Please don't call me Dude

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I notice that calling anyone, man or woman, Dude seems to be the new fashion. Some of my younger colleagues will sometimes address me as 'Dude'!

It used to be that only young guys used Dude to address one another, more often in the stoner culture. Now younger women will use it on me, a 50 something matron!

Let me say here, I don't care for it. I am not a dude. You all are welcome to use my name, but please don't call me Dude.

Specializes in Critical care.

I was raised where everyone was sweetie, honey, sugar, etc. Having traveled a wee bit, I soon encountered folks that absolutely bristled at such names. I soon fell into the habit of "pal", and now "boss" Lots of docs use "chief" and one has used "champ" to address me. Meh, it's all better than "hey you" to me.

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I'm with nurseynursenurse, please don't ever call me ma'am. I'd seriously rather be called Dude.

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Specializes in UR/PA, Hematology/Oncology, Med Surg, Psych.

The southern part of my speech lives with me and I use "sweetheart, honey, and bless your heart" without even thinking. I guess I'm leaving a trail of disgusted people in my wake :)

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Oh well, call me anything; dude, bro, I don't care. The only thing that gives me pause is when a cute 20 something man calls me Ma'am. Doesn't irritate me, just makes me feel OLD and slightly depressed.

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Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.
I could careless if someone calls me dude or sweetie but I cant stand when I'm called "mam"! It makes me instantly feel like an old lady.

Gads, I know exactly what you mean!. Hate it when called "sweetie" by someone 45 years younger than me. But hit the ceiling ,bristling, the first time my new (at the time) husband made the mistake of calling me "Ma'am". I told him if he couldn't think of me as ME, Stars, and call me by my name, we had trouble. Kind of took him aback. But it's not happened again!

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Specializes in Hospice.

I have to say that I agree with you. I have 5 kids ages 22-31 and some of them use that term. If they want to call people "dude" or whatever else is hip then go ahead. However, don't call me Dude in the workplace. I find it unprofessional. I'm just not that hip.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

I'll never forget having a ...umm... "heated" discussion with my then-16 year old daughter. In the thick of it, she shouted at me: "CHILL, DUDE!"

I shouted right back: I.AM.NOT.YOUR.DUDE!!

Have hated that word ever since.

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

I accidentally called our pharmacist "love" or "sweetie" or something like that the other day. I'm good friends with most of our providers, so that's just how we talk to each other, and as I hung up the phone after ordering some meds for a patient, I said "Thanks, love." I sort of cut it off as it was halfway through my mouth, so I'm hoping he didn't catch it.

I have one provider who calls people "dude." She only uses it with people she's comfortable with, so I think of it as a term of endearment. It doesn't bother me.

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I'm with nurseynursenurse, please don't ever call me ma'am. I'd seriously rather be called Dude.

I get into this with my Southern friends a lot. They would never think of NOT calling me Ma'am, or have their kids not call me Ma'am, but as a Northerner I cringe inside when I hear it.

Miss (Ms.) Farawyn is another thing I don't like. My kids will call another adult Mrs. WellThat'sOod until told otherwise.

I know it's polite on the Southern end. Just very not my style.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.
I prefer being called dude and buddy instead of sir, I reeeeeeeally cant stand that!

Sent from my iPad using allnurses

same here from the female perspective. Please, call me dude..it's WAY better than ma'am. I took a vacation in the south this spring, I've never been ma'am'ed so much in my life!

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Specializes in OB.

I suppose because I acknowledge that I am "mature" (old) enough it doesn't feel odd to me to be called ma'am. What does grate on me is when someone decades my junior refers to me as "young lady"!

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I'm 20 something, and I use maam, sir, miss, Mr., or Dr. if I don't know the person's name. Many older folk prefer for me to use their first names instead of Mr/Ms, I've found out. But others actually do like Mr./ Ms. I try to go by what the person likes if I'm privy to that information.

I get 'sis' a lot from black men and women (I'm black and live in Baltimore City). Men here like to call ladies sweetheart a lot of the time too, usually not derogatory. But as a 20 something I'd say I get miss/maam the most, from people of all ages.

My friends call each other pet names...love bug, hunnie bee, love, booboo...this is embarrassing haha :p

I do NOT use those terms (or others like sweetie or dear) for people I don't know. Unless it's a small child. lol.

Haven't started nursing school yet but I couldn't imagine calling patients pet names like that. One of my friends is a nurse and she said she hated being called "girl" in her hospital job--she'd correct them with "no I am your nurse and my name is ____."

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Specializes in hospice.

Awww come on, dude!

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