Names patients call you other than your own

Specialties NP

Published

Specializes in Med/Surg, International Health, Psych.

Despite countless self-introductions as Ms. [my last name here]. I have found that patients will call me basically "whatever the heck they want to." Usually Dr. [my first name] or simply my first name. Despite repeated corrections, they persist. I no longer bother to correct them anymore. However, today I heard the oddest phrase.

Patient's wife: "We were at dinner, but I told the family that we had to go see Tom's shrink nurse". A "shrink nurse", really?! "Oh, we mean that affectionately." Of course.

What do patients call you?

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