A nurse with a difficult name??

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in RN Student/ER Tech.

I'm a PreNursing student and my name is very...unique and hard to pronounce. Ever since I learned my name as a child I wanted to change it. I remember getting tired of correcting people so I just let them pronounce it any kind of way, it wasn't their fault my name didn't make any sense. I've been worrying about patients or employers not being able to pronounce it or thinking that it's stupid. Introducing myself to people is really annoying because sometimes even I stutter on my own name (which is SO embarrassing) and people never remember it. I was thinking of changing my name to a shorter or similar version of it, something that people can understand and pronounce, it will be easier for me and everyone that I meet. But the name change process seems like it would take so long. Are there any nurses with unique names? Should I change my name to something simpler? What do you all think?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Just pick a nickname and introduce yourself as that. No one cares if it's not your legal name. Last night, I had a patient who went by Bill but his legal name was James. I have coworkers who go by a nickname, like Bill instead of William or Jim instead of James. I'll call you by whatever name you tell me to use.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

And I read this awhile ago. Yet "Orange Is The New Black" starlette Uzo Aduba made a conscious decision not to cave to pressure of changing her name to something more convenient for Hollywood. She told The Improper Bostonian that her reasoning had everything to do with something her mom said to her as a little girl.

When I started as an actor? No, and I'll tell you why. I had already gone through that. My family is from Nigeria, and my full name is Uzoamaka, which means "The road is good." Quick lesson: My tribe is Igbo, and you name your kid something that tells your history and hopefully predicts your future. So anyway, in grade school, because my last name started with an A, I was the first in roll call, and nobody ever knew how to pronounce it. So I went home and asked my mother if I could be called Zoe. I remember she was cooking, and in her Nigerian accent she said, "Why?" I said, "Nobody can pronounce it." Without missing a beat, she said, "If they can learn to say Tchaikovsky and Michelangelo and Dostoyevsky, they can learn to say Uzoamaka."

Up Vote Up Vote ×
And I read this awhile ago. Yet "Orange Is The New Black" starlette Uzo Aduba made a conscious decision not to cave to pressure of changing her name to something more convenient for Hollywood. She told The Improper Bostonian that her reasoning had everything to do with something her mom said to her as a little girl.

When I started as an actor? No, and I'll tell you why. I had already gone through that. My family is from Nigeria, and my full name is Uzoamaka, which means "The road is good." Quick lesson: My tribe is Igbo, and you name your kid something that tells your history and hopefully predicts your future. So anyway, in grade school, because my last name started with an A, I was the first in roll call, and nobody ever knew how to pronounce it. So I went home and asked my mother if I could be called Zoe. I remember she was cooking, and in her Nigerian accent she said, "Why?" I said, "Nobody can pronounce it." Without missing a beat, she said, "If they can learn to say Tchaikovsky and Michelangelo and Dostoyevsky, they can learn to say Uzoamaka."

I love your story, but we've had since 1840 to learn to say "Tchaikovsky". The average nursing shift is a bit shorter.

I don't think anyone should feel like they have to use a nickname, but in some cases, making things easy for the patient makes things easier for us.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

The process of changing your name is actually not that difficult. True story: I did not catch a typo on my daughter's birth certificate until she was FIVE- we home-schooled and so it was never an issue, and we just kind of forgot about it. She legally had to change her name when she was 25 in order to be professionally licensed under the correct spelling of her name. Cost her a couple hundred bucks and a brief appearance before a judge.

If you want to- do it now before you are licensed. Trust me, much less hassle.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

My name isn't too odd, but still can cause some confusion.

I understand about stuttering over your own name. There's two ways my name can be pronounced. I'm kind of used to one way but know the other way is how it would be pronounced in the country my grandparents came from. And of course many people politely ask me how it's pronounced.

Anyway I vote for give yourself a nick name. Some slight variation of your given name. Or something completely different.

Off the top of my head I can think of 10 people I know who don't go by their name on their birth certificate.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

You are going to have many bigger challenges in nursing. Be proud of your name.

You can always ask patients to just call you kitten.

Best wishes on your nursing journey.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

I haven't used my full first name since I was 17; it appears on paychecks, my taxes, and now with the new regulations for state IDs, on my driver's license. Only my sisters still call me by it, and that only part of the time.

Even my hospital badge shows the shortened name I use next to my photo, except on the back in small print with the full name.

My sister the lawyer says you can call yourself anything you want, as long as you are not intending to defraud by it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pedi.

I worked with a nurse practitioner who went by the nickname her brother gave her when they were kids because he had a hard time pronouncing her real name. I went to college with a kid who still goes by the superhero nickname he gave himself as a kid (even on LinkedIn he uses this nickname) even though he is now 32. You can ask your patients and co-workers to call you whatever you would like to be called.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Cardio-Pulmonary; Med-Surg; Private Duty.

My hospital will let you put your nickname on your badge (provided it's not obscene!) instead of your legal name.

One coworker named Richard is Rick, another coworker named Richard is Calvin.

My mother had a good friend from childhood who went by "Tootie"... I knew this woman for several decades and never did know her legal name.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pedi.
My hospital will let you put your nickname on your badge (provided it's not obscene!) instead of your legal name.

One coworker named Richard is Rick, another coworker named Richard is Calvin.

My mother had a good friend from childhood who went by "Tootie"... I knew this woman for several decades and never did know her legal name.

Most of my grandfather's friends had nicknames and I never knew what their real names were. My great aunt has a friend named Tootsie, I have no idea what her real name is.

I also worked with a surgeon who everyone knew as Mike (his middle name) but his real name is something completely different.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in OB.

I met a nurse who goes by Cricket...yes, seriously. Her actual name is Mary Alice or something like that. Everyone has called her Cricket since she was a kid (no idea why) and she just kept going with it, including having it on her ID badge. Bottom line, as others have echoed---you can pick whatever name your little heart desires if it makes life easier.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment