New name for nursing career?

[maggie0]

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.

[JBudd, MSN]

I cut my name in half when I went to college, start of a new life, new people, taking no old baggage with me. Never regretted it. Now with all the passport and secure ID business, my state insisted I put the full first name on my driver's license; no longer matches my checks etc. Oh well!

Be who you want to be!

My name badge still says the name I use :) My hospital doesn't put last names on the front of badges.