7.5 months on floor...called Nurse LastName for first time

Ruby Vee, BSN · Feb 8, 2006

had a (confused) pt's wife talking to me today. she saw my nametag, asked what my last name was. i assumed this was because i have an unusual last name, hard to pronounce. then she started calling me nurse lastname or ms lastname. and continued to do it all shift. i was quite surprised-in 7.5 months, that has never happened.
i don't mind being called firstname at all. being called nurse lastname just seemed very respectful. (and it wasn't an age thing, i'm at least 40 years younger than her). respect from pt's families are few and far between sometimes, so you notice it when it happens.

respect from patients and their families used to be the norm rather than the exception -- years ago, we were called "nurse lastname" a lot more frequently. it hasn't happened to me in years and years -- and families seem to respect us and trust us a lot less. i miss the days when they'd at least ask you pleasantly for whatever it was they wanted, rather than just brusquely demand something!

TazziRN, RN · Feb 8, 2006

Hmm.....at our facility last names are not on our badges for our safety.

MMARN, BSN, RN · Feb 8, 2006

It's very sad that when something like this happens it comes as such a shock to us. We should get that respect all the time. It sucks. Hopefully, someone will speak out and there will be some kind of "nurse movement" or something. It's not right that we get such little respect; we are just as qualified for our profession as doctors are for theirs. I hope this changes soon.

Mave.

zacarias, ASN, RN · Feb 9, 2006

That's why I have such a problem with HOUSE!!!!!!! The RARE (like lightening striking you a minute after you win the lottery) moment when they mention a nurse, they do the lastname thing. "Nurse Smith will get that for you." Please...

Otessa, BSN, RN · Feb 9, 2006

Our nametags only go with our first names ONLY.

perfectbluebuildings, BSN, RN · Feb 9, 2006

A lot of families where the kids are old enough to understand, will call us Miss (first name); I think that is the way a lot of the kids say pre-school and elementary age are used to calling adults in a position of respect besides their teachers. It does connote respect/politeness the way their parents say it or have the kids say it. When families don't seem to respect the staff (ANY of them), they rarely even remember our names it seems; not saying that all families that do respect us do remember names by any means, but if they do remember our names and call us by them, they usually are respectful overall. Does that make sense? I can clarify if not..

It has been my experience so far, that a great majority of the patients/families do respect the nurses and everyone who works there; just as it seems overall close to 100% of the staff overwhelmingly shows respect and courtesy to the families as it should be. I too have never had a family call me Nurse (last name). Our last names are on our badge, but much smaller than the first name, and I always just introduce myself by first name. I never quite thought about this before :) Kind of interesting :)

(Sorry, to edit, just had some more thoughts to add)

Cute_CNA, CNA · Feb 9, 2006

I suspect that the field of nursing has encouraged pts. to call nurses by their first names because it's less formal/more casual. I think calling nurses by their first name is to make the patient feel more comfortable. Just my opinion. I don't think it's meant to be disrespectful (not saying that anyone here is implying that).

Grace Oz · Feb 9, 2006

A rose by any other name is still a rose