Have you ever been mistaken for a doctor?

Nurses Men

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So, I have heard some stories of female doctors being mistaken for nurses...so I was wondering this: have you, as a male nurse, been mistaken for a doctor?

Specializes in Coronary Rehab Unit.

Why, yes.... yes I have, ........but not as often as I've been called "Miss" or Ma'am" ..... LOL .... or, "Oh, you're a MALE nurse..." Well, yeah, I'm a nurse, and I'm a male, so, yeah ... :uhoh3:

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Specializes in med-surg.

Patients and their families constantly call me doctor. I will correct them, but before I end the same conversation, they've called me doctor three more times.

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Specializes in SICU, MICU, CICU, NeuroICU.

All the time. My response "If a doctor walked into your room as much as I will, we'd all be living in a different world"

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All the time as well. Of course the majority of them have demensia. I've experienced both extremes. I've always looked young for my age. 12 years ago when I was a medical technologist, I worked in a dialysis unit and one of my jobs was recruiting study patients. A couple weeks into the job the MD in charge of the study told me that all the patients thought I was doing a high school science project so she bought me a lab coat.

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Yes, I've been mistaken for a doctor, but more so by the patients on my unit than anyone else- even AFTER I've introduced myself as "I'm Edogs, I'll be your nurse today."

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Specializes in Onc.

I have had a few little old ladies suggest that I go back to school and become a doctor

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Specializes in Emergency Room.

I've been a nurse 4 1/2 months and am only 26. It's happened at least 8 or 9 times.

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Specializes in Oncolgy, Neuro, Med/Surg.
It hhas happened all through my career and continues to this day. Often less educated or illiterate people tend to assume that you are the doctor if you are male, and working in a hospital environment and wearing scrubs.

I always correct them and state my name and that I am their nurse.

So True, it happens all the time, my last shift I had a patient calling me Doc all night, I kept telling him I was his nurse but he just kept at it. Finally he said you should be the Doctor you are the one actually taking care of me not him.....gotta love it

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The white lab coat for me hasn't detered patients from calling me Doctor, but seems to increase it. When in scrubs with a visible name tag I have been confused with an aide quite a few times, but soon as I put on a lab coat I start hearing "Hey Doc, can you get my nurse"

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Specializes in OR, OB, EM, Flight, ICU, PACU.......

Usually, it's just the elderly that think I'm the Physician because I'm male. I think it's because, " in my day.........". I guess that means that's the way it was! My grandmother (100+ y/o) did also make a distinction between nurses,and Male nurses. Still, we all wear scrubs in the OR , so most patients do ask who we are.

just my $.02.

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Specializes in ER, HH, CTICU, corrections, cardiology, hospice.

Every day I walk through the gate of the prison I work in I get promoted to "doctor", even by my co-workers that should know better. If asked I tell them I am an NP, if they just assume, I let it ride as I would spend most of my time correcting them and not doing my job.

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Specializes in Rehab.

All the time. I correct them if they call me doctor, but if they just treat me as one I let it go because I get a better response, especially during an assessment.

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