Not a doctor but is asking to be called "Dr" while on the unit.

[rn4ever?]

The patient (who used to be a doctor) asks in a nice manner that she be called Dr. so and so while in the unit. But apparently, she lost her license recently, and with the way she acts, she thinks that the staff on the floor doesn’t know about her license being revoked recently. How would you handle the situation? What will you tell her?

[limestone]

If she were on a med/surg unit, she should be called dr. as it wouldn't affect her care and healing one way or the other. Probably would help with same, as she seems to need the reassurance, respect or whatever it is that she's seeking.

On a psych unit, it should be a team decision and the rationale for yea or nay should be communicated to her by the psychiatrist and upheld consistently by all staff.

[Orca, ADN, ASN, RN]

Until her managing physician gives orders to not call her doctor, because he/she feels it is detrimental to the patient's therapy and progress, you all need to address the patient as doctor, as she has requested. It really is not your business about her losing her license unless she tries to do things she is no longer allowed to do.

I respectfully disagree. No one else on the unit is referred to by a title, and it has nothing to do with losing a license. I do not need an order to treat one patient like all the others.

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

When I originally answered I did not realize this was a psych unit. That makes a big difference to me.

I would do whatever the psych doc thought was most theraputic.

If the patient was out of control then I would use the term if it would calm them no matter what was advised.

Once calm I would revert back to whatever the Psych doc advised.

[LovebugLPN]

So enough of this! What does her treating physician want her to be addressed as? Surely this has been addressed by now.

[Batman25]

I would ask the treating physician as well and then have all the staff comply with their recommendation so everyone is on the same page.

[OLGIE]

If he is content with the title Dr why not make him happy. He is after all a patient in the unit and not practising. In my opinion it wont harm anyone , and at the end of the day you will have made your patient happy.

[RyanSofie]

If the person concerned about the patient's title is a nurse then she/he has many more vital tasks to attend to than worry about such things.I have had psych patients tell me to call them Jesus Christ and in their realm of thinking they were him. I did not call the Vatican or concern myself with his delusion. I simply took care of my responsiblity as an RN and documented as needed.

[rn4ever?]

Obviously, there are some posters who didn't read the thread very well and just started posting some comments. This issue has already been resolved so I am hoping that this thread gets closed. For anyone who is interested what the outcome has been: The patient was addressed using her first name---for one that is the protocol. Secondly, we are very careful with manipulative behaviors. You may not be able to tell instantly, but through experience and once you get the chance to observe the patient and work with the patient closely, you would know. Using a title to intimidate and manipulate staff is not permissible in the unit of course. While some posters here seemed upset about making a big thing out of a patient's title or license or position, I would like to clarify that that wasn't the main point-----I have met thousands of delusional patients who wanted to be called, her royal highness, queen, etc. and that wasn't an issue at all because it was part of whatever they were going through at that time and they didn't demand to be addressed as such to be able to manipulate and divide the staff members. I posted a question regarding this particular patient not because she just wanted to be called Dr. but because of the manipulative behaviors/her intentions behind it.

[CountyRat]

If the person concerned about the patient's title is a nurse then she/he has many more vital tasks to attend to than worry about such things.I have had psych patients tell me to call them Jesus Christ and in their realm of thinking they were him. I did not call the Vatican or concern myself with his delusion. I simply took care of my responsiblity as an RN and documented as needed.

I regret that I must disagree with my colleague on this point. I too have been a psychiatric nurse, and, as I understand it, if my patient is actively delusional, that is clinically relevant to my nursing care. I do not need to call the Vatican to determine whether a psychotic patient is, in fact, Jesus Christ. I can make that decission on the basis of my own professional knowledge and judgement, and adjust my plan of care for the patient accordingly. If that is not one of my "responsibilities as an RN," and all I am competent to do is "document it as needed," then I am not a very good psychiatric nurse, and should be replaced by a nurses aid or other on-the-job trained worker.

[leslie :-D]

caringnurse, if you want the thread closed, just contact a mod, and they will close it for you.

leslie

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Closed thread per OP request