Calling a doctor question.

[iwashere]

Ok quick question. I know there will probably be varying answers depending on area/age/etc. but anyway. Ok so when I call a doctor at home and his wife answers is saying "Hello may I please speak with Dr. ******" an appropriate greeting? The reason I ask is because I was told by an older nurse that this is innapropriate and I need to say Hello this is soandso calling from soandso may I please speak to dr ********. I feel this is excessive seeing as how I am going to identify myself and where I am callng from as soon as the doctor gets on the phone. She thinks it is necessary so that the wife dosent "get mad or think anthing." (This is referring to a Dr that we call very frequently). So is my greeting completely out of line or is she just old fashioned?

[catiern]

Calls from hospitals now go to husband's cell, but occasionally, we still get calls at home. I appreciate knowing who is calling and more importantly, from which facility, b/c he has priv. at 2 hospitals and a couple of surgery centers as well. Makes it easier to pass along the info. in case I get in touch w/him before the caller does. Also, it's not that I think he's having an affair if a woman calls, but we often get calls from patients (who saw our home # on caller ID when he would return pt. calls from home) who will introduce herself by saying "Can I speak to Dr. ___?" Usually, these are the patients who...well, let's just not go there. Let's just say if she's had constipation for the last 2 weeks, there is no reason to disturb us at 1 a.m.--when he is not on call. On the other hand, if a nurse calls from the hospital, not realizing someone else is on call, that's a completely different story.

[applewhitern, BSN, RN]

Just be professional and introduce yourself. I doubt seriously the "wife" is concerned about "who" is calling her husband, anymore than the husband of a female doctor would be.

[wooh, BSN, RN]

if we really thought my dad was "cheating" his conversation would not be like "Give 5mg of IV metoprolol...." or "Did you get an EKG?"

Bahaha! I'm going to have to use, "Give 5mg of IV metoprolol," on the husband.

Courtesy dictates the following:

Introduce yourself(name, title, location)

Whom you are trying to contact

A one-sentence summary of your need (i.e. "I have a question regarding a patient...")

Whether another approach is, "currently accepted", or not, it is not professionally accepted

"Hi, this is wooh at [hospital name], may I speak with Dr. [physician name]?"

I'm soooo not professionally accepted.

[nursel56]

I think it's both polite and professional to identify yourself and say where you are from-- and actually, an effort to avoid having a wife believe it's someone she may think is having an affair with her husband never crossed my mind.

[CompleteUnknown]

If the doctor identifies him/herself when they answer, and I think he or she will at least have a vague idea of who I am, I generally say 'Hi, it's Complete from X, I'm ringing about Mr Jones'. If it's a doctor who may not know who I am, I'll say 'Hi, it's Complete, one of the nurses at X, I'm ringing about a patient'. If someone other than the doctor answers, or I'm not sure who is answering, I add 'Can I speak to Dr Smith please?'

It occurs to me that in the days before caller ID and mobile phones, I did this whether I was ringing my best friend or the bank manager. 'Hi Gertrude, it's Complete, how are you?' for best friend and 'Good morning, my name is Complete Unknown, could I speak to the manager please?' for the bank.

It's courteous and I think it actually saves time to say who you are when ringing a doctor, even if it's a mobile number, even if the doctor is going to know the number, even if the doctor is expecting a call from me. It never crossed my mind either that a wife or husband might be suspicious if I don't. I am conscious, though, that doctors are like anyone else and get phone calls about all about all sorts of things, some of which they may not want to deal with at that particular time. Why make whoever answers do the work of finding out who is calling and why?

[Goldenhare]

If MY phone rings in MY house, I have a right to know WHO is calling. It's courtesy. Maybe I don't have caller ID and maybe YOU misdialed!

[Jory, MSN, APRN, CNM]

Proper telephone etiquette when you are with any business calling is to first identify yourself before asking for the person you need to speak with.

So the proper greeting is: "Hello, this is Jane Doe with Memorial Hospital, may I please speak with Dr. Smith?"

You are calling the doctor's personal residence and they may have a practice in their family that he doesn't take phone calls from people asking for "Dr. Smith" unless it's the hospital, clinic, colleague, etc.

It will also save you from being asked the question, "Who is this and why are you calling?" which any of his family members, have every right to ask.

It's not about being "excessive" it's about being professional and having respect for his family members.

[Jory, MSN, APRN, CNM]

edit post

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

The other thing two, you don't have to read the wife you entire resume when you call. A proper introduction literally takes 5 seconds, so why not do it? Plus, I don't need the wife telling the doc "it's one of those rude nurses again."

[nursel56]

"Hi, this is wooh at [hospital name], may I speak with Dr. [physician name]?"

I'm soooo not professionally accepted.

Neither am I. :.( Besides, saying "I have a question regarding a patient . . " followed by anything else is a waste of time when calling a residence and is totally a HIPPO violation!!!

(tangential issue) it never hurts to develop a rapport with the family if you call the doctor frequently. Much more pleasant to hear "oh hi interrupter of my family time!" than a sigh , an uncomfortable pause and a ". . .and you arre . . . . . .? :)