Do you address the residents by title or first name?

[BridgetJones]

People at work seem to have varying views on this...one scrub tech was saying that she calls them by first name so they "know their place" in the OR, but my preceptor usually calls them "Dr.____" My feeling is that they've technically earned the professional title "Dr," and if their ego needs a little deflating it should be up to the attending. Then again, some of THEIR egos need a little deflating too.

Anyway, I appreciate professional courtesy as much as the next person and was just wondering what you guys thought. I haven't quite caught on to all the little nuances of the OR pecking order yet.

[caliotter3]

I would use the title unless specifically told otherwise by the individual doctor.

[Kingbandit]

I agree with caliotter I start with Dr then, if they say call me "Pete" I will drop the Dr. I find it difficult when they become staff, to go back to Dr though. But I'm working on it.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Depends on the surgeon. We don't have residents except on an observational basis (may suture skin, hold retractors, but that's about it) and we always address them as Dr since we don't know them. A lot of our surgeons are fine if we call them by their first names since we're a tight-knit group and do a good bit of hanging out outside of work.

[GadgetRN71, ASN, RN]

I work with the same docs and residents all the time. I do call the residents by their first name(and they are all fine with this)..attendings I usually call DR, but have had a couple say it was OK to use their first name.

Of course, in front of the patient, I act more formal.

[MamaCheese]

I address all the residents by thier first name and all attendings by Dr. even if told to do otherwise.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

i address the residents by their first name unless they're screwing up or ******* me off. then i call them "dr." (as in "are you sure you really want to do that, doctor?" or "what would you like to do about this blood pressure, doctor?" or "are you concerned about all of this bleeding, doctor?")

[katOR]

It depends on the resident. The ones I work with regularly and have developed a close work relationship with, I will either call them by their first name or just their last name when addressing them during surgery or chatting in the halls. However, when addressing them in front of a patient, I always use their proper title. And I address all attendings as Dr. so and so.

[PetiteOpRN]

Always Dr. I'm one of the few in my OR who does. Most other nurses call them by their last names, but drop the "doctor" part.

A couple of the doctors have taken to calling me Nurse K because of it.

[RogueRN]

In the beginning, I usually call them Doctor, but usually we wind up calling each other by our first names, especially when you work so closely with them.

In front of the patient and when I return pages when they are scrubbed in surgery, I always say "Doctor."

[Rezidentura]

If I know them it's first name. If I don't it's Dr. So and So. I almost never address Attendings by the first name, even some I've worked with many years (Exception, is a few that are my age and that trained while I was working).

[spineCNOR]

I work in an academic medical center and it is generally the custom that the nurses and residents are on a first-name basis (except when in front of patients where the nurse would address the resident as "Dr. ____". If it is acceptable for the residents to address nurses by their first name it should be all right for the nurses to address the resident by their first name.