honey" even though this seems to be acceptable throughout the South. If you call one of my grandmother's honey, you can bet they'll set you on your ear. It's just not acceptable "in my neck of the woods." It's a pet peeve of mine, and I encouraged students placed with me to avoid using such terms.

I try to get on a first name basis as soon as possible, with their permission. If I'm giving you a bath and wiping your butt, it stands to reason that we're on a first-name basis. :)

Getting to a first name basis is cool, as long as it's with the patient's permission.

However ... it's important to remember that intimate personal care is not intimacy. I sometimes think that personal care is all the more reason for maintaining some name boundaries. We're not friends with that individual; they are under our professional care. Keeping that professional aspect of our care is important.

Jim Huffman, RN