New name for nursing career?

Sour Lemon · Apr 4, 2018

I have a question for all of you nurses who have an unusual or unusually-spelled first name: Is it a pain in the butt? I have a first name that most people have never seen before and which is hard to spell and pronounce. Every time I meet someone new, I have to explain it. Not a big deal, but I imagine it might get annoying and even distracting when I become a nurse (I'm going to nursing school this fall) and am constantly meeting new patients, family members, and coworkers.
I'm thinking of going by my much more plain-Jane middle name when I start school and beyond, but keep using my first name among family and friends. Has anyone done this? Would it be weird to have different names for home and career? Kind of like an alter-ego.

I work with a lot of nurses from Asia who use "simple" names for work. Others use their actual names and just roll with the punches. My name is very common and simple and still gets massacred on a regular basis, so don't trouble yourself too much.

Double-Helix, BSN, RN · Apr 4, 2018

Plenty of people I work with go by a shortened version of their name, a middle name, or a nick name while at work. It's particularly common with people who have long names or names that are more popular in other languages, but even co-workers names as common as Elizabeth prefer to go by a nickname, and introduce themselves as such. Your full name will likely be printed on your badge, but feel free to introduce yourself and write your name however you like. As long as you are cognizant that co-workers will be calling you my your middle name, and respond to it, it shouldn't be a problem. The only potential issue I foresee is if your patient or colleague is trying to get your attention by saying, "Jane? Excuse me, Jane!" and you don't respond because you aren't accustomed to being called by your middle name. Having heightened awareness until you get used to it should help.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Apr 4, 2018

I have a few coworkers who go either by a shortened version/nickname, or another name entirely. However, it's their original names that is in the EMR, on their files, etc.

sevensonnets · Apr 4, 2018

My first name is not unusual you just don't hear it very often. But, there's another nurse on the unit with the same first name, so I just go by my nickname, which is a shortened version of my name to avoid confusion. My last name however, is the real problem. Sonnets is apparently difficult for some folks to pronounce. I tell people just sound it out phonetically and they look confused and go "What's phonetically mean?"

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Apr 4, 2018

I don't think it's a big deal either way. Plenty of people go by nicknames and plenty of people use their real names, no matter how complicated they may be.

Davey Do · Apr 4, 2018

My real name is "Daveringonnawannahana Doremefasolatedo" and you can see what I go by.

Kitiger, RN · Apr 4, 2018

My real name is "Daveringonnawannahana Doremefasolatedo" and you can see what I go by.

I really like your last name!

Guest805836 · Apr 8, 2018

I come from Eastern Europe and have an appropriately long and scary last name. People call me by my first name or massacre the last name, I endure. Do whatever feels right, it really doesn't matter much.

maggie0, BSN, RN · Apr 9, 2018

Thanks for the thoughts! I'm going to do it, I guess--I just remembered that my grandmother went by the same middle name, so that's a nice sign. And I love the idea of never pronouncing my name for a stranger again. :)

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Apr 9, 2018

When and if you become a nurse, you will have much bigger problems.

Best wishes.

maggie0, BSN, RN · Apr 9, 2018

When and if you become a nurse, you will have much bigger problems.
Best wishes.

Exactly! So I'm clearing the deck of the *small* problems!...