Do you ever get called, 'Doctor'?

[Ekklesia]

I get called "doc" or "Doctor" about 3 times per day. I feel bad about it, 'cause I'm not a doc. There is a definite societal stereotype going on here, but I can't help it. I usually say that I'm not a doc, then tell them that I appreciate the "promotion" LOL.

Anyone else experience the same thing?

[menetopali]

it was very seldom in the hospital that i was mistaken for a doctor but since moving back to Arizona and working in community health settings it has gotten pretty irratating.

in college health near the southern border i am often called "medico" and usually get a grin when i reply "no, enfermero" as the term nurse is a feminine term (enfermera).

this past summer i worked a camp with several foreign staff who constantly reffered to me as "doctor" even though i repeatedly corrected them.

after correcting people i get the dreaded "you're only a nurse", "why didn't you go to med school?", "did you fail a test o something", or the "are you going on to be a doctor?". once this summer i was asked if everyone that becomes a doctor in America is a nurse first (a staffer from Holland).

i must say, it gets really old and is a regular reminder of why i have gone back to school to hopefully get into med school.

[karenG]

just had to add...........

one of the docs I work with was amused when a patient booked in to see her... and told her that 'Ive come to see you because the NP is fully booked, and you will just have to do!! I'd rather see Karen though.........'

good eh?

Karen

[Roy Fokker, BSN, RN]

after correcting people i get the dreaded "you're only a nurse", "why didn't you go to med school?", "did you fail a test o something", or the "are you going on to be a doctor?".

Actually, THAT irritates and pisses me off MORE than getting called "Doc".

Bring called a "Doc" I don't really consider a problem -- but the subsequent nonsense comments following the clarrification make me shirty. :stone :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire

[Roy Fokker, BSN, RN]

good eh?

Karen

Lovely

[CraigBSN02]

it was very seldom in the hospital that i was mistaken for a doctor but since moving back to Arizona and working in community health settings it has gotten pretty irratating.

in college health near the southern border i am often called "medico" and usually get a grin when i reply "no, enfermero" as the term nurse is a feminine term (enfermera).

Now that's understandable. I get alot of that from the rural clientel that come to my hospital. The exchange would usually start with them addressing me as 'doctor' AFTER introducing myself as a nurse, to which I would correct them, which they would then reply something to the effect of 'you're as good as a doctor to me'.

That's probably one of the highest compliments I've gotten. :chuckle

this past summer i worked a camp with several foreign staff who constantly reffered to me as "doctor" even though i repeatedly corrected them.

after correcting people i get the dreaded "you're only a nurse", "why didn't you go to med school?", "did you fail a test o something", or the "are you going on to be a doctor?". once this summer i was asked if everyone that becomes a doctor in America is a nurse first (a staffer from Holland).

i must say, it gets really old and is a regular reminder of why i have gone back to school to hopefully get into med school.

Your last sentence is puzzling. It seems that you would want to become a physician out of a desire to be a physician, not because people keep mistaking you for something you are not. I could go on about all the negative aspects of being a physician, which I hope you have go over as well. If becoming a physician is something you really want, more than being a nurse, then by all means go for it. However, if it is merely your desire to fit in, driven by the innappropriate and insensitive questions thrown at you by ignorant people and not by your own desires, then my friend, you are setting yourself up for failure. A practice doctorate in medicine is not an easily attainable thing, either in terms of sweat equity or money or time. Try to be honest with yourself about why you really want to become a physician, because your current line of reasoning is empty.

Besides, that's not gonna sound too good during your med school interviews. ;-)

-Craig

RN, BSN... and others

[NeuroNP]

I actually got fired from an ER job once for "impersonating a doctor" because many of the patients assumed I was one. The manager actually TOLD me that it was because I was a man! It seems that simply introducing myself with name and title was not doing enough. Many of the patients, particularly the older ones, assumed I was a doctor because of my gender and even telling them otherwise didn't seem to help.

Interestingly, the only people that seemed to think I "liked" this and was encouraging it were the nurse managers (and a few of their cronies who "reported" it to them). None of the docs saw it that way at all. In fact, most of the docs argued FOR me. I appealed the decision and the docs and most of the nurses testified on myhalf at the University's hearing and I was offered my job back. I didn't take it because I was fed up with the politics of the management there anyway, but they did pay me out the month's worth of vacation that I had saved up (which previously I was goign to forefeit because I was terminated for disciplinary reasons).

I had a good friend who was a doc and female. She was ALWAYS being called "nurse" and no one accused her of "impersonating a nurse." The best response to that type of situation I ever heard was from a guy I worked with at another hospital. The management had decided that we needed to wear color-coded scrubs so that patients would know who was a doc and who was a nurse (I don't know how they planned to get the docs to wear any kind of "uniform" anyway, it was a private practice setting...). this guy (who was an RN) said, "It doesn't matter if I go into their room wearing a clown suit. If I'm a male with a stethascope, they're going to assume I'm the doctor." He said if he corrected them and they still assumed it, there was NOTHING he could do to change that.

I think that we get too hung up on stuff like this sometimes. All I can do is tell them who I am and if they continue to call me "doc", so be it. What else can you do?

[karenG]

I think that we get too hung up on stuff like this sometimes. All I can do is tell them who I am and if they continue to call me "doc", so be it. What else can you do?

I would agree that we get too hung up on titles. Might I suggest (donning flack jacket) that a lot of it comes down to uniform?? In the states everyone seems to wear scrubs.. which IMHO look really tatty!!! ok.. so I'm an old fashioned nurse and I was trained wearing a white uniform... and yes I've worn the pinny and starched cuffs in my time. male nurses wore smart uniform tops.. we looked like nurse and were easily identifable. I dont remember there being any hassle with any of the lads I trained with being called Dr...

does it matter so much??? there is another thread about the term 'nurse' and should it be used to describe men and women in nursing... why not? you knew the job title was 'nurse' when you applied for the job. I'm proud of being called a nurse.. though my title is a lot longer than nurse... nurse the one I am proud of, its what I've worked hard to be.

at the end of the day.... we are in a profession which gives us a great deal of job satisfaction (I dont believe you can be a nurse if you dont enjoy it) and allows up to help people. There is a lot of research out there about the type of person who becomes a nurse........ its the person who needs to feel needed and useful. The research on which nurses become NP's suggest we are the assertive, work outside the box, hate authority, work well on their own........... hmm ok thats me!

getting off soap box now........ :uhoh21:

Karen :

[donmurray]

It's tempting to forestall the "only a Nurse" comment by pointing out that you are not "just" a Dr!

[teeituptom, BSN, RN]

I get called Doctor all the time, but I figure its because Im just old and ugly.

[tyler]

First post...

I'm working as a Patient Care Assistant (PCA) as I attend nursing school. What I notice is that, while I'm not usually referred to as "Doctor," patients will often talk and make eye contact with me when I'm in the room with a female nurse (as If I'm the doctor or the authority figure). I notice it immediately and correct the patient - usually with a "Tell you nurse [pointing to her], I'm her assistant." It makes me uncomfortable but I understand, most of the MDs are male so I can hardly blame the patients.

Ty

I get called "doc" or "Doctor" about 3 times per day. I feel bad about it, 'cause I'm not a doc. There is a definite societal stereotype going on here, but I can't help it. I usually say that I'm not a doc, then tell them that I appreciate the "promotion" LOL.

Anyone else experience the same thing?

[Kabin]

double post...

[Kabin]

"Are you a doctor?"

"No I just stayed at a Holiday Inn Express." :chuckle