Do you work with any that ask you to do this? Does it weird you out at all?
I'm a pretty laid back person...like sometimes "check-a-pulse" laidback. :wink2: I'm also pretty self confident and I'm not scared of doctors. But I guess I had it ingrained into my head at some impressionable stage in my life that they're addressed as "Dr So and So". I didn't realize how deeply this penetrated my fragile psyche until a few years ago when my Sis started dating a vet. I called him Dr H, even when we were all out in a social setting and taught my Kiddo to do the same. (I quit when I found out he was a Red Wings fan...came up with a different name that I won't post here! LOL! But I made the Kiddo continue to call him Doc for the longest time. It eventually evolved into Uncle Dr H. )
Anyway, so now I'm working in an ER, and even though I'm a probie RN, I've worked there for over a year. We have a bunch of great docs...talented, respectful, the whole shibang. I'm very lucky and I know it. Some of our doctors have started asking us to call them by their first names, and I kinda feel uncomfortable doing it. I mean, they went to school for a loooong time to earn that title. At first, I just thought that it was because they were younger docs and less formal...but then I realized they weren't that young, I was just older. I don't think it's a big formailty thing, and it's not like I'm adressing them as my superior. It's just a title for an impressive feat that they accomplished, and I think they earned it, and my respect.
I do it, or at least try to remember. I refuse to do it in front of patients though. Gets my lots of eye rolls, but hey...I have my standards. Not many, but the ones I do have, I stick to. But it just feels weird. So I was wondering if this was common in other areas, or if my docs are even more laid back than I am? :chuckle
There are a couple attendings (both OB & Neonatalogy) I'm on a first name basis with. Other than that, it's Dr. Lastname for attendings. Residents/interns are first name only most of the time. When I page one & they call back they always say, "This is Joe (or whoever), returning a page." So that's what they get called and no one's ever had a problem with it.
In front of the patient, it's Dr. Lastname no matter what. I really don't care what they call me, as long as it's not a swear word nor yelled.
We have titles, too and we worked hard to earn our position. When I phone a doctor or answer the phone I usually say, "Nurse Smith or Mrs. Smith, RN or Mary Smith, RN speaking." I will soon one day have a Doctorate so I WILL be saying Dr. Smith, RN speaking." Talk about confusion!!!!:wink2:
I just feel awkward calling them anything but "Dr. Lastname" I'm pretty young, but maybe it's becuase my childhood dentist, who was also my mom's boss, who was also my dad's golfing buddy who, was also practically like my uncle or godfather insisted that we call him "Dr. Lastname" and so it just stuck with me. To this day, if I see him at a pic-nic or at the grocery store or at a family gathering it is "Dr. Lastname" If it is really casual setting then I'll sometimes say "Doc"
I have a patient who is retired military and insists on being called "Colonel Lastname". If you want to shorten it you can just say "Colonel" or "the Colonel" but if you dare say "Mr. Lastname" he would correct you and say: "It's Colonel Lastname":bugeyes:
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
glad u r so respectful, however u must realize it's a job they r doing and u r equally intelligent and capable. after all u do interpret their orders so it must mean u r aware of the processes involved re. their diagnoses and how they arrived at their decisions. u must also be aware that if u are given orders that may be detrimental to the pt's well being u r likely 2 b responsible. it's all well and good to be respectful but be aware of your own capabilities trust me on this they r simply part of a team that together achieves results.
hey, i just wanted to let you know that your post would be so much easier to read if you spelled out your words. hopefully, you're not text messaging your posts!
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
i've always worked at large, teaching hospitals. we call the residents by their first names -- many of them don't even introduce themselves as "dr." they'll say, "hi, i'm wesley and i'm the surgical resident on the cardiac service." or whatever. we call the attendings "dr." in front of the patients, but certainly not when they're in the break room scarfing down bean dip and chatting about their last vacation or pta meeting!
i once had a nurse practitioner bring around a group of brand new residents to introduce them. "this is ruby," she said. "she's an experienced icu nurse. if the experienced icu nurse calls you "doctor," you know you're screwing up. stop whatever idiotic thing it is you're doing and do what she tells you to do. if the experienced icu nurse asks you "are you sure you really want to do that, doctor," you don't. stop whatever moronic thing it is you're doing and ask her how to procede. let the experienced icu nurse help keep you from killing your patients and you'll do just fine here."
i've always worked at large, teaching hospitals. we call the residents by their first names -- many of them don't even introduce themselves as "dr." they'll say, "hi, i'm wesley and i'm the surgical resident on the cardiac service." or whatever. we call the attendings "dr." in front of the patients, but certainly not when they're in the break room scarfing down bean dip and chatting about their last vacation or pta meeting!
