First name or surname?

[Scooter321]

This wannabe nurse is curious. I've read a few things on this site that lead me to believe a nurse doesn't typically go by his/her surname while at work. I understand that using your first name comes across as friendly and probably puts a patient at ease. What puzzles me a bit though are the comments to the effect that most nurses don't even want their surname known. A security issue, perhaps? I don't get why it is any different to doctors using their surnames, and I've yet to have an M.D. be introduced to me (a patient) by a first name. What gives? Or are the "don't show your surname" people in the minority?

[cobber]

It really depends on where you work and what the expectations are there....I am an army nurse in a millitary hospital and we are required to wear our uniforms complete with last name and rank at all times(even in psych wards) and we are expected to go by our rank and last name, we are also expected to address all of our pts formally, it is acceptable for civialian nurses to go by their first name if they so choose.

[kat7ap]

In my areas of nursing, I've never found it to be necessary to provide my last name to patients. In fact, I'm sure 99.9% of them couldn't care less what my last name was and they address me by my first name or "nurse". My badge has my first name in bigger bolder letters and my last name smaller. So if they really want to know...

Makes me think of in the movie "Atonement" set in WW2 era, one of the characters gets in trouble by her nursing superior for telling her patient her first name instead of being addressed as Nurse Tallis (her last name). So I think times have changed! I can totally understand not revealing your last name if you work in those certain areas that are risky.

[James Huffman]

In my areas of nursing, I've never found it to be necessary to provide my last name to patients. In fact, I'm sure 99.9% of them couldn't care less what my last name was and they address me by my first name or "nurse". My badge has my first name in bigger bolder letters and my last name smaller. So if they really want to know...

Makes me think of in the movie "Atonement" set in WW2 era, one of the characters gets in trouble by her nursing superior for telling her patient her first name instead of being addressed as Nurse Tallis (her last name). So I think times have changed! I can totally understand not revealing your last name if you work in those certain areas that are risky.

Interesting you should bring up the WW2 era nurses. When I first graduated (in 1980) I was working with some of those types of nurses. They were close to retirement, but they were always addressed as either "Nurse Jones" or "Mrs. Jones" or something like that. And while some of them were battleaxes they were respected for their knowledge and professionalism, both by their nurse colleagues and by physicians. How we call ourselves tells us and the world about how we view ourselves.

Think about it: are there any adults who present themselves professionally by their first name, except some nurses? We call children or pets by one name; nurses who do that are not even taken seriously as adults, much less nurses.

I'm not a very formal guy. I prefer to be called by my first name, and prefer to call others by their first names. But identity is part of what it means to be a professional, and without that identity, we become simply a nameless, faceless "girl who did my dressing change yesterday." Count on it.

And for those who work in hospitals that don't put your last name on an ID badge, know that there's a reason for that, and it's not for your protection. To that hospital, you are just part of an assembly line, and that's how they're treating you. As such, there's no reason for that hospital to show YOU any professional respect or bargain with you seriously on pay issues. No, you're expendable, and they show you that by calling you by just your first name.

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

Interesting you should bring up the WW2 era nurses. When I first graduated (in 1980) I was working with some of those types of nurses. They were close to retirement, but they were always addressed as either "Nurse Jones" or "Mrs. Jones" or something like that. And while some of them were battleaxes they were respected for their knowledge and professionalism, both by their nurse colleagues and by physicians. How we call ourselves tells us and the world about how we view ourselves.

Think about it: are there any adults who present themselves professionally by their first name, except some nurses? We call children or pets by one name; nurses who do that are not even taken seriously as adults, much less nurses.

I'm not a very formal guy. I prefer to be called by my first name, and prefer to call others by their first names. But identity is part of what it means to be a professional, and without that identity, we become simply a nameless, faceless "girl who did my dressing change yesterday." Count on it.

And for those who work in hospitals that don't put your last name on an ID badge, know that there's a reason for that, and it's not for your protection. To that hospital, you are just part of an assembly line, and that's how they're treating you. As such, there's no reason for that hospital to show YOU any professional respect or bargain with you seriously on pay issues. No, you're expendable, and they show you that by calling you by just your first name.

I think a lot of the issue has to do with the fact that most of us are female. We're taught to be cautious from an early age.

Many patients equate nurses with the naughty nurse stereotype. Years ago, it was part of the job to fend off unwanted advances from patients.

We women are more easily victimized. I've actually had training sessions on how to protect myself that include things like not advertising that I'm a nurse on license tags, keeping my phone number private-listed, and not having contact with patients outside of the job.

In home health, we were told to beware of being mugged for the drugs we supposedly carried.

I don't think male nurses have to deal with that problem as much.

[GooeyRN, ADN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN]

I go by my first name, but give out my last name freely when asked. I don't cover my badge, but I don't purposefully make it visible, either. Its a rural area, so just about everyone knows me anyway. I am not really afraid of the little old ladies coming to hurt me or my family. They already all know where I live anyway. When I worked psych, our last names were not on our badges, and we were instructed to never give them out. If they were on our badges, I would have covered my last name with tape. No way would I want those people looking me up. I was afraid of them coming to hurt me or my family.

[Tait, MSN, RN]

I am a strong supporter of the increased professional image of nursing, however the more I think of this situation the more I lean towards continuing to use my first name only with patients. My reasoning is as follows.

