How do you address your patients?

[kool-aide, RN]

I'm curious how all of you here on AN who work in direct care address your patients?

In CNA "school" we were taught to ALWAYS address our patients by Mr. Mrs. or Ms. so-and-so but I rarely if ever do this.

My rational for how I greet my patients is that since I work night shift, many patients (for the most part) don't respond to Mr. so-and-so when they're dead asleep at 0300 and almost always respond to their first name. Also, I feel that if my patients are on a first name basis with me, I should be allowed to be on a first name basis with them. If I was a patient I would request to be called by my first name rather than "Mr. Kool-Aide." (Get it? "Mr. Kool-Aide?" Eh? Eh? lol) Furthermore, If I'm addressing the patient with their surname, should I expect them to address me as "CNA Kool-Aide?" Or should they be expected to address the nurse as "Nurse so-and-so," just as they address their doctor as "Doctor so-and-so?"

In short, I think that the intensions of this practice are good, showing our patients respect and whatnot, but can we not show them respect with our demeanor, attitude, advocacy and quality of care?

By not expecting our patients to call us by our title and last name as previously stated, does it set us up to not be respected by our patients?

I'm interested in opinions for both sides of the argument but I'm not looking to be lectured.

Keep it Holy! :)

[punkydoodlesRN, BSN, RN]

When I come on, i go in and introduce my self. I work on PPU and it goes like this - Hi Mom, Congratulations! What a sweet baby. My name is S and I'm going to be your nurse tonight. (as I update my info on the dryerase). Do you have a preference on how I address you? Stacy? Okay. Well, I'll be back in here shortly, right now I'm just introducing myself and updating the board. Is there anything I can get you before I go??

Easy-peasy and we're both happy.

[Sparrowhawk]

Depends..I work LTC..they usually only recognize their first name, or grandma/pawpaw. Sometimes a good firm use of their last name if they appreciate remembering their military days.

[JessicaAdkinsRN]

I work in a newborn nursery and we even call the babies Mr. or Ms. most of the time:)

[Mandychelle79, ASN, RN]

I work on Psych so we get quite a few frequent visitors. If they are someone we have had before I call them by the name I called them the last time they were there. Ive learned not to do the sir/mam thing as we have some very masculine looking female patients and I really dont like to backed into the wall much.

[alphabetsoup]

The proper etiquette is to address the adult patient as "Mr", "Mrs/Ms/Miss" and last name. If the patient indicate's that they prefer their first name to be used, then it is appropriate. This may be noted and passed in report so that all caregivers are accomodating the patient's wish to be addressed by first name. My personal pet peeve is nurses who address patients as honey and darling. It seems demeaning to all parties involved.

[skipaway]

I ask them what they liked to be called. As a CRNA, when waking up a patient, hearing the name they usually go by makes it easier.

My pet peeve is when a collegue walks up to an obviously elderly patient and says, "Hey young man or hey young lady" I'm so and so....It makes me cringe and I want to smack them.

[Bobbkat]

LOL, in the NICU I call them 'snugglebunny', 'stinkpants' or any number of other terms of endearment:p. I've been known to call them 'Mr. or Miss last name' though, if I don't know their first name and am not feeling 'nick-namey' at the time. I always address parents by Ms/Mrs/Miss/Mr last name, unless asked to do otherwise (which usually happens). I introduce myself by my first name.

[caregiver1977]

I don't mind being called Mrs. (last name), but really I would prefer if everyone just called me by my first name. I'm not too picky about it. I don't like being "honey", "sweetie", or "sugar" by people who don't know me (not to crazy about it from those who do.)

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

I'm in psychiatric nursing, so I never use patient last names. I call patients by whatever name they want to be called as long as the name isn't offensive. In the event we have two or more people with the same first name, we'll either use last initials ("Jamie R." and "Jamie T.") or one/both may prefer to be called by another name.

The patients will call me either Meriwhen or Miss Meriwhen. The kids have to use "Miss"; with adults, I have no preference.

[pockunit, ADN, RN]

I ask, and use the name they prefer, but I, too, feel weird calling elders by their first name. I generally use Miss or Mr Firstname if they don't want their last name.

I also will not say, "Mom, what kind of issue is Johnny having today?" Her name isn't Mom. That's her title and her job in her family, not in the office/ED/pt's room. I think it's insulting to just call parents Mom or Dad unless they're YOUR mom or dad.

[I<3H2O, BSN, RN]

I always say the same thing, "Hello Mr or Ms. Lastname, My name is N and I will be your nurse today. I will be here until 7pm whether or not you are." I have been a nurse for 6 years. I think I could count on ONE hand the number of times a pt. has said "call me [first name]".

When I have floated to the pediatric dept, I ask the adult, "are you mom? [dad?]" When they answer, then I ask their name. I then address them by the name they tell me. I don't like to use last names in this realm b/c sometimes babies have a different name than Mom.

Some pts. won't respond to you when you call them Mr. or Mrs. In that case, I will call their first name just to get them to respond but then it is right back to Mr. or Mrs.

I DESPISE when I am getting report and a nurse doesn't know how to pronounce the pts. name. Um hello, did you not ask for their name and DOB when you gave medication?

Sweety, Honey, Darling, etc makes me want to stab my ears out. :)

[Batman25]

I ask how they'd like to be addressed and proceed as advised. Typically it is by their first name. Whatever makes them happy and comfortable is fine by me.

One patient asked me if I would call him King when his family was around to make them laugh. He was hysterical and they were such a fun family.