Does it bother you to address MDs by their title of Doctor?

Plagueis · Mar 25, 2009

I've always referred to doctors using their professional title, plus their last name. That's how I've always heard doctors being referred to. (the same for professors with doctorate degrees.) However, I've never heard of nurses being referred to by her/his professional title (i.e. Nurse Jones), only first names. It doesn't bother me to refer to medical doctors as "Doctors,"

but it's fascinating that nurses are always (in my experience) called by first names, even at work when the nurses know the doctors personally (but they still refer to the doctor as 'Dr. Jones').

flightnurse2b, LPN · Mar 25, 2009

no it doesn't bother me at all. i call them Dr. so and so unless they tell me otherwise, but i don't do it in front of the patients. i work with a few doctors who have told me to use their first name, but it would be weird to call and be like "hey mark, your patient in room 3012 has a critically low K", so for all purposes they're still Dr. so and so.

i introduce myself as "hi, i'm allison and i'll be your nurse today/tonight"... but if pts call me alli, al, whatever, i don't particularly care too much. one of the doctors calls me peewee. no one calls me "mrs. b" and i don't ever want them to.... and please don't call me ma'im. i'm not your granny.

i do honestly think tho, that if i were a doctor, i would have people call me allison. my first name is not doctor and even if i earned the title that would not be something i'd be interested in people calling me all the time.. i'd feel like maybe i lost part of my identity or something.

johnst10 · Mar 25, 2009

I agree, John at the desk and Dr. Doe in the room.

On a slightly different note. Due to my husband's profession of working in Christian Colleges and Universities, Dr. Johnson and I usually work in cities where there are a lot of retired professors and retired ministers. If I find out they have a PhD I call them Dr. Johns. A pastor I call Rev. Jones. It helps them feel respected in a place where bodily respect can be difficult to maintain. Ever worn one of the hosp gowns? :)

Just something to think about

DroogieRN · Mar 25, 2009

I'm in my 40s and I call docs Dr. Last Name (even my own internist, who is younger than me, and if she calls me on the phone she says, "Hi, it's First Last." She never calls herself Dr.). It's just ingrained in me, I guess. I don't expect to be called Nurse Last Name -- that sounds silly to my ears; my first name is fine. I also call my children's teachers Mr. or Mrs. Last Name, partly because I don't want my children to familiarize their teachers in their minds. For that matter, my children call adults Mr. or Mrs. Last Name if they are the parents of their friends or Mr. or Miss First Name if they are friends of ours. It's a respect thing to me. There is an element of familiarity in using first names that I don't want my kids to have. jmho. I also don't particularly like other children to call me by my first name, but I don't say anything if they do -- I think that's up to their parents, and if they don't require it, that's their decision.

Straydandelion · Mar 25, 2009

I actually don't remember any doctor calling me by my first name unless heard it from a patient first or was told they could by me. Our full name was on the name tag and I have been called by Ms/Nurse (last name).

rnmi2004 · Mar 25, 2009

No, it doesn't bother me. I work with a few that prefer nursing staff call them by their first names, but most MDs around here are Dr. So-and-so.

*ac* · Mar 25, 2009

The interns and residents, first names. Attendings, last name. That's just our culture. I work in peds. I call my patient's parents "mom" and "dad" as they often have different last names than their children.

Whispera, MSN, RN · Mar 25, 2009

I call the docs Dr ____ in front of the patients but by their name (if I've known them awhile) when I'm talking to them directly, usually On first meeting I introduce myself and ask their preference. Then I go from there.

Then there's the case of the doctor who considers himself to be Dr. God. You know the one! I just try not to use a name for him.

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Mar 25, 2009

Wherever I've worked, we always call doctors 'Dr So and So'. I've never been anywhere where they are called by their first name. They call nurses by first name.
I'm old-fashioned in this way. I feel that MDs deserve this respect. I'm in no way groveling and generally enjoy all the doctors I work with, especially the more seasoned, experienced ones. Some of the younger ones have yet to develop into interesting people, and tend to lack great social skills.
I also address my children's school teachers by Mrs or Mr and their surname, even if they try to get on first name basis. I come from a different generation where people were more formal. When I was a girl one did not address any adults but your parents' close friends by their first names.
Is this changing in some places and how do you feel about this subject?

I am the odd ball student in my class because of this *well maybe other reasons too Ha!* I can't bring myself to call my teachers by their first names. I use Mr. or Ms. and last name. I have had kids look at me like I am crazy, I notice the older students (older than me) use the first name more I think because a lot of them are around the same age as my teachers, so I think generation only plays a small part in it. Close family friends I always called Mr or Ms and their first name. To me it's disrespectful to use first names when dealing with people of authority?? that's not the right word, whatever you label it. My Micro teacher insisted to just call her by her first name but I told her I couldn't do it, I just didn't have it in me.

I am completely appalled by the way I see young people talk to adults, including their parents. I watch Nanny 911 with my jaw dropped, their is no way my children would EVER disrespect me like that. Well no way they would live to tell about it. I got off track a little. Sorry!

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Mar 25, 2009

I should add, I do tell people to call me by my name. When I worked in Daycare I was Ms. Jackie and to my childrens friends I am "Isaiah's mom, Dilan's mom etc. lol)

wendymeyers · Mar 25, 2009

I think it depends upon the setting and the relationship. Certainly, if you are in a professional setting, you should always use the "Dr." title. It is appropriate and expected. If you have a personal relationship with the doctor and you are outside a professional setting (and they have said they are cool with it)....calling them by their first name is probably just fine.

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Mar 25, 2009

I think it depends upon the setting and the relationship. Certainly, if you are in a professional setting, you should always use the "Dr." title. It is appropriate and expected. If you have a personal relationship with the doctor and you are outside a professional setting (and they have said they are cool with it)....calling them by their first name is probably just fine.

I didn't think about that but I totally agree, if I was at my friends house for a BBQ and he happened to be a Dr. I wouldn't call him Dr. so and so unless in a professional setting.