1) Nursing is one of the very few professions where you can walk into a room and person will most likely tell you any amount of extremely personal information that you need. We are a profession that is trusted to care, protect and advocate. I believe that part of that trust is built upon a foundation of comfort. Giving my first name, I believe, opens up a more casual atmosphere for my patient, thus giving them a sense of comfort and hopefully will allow them open up more freely. I want my patients to feel I am the authority on their care at the time (deemed by my actions, confidence and ability to explain anything to them, or at least have the resources to find the answer). Also I want them to feel like they can actually talk to me. I don't want them feeling that I am the busy nurse who can't be bothered with their concerns about open heart surgery, and instead get misinformed by other personnel they might feel are more approachable.

2) Intimacy issues. I once had a patient ask me if I ever fell in love with a patient. He told me a story about how nurses used to have affairs with patients because in the 1800's/1900's patients stayed so long in hospitals.

We care for the most intimate details of our patients. We freely see all areas of their body as needed for care, we see them at their most vulnerable. When was the last time you were throwing up and you wanted even your spouse to look at you?

Now as per my first point, intimacy is great for ascertaining information we need. However, with intimacy can come bonds that shouldn't be forged in the mind of a patient.

Nurses are seen as nurturing, and a lot of people NEED nurturing, on more levels than just in the hospital. How long does it take before some patients might simply think, "wow she is really caring, I wonder if she is single" or any other multitude of attachments.

Doctors may see the parts of you that hide from sunlight, but how often do people really see a doctor as someone compatible.

In short, I believe that nurses need a open avenue to maintain comfort and an environment of open communication, and the protection from those who believe they see more in simple care than is intended to be there.

I think I am rambling, I hope this made sense.

Tait

[Scooter321]

..... but if a doctor calls me by my first name, he can expect the same in return.

Yikes! I didn't think I would stir up quite such a hornets' nest with my OP. Lots of great points being made here, but I have to say "YES" to this one. That's the kind of respect/image I think was in my mind, albeit subconsciously. I have no real problem with using my first name (and I completely understand the security issues in some environments), but if you're a colleague, treat me as you wish to be treated by me.

[RNperdiem, RN]

This is an emotional issue, rather than a logical one, so you will gets lots of interesting responses.

[RanieRN, MSN, RN]

At my hospital, they started automatically printing first names only on Dept of Psych and ED employee badges about 2 years ago. Anyone with older badges were welcome to get new ones, or cover their last names.

For me, working geropsych, using my first name only evens things out with my calling my patients by their first name. It took me a while to get used to calling patients old enough to be my grandparent by their first name (especially growing up with an ex-military parent who pretty much insisted on "ma'am", "sir", and "Mr/Mrs/Miss" when addressing my elders). I don't feel it affects my degree of professionalism.

Safety-wise, I don't worry much about a former patient breaking out of their nursing home to stalk me. However, the other psych units are a different story. Other staff have had problems with former patients looking up their personal information. And when I worked for a community based mental health program, I was stalked.:uhoh21: Scared the crap out of me the day I saw him standing outside my apt bldg; not to mention the day he followed me around town. Fortunately ( in my view anyway) he was committed to a state facility not long after and I never had a problem with him again.

[kayel]

At our hospital, the security picture name tags have only first names and the full name is in small letters on the back. It's definitely in the name of security and confidentiality.

On the other hand, each individual is at her/his own discretion to provide her/his full last name and I would have no problem doing so (though can't speak for anyone else of course). I have honestly never noticed whether or not the doctors have just their first name on their picture ID but I know the other hospital professionals (specifically, OT, PT, ST, Dieticians) have first name only. I will try to look and see next time I run across one.

Actually, speaking of which, our hospital REALLY needs to step up and ensure people are wearing their name tags in a visible place -- many people stick it in their pocket or wear it flipped over. That is the part I don't understand!!

[llg, PhD, RN]

As a single woman, I completely understand the security concerns that many people have expressed in this thread. I have had those concerns myself.

However, ... I have also had those concerns as a teacher and I know that many other professional women in other fields have had the same concerns. Many teachers (counselors, lawyers, etc.) have been the victims of violence from the people they encounter in the workplace. And yet ... those other professional women still use their last names.

We all need to understand the consequences of being one of the few professions that chooses to use only our first names with the public -- regardless of the reasons that we make that choice. It lowers us in the hierarchy of professionals and contributes to a subconscious sense that we are somehow "less than" physicians, teachers, lawyers, etc. Combined with the fact that we are often in less formal clothes than those other professionals and have lower educational standards than those other professionals, etc. ... it contributes to our image of being lower level employees and not autonomous professionals worthy of the same respect and compensation.

Personally, on a daily basis in the hospital, I go by my first name. That's the culture of my workplace even for many physicians and all administrators. However, when I sense that it is politically appropriate, I introduce myself as Jane Doe ... or sometimes, Dr. Jane Doe as I have a PhD.

However, when I drive 5 minutes down the street to teach at a local university, I immediately become Dr. Doe or Professor Doe because that is the culture of the school.

But I come back to the question I posed in my earlier post: Can you imagine how you would feel if your child's school teacher would not tell you his/her last name? Why do you feel they are less entitled to privacy/protection at work than you are?

[DLS_PMHNP, MSN, RN, NP]

there are some places that i have worked (psych) you don't even get the option to put your last name on your name badge. plus you are told specifically not to give your last name out...

this is our hospital's policy as well, not just on the psych floor, but on all the floors and other departments.

too many crazies out there, i guess.

happy new year,

diane