Do you call your patients by first or last name?

[HappyNurse2005, RN]

Is your pt "Mr Doe" or "John" to you? I ALWAYS call my pt's by last name. Mr or Mrs whatever. Of course, I'm 24, and 99.999999999% of my pt's are older than me. It's a respect thing to me. Not that calling by first name is disrespect, but I don't know...It just never occurs to me to call them by first name.

Though, I do occasionally call older ladies "honey".

So what do you call them?

[TazziRN, RN]

I NEVER call them Honey or Sweetie unless it's a child. If I don't know them I always call them by their last names. If I do know them and have their permission I use their first names. Just something I was taught growing up.

[meownsmile, BSN, RN]

I agree with Tazzi,, call them by their last name,, even their first name after introductions,, but i hate to hear staff calling people honey, sweetie and names like that.

As my mother once told a nurse that did that to her,, im not your sweetie, nor your honey,, but you can call me (insert given name).

[chewyd]

I Usually Ask Them If It Is Ok If I Call Them By Their First Name.if They Are Ages 18 To 30 I Usually Just Call Them By Their First Name

[LeahJet, ASN, RN]

I always address my pts. as Mr. or Mrs. That was just the way I was brought up. I also say, Yes Mame(sp) and No sir.

BTW, how DO you spell mame/maim/m'ame?? It was not in my Webster's:)

[danu3]

What would you do with a female patient? Mrs. Ms. Miss. ???? Is there a way to find out their preference (assume they don't wear a wedding ring).

[TiffyRN, BSN, PhD]

I always used to call my patients by Mr/Ms. (last name) unless I have gotten very familiar with them AND they specifically gave me permission to do so. Now, I routinely call my patients by their first names; but I work with neonates and I think that's different. With their parents; I have been known to call some of the parents by their first names if everyone else there always calls them by their first names. We have many infants with us for months (recently had one for over 7 months); we get to know them pretty well. It's bad when the phone can ring and we can all look up and say "That's gonna be Janie's mom", no caller ID, we just get to know them.

[LeahJet, ASN, RN]

What would you do with a female patient? Mrs. Ms. Miss. ???? Is there a way to find out their preference (assume they don't wear a wedding ring).

Unless it is obvious that she is married....wedding ring or spouse at side... I will just say Ms. However, I do have the advantage of accent....here in the South, Mrs. and Ms. sound alike.

[danu3]

Unless it is obvious that she is married....wedding ring or spouse at side... I will just say Ms. However, I do have the advantage of accent....here in the South, Mrs. and Ms. sound alike.

The problem with Ms comes in when I address a woman of the older generation as some gets insulted because they associate Ms with some radical feminist. Maybe I should pick up a Southern accent... might be a solution...

[zacarias, ASN, RN]

Ms (as in Mizz) should not be offensive to anyone. I always address my patients initially by last name unless they introduce themselves by their first name. I will take that as a sign that I can use their first name.

[bjs54321]

First name with their permission.

[tweetyd]

Respctfully by last name, only the patient can say "call me ????"