i once had a nurse practitioner bring around a group of brand new residents to introduce them. "this is ruby," she said. "she's an experienced icu nurse. if the experienced icu nurse calls you "doctor," you know you're screwing up. stop whatever idiotic thing it is you're doing and do what she tells you to do. if the experienced icu nurse asks you "are you sure you really want to do that, doctor," you don't. stop whatever moronic thing it is you're doing and ask her how to procede. let the experienced icu nurse help keep you from killing your patients and you'll do just fine here."
way to go..hope they listened, um, "doctor!":yeah::yeah::yeah:
i once had a nurse practitioner bring around a group of brand new residents to introduce them. "this is ruby," she said. "she's an experienced icu nurse. if the experienced icu nurse calls you "doctor," you know you're screwing up. stop whatever idiotic thing it is you're doing and do what she tells you to do. if the experienced icu nurse asks you "are you sure you really want to do that, doctor," you don't. stop whatever moronic thing it is you're doing and ask her how to procede. let the experienced icu nurse help keep you from killing your patients and you'll do just fine here."
I am fine calling the doc's by their 1st names when they are getting SBARed for pt needs. I mean let's be honest, no need for formalities, we both know what our roles are. But when the MD's and RN's round together on the patients, I introduce my self as their nurse, and the MD introduces themself as doctor (In this case our particular roles could be confused by the patient otherwise).
I started my career in a community hospital where titles were king. It was unthinkable to call a physician by his first name. When I moved to a large inner city teaching hospital I couldn't drop the "DR" thing. The medical director of the ED actually called me into his office and said, "we are all collegues here, you have been doing this longer than some of the people you call DR. As a sign of mutual respect we speak to each other on a first name basis only." Took me back, but I have been on a first name basis with our physician staff since then. I find teaching hospitals to be more lax about titles. There are so many MD's that it actually encourages more open conversation. A number of our community hospitals still mandate the "DR so-and-so" thing, and I really feel that it puts off open conversations. I find it humorous because they few that I have called DR Name-I never find as competent as those I call by their first name.
Rob does a job, and so does Bob!!!! Your education and profession should'nt elevate you above others. A job is a job!!! Bob!!!! There is too much of this in our profession. This is why Drs treat us like crap. Equality stems from humanity!!!!
I use Dr. if I don't know them well, otherwise I use their first name. Of course, in front of pt's I use Dr. I had a hard time after the military not wanting to call them by a "rank" like LT. or LCDR, or Capt. etc. I still want to do that sometimes. :smackingf
(I am slowly realizing that I'm much more extreme politically than I think I am....)
I call most of the docs - from attendings down to med students - by their first name. That's whether or not they invite me, because generally they call me by my first name too. There is one that I know prefers to be called Dr. So-and-So. Fine. He's not my favorite doc.
If I first meet a doctor, I'll refer to them as "Dr. Blank" out of courtesy, but in a conversation or if I'm asking questions (and I'm a big question asker) - I'll usually drop down to Steve or Lisa or whatever.
I have yet to have any one get upset that I know of.
Perhaps that's because these are pediatric surgeons, peds neuro, peds intensivists etc? Peds people tend to be, I don't know, my kind of people. =)
I don't head down to the trauma room and say "hey Joe" to some trauma surgeon I don't know, but only because I don't borrow trouble - not because I don't feel like it's my place.
In front of patients, I will say "Dr. Bill Atkins will be the surgeon" and say "Dr. Atkins" when speaking to him, but that's more because I think it reinforces their authority to very anxious, frightened parents. I always think it helps when I convince parents that their doctors are the best (and I really think our docs are.)
I have noticed on our floor that our two male nurses are on a first name basis with all the docs - and many of our female nurses are not. And it's an interesting social observation. Studies show that doctors will stop talking when a male nurse approaches, for example, but continue talking when a female nurse approaches - even one well known to them.
I really do respect physicians - but something has to change the perception that we are invisible and subservient. And the name game seems like a fairly benign way to point out that we are all members of the same team.
) 
Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP
4 Articles; 5,259 Posts
Depends on the situation.
There are a couple attendings (both OB & Neonatalogy) I'm on a first name basis with. Other than that, it's Dr. Lastname for attendings. Residents/interns are first name only most of the time. When I page one & they call back they always say, "This is Joe (or whoever), returning a page." So that's what they get called and no one's ever had a problem with it.
In front of the patient, it's Dr. Lastname no matter what. I really don't care what they call me, as long as it's not a swear word nor yelled.