I work in a LTC/ Skilled nursing facility, and i would like to hear some opinions about calling long-term residents "sweetie", "honey" or "hun", etc. This is the persons home, and calling them Mrs. or Mr. is textbook and so formal. Of course, i would ask "is it alright if i call you sweetie? or do you prefer Mr. or Mrs." because i customize my care to whatever they would desire.
So whats your opinions on this? (Keep in mind also that i live in the south-ish, FL, were this is common etiquette) :heartbeat i do find it to be inappropriate in acute care settings, because i don't know the person well
:redlight:I AM ONLY REFERRING TO LONG TERM CARE PATIENTS. thank you:redlight:
Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.
I had an inlaw in a skilled facility. When I went to visit, the nurse told me "Lizzie" was on the porch. I told her that her name was Elizabeth, not Liz, not Lizzie, not Betty. Only Elizabeth. The nurse continued with the Lizzie. Honestly, I had to tell her I would call the state if she didn't stop. Some people are just dense. She wondered why the woman never answered!
Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.
The widely varied responses to this thread prove the point that you never know what will offend so you are better off asking your patient for their preference or opting for first names or the more formal titles until you are invited to do otherwise. Unless ,of course,you are in LTC-as has been pointed out in other posts.
Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.
As others have stated the use of nicknames in LTC has to be careplanned and the DOH has long considered the use of diminutives a dignity issue-is there an agency that governs that in acute care?
On another track, I fully agree that you should always call someone by their preferred means of address. I have very strong objections to being called Mr. "Smith". I prefer to be called by my first name and will pretty much ignore anyone who addresses me as "Mr" after I have made my prefrence known.
There was a man where I grew up who everyone called Bear. Any poor fool who tried calling him Mr. "Green" would find out real quick where that nickname came from.
To paraphrase what someone else said, circumstances rule.
CapeCodMermaid, RN
6,092 Posts
I had an inlaw in a skilled facility. When I went to visit, the nurse told me "Lizzie" was on the porch. I told her that her name was Elizabeth, not Liz, not Lizzie, not Betty. Only Elizabeth. The nurse continued with the Lizzie. Honestly, I had to tell her I would call the state if she didn't stop. Some people are just dense. She wondered why the woman never answered!