Do you call your physicians by their first name?

Specialties Med-Surg

Published

Specializes in Home Health.

Is it common practice for the nurses to call the physicians by their first names at your hospital? Vice versa?

Where I work (Surg ICU) it is very common to call physicians by their first names, especially the residents. We develop a very close relationship when we are the ones the docs go to for answers when they are new to ICU. They depend on us to guide them a little when s__t hits the fan and they have little experience to make quick and critical decisions. Some of the attendings we rspectfully use Dr. with. They call all of us by our first names, which I appreciate much more than "nurse?". When some of these physicians have been here over a year and call me nurse, I tell them my name, and that I wont help them again until they remember it. Only thing worse then nurse is when they add a finger snap to it. :angryfire

Specializes in ICU.

I work in a large med/surg ICU and we all call the docs by their first names. At my old job, we were on a first name basis too, but there were 2 docs that I particularly didnt like, so I would call them DR.____.

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

the only time we call our residents "doctor" is when they're screwing up and/or pissing us off.

Specializes in surgical, trauma, emergency, educator.

hello to everybody!

since i start working, i used to call them "dr". i've been working with arab doctors for a long time and i think they dont like the idea that a nurse will call them by their first name, though for me it is much better so we can build harmonious relationship.

now, here in my present hospital, they hire some canadian nurse managers to train the staff in all aspects of patient care, and they keep on telling to some of our collegue who are under their supervision to call the doctor by their first name....

any idea which is much better? or i should say, it must be the latest trend.

let thy words be few. -- [color=#cc99cc]ecclesiastes 5:2

Everybody is addressed by their last name and their right title where I work. I call them doctors when they piss me off or are not doing the right thing.:monkeydance:

Specializes in ER OB NICU.

It seems like the female docs get addressed by first names, and the males don't,n most cases.

Where I work, at two hospitals, everyone calls the docs by their title, Dr. so and so; I haven't heard any of the docs called by their first name by any of the nurses. I think it is kind of disrespectful, but that's my opinion.

Specializes in Acute Hemodialysis, Cardiac, ICU, OR.

When I'm at work, I always address them as "Dr. __" -- outside of work, I use first names, mostly because they're not acting very doctorly when I see them outside of work!

Specializes in ICU/Flight.
Where I work, at two hospitals, everyone calls the docs by their title, Dr. so and so; I haven't heard any of the docs called by their first name by any of the nurses. I think it is kind of disrespectful, but that's my opinion.

It's only disrespectful to address the physician by their first name if they address you by your last name. Very simply, address the physician as they address you... It is important that we be recognized as professionals and equals. Each discipline is unique in its role in health care and each discipline is essential for health care...

Specializes in cardiac med-surg.

residents---first name yes

staff men---more formal more often

Specializes in Emergency, Outpatient.

By their first names I work at an oncology practice

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