Please don't call me Dude

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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 Cardiology, Cardiothoracic Surgical.

I'm all about the 'ma'am' lately. I'm married and in my 30s, so I appreciate the act of respect and upbringing it conveys. I'll occasionally use 'dear' or 'hon', usually in reciprocity with a patient that's also called me that. I'll tolerate 'girl' when it's a salutation from my coworkers "Hey, girl! How you doin"

But Chief, Boss or Pal? Kinda makes me feel like I'm an 8 year old boy and my dad's yelling at me over baseball? Just, weird.

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Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.
:roflmao:

I hate Ma'am too, but I'm southern now so I'm starting to get used to it.

Whenever I comment that I'm not used to hearing it someone has to say "It's a sign of respect".

Yes, yes, yes, I KNOW that but in New England it means "You deserve respect because you're older than dirt so I'm going to call you Ma'am" Either that, or it means you're a judge. ;-)

...or that the speaker is being sarcastic....

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Specializes in Registered Nurse.
Although I am originally from the West Coast, I have spent my entire nursing career in the South where it is customary to refer to people by 'Mr' or 'Ms' plus their first names, i.e. Mr. Rob, Ms. Catherine, Ms. Jessica, etc.

I relocated to this part of the country 10 years ago when I was in my mid 20s. It felt admittedly weird when the CNAs would refer to me as Ms. TheCommuter.

Yep...I am Ms. Nurses here in the south.

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Specializes in Registered Nurse.
One of our nurses was called Moonbeam as a term of endearment by a (particularly difficult) client. She loved it!

I like Moonbeam....but it gives a hint of ditzy in the background, IMO.

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I would never address a patient by an endearment, but my patients are not long term like many of you who work in LTC. Our patients are in and out in only a couple of hours.

As a patient, I would NOT want someone calling me "hun," "dude," "shug," or anything like that. My first name is fine or Ms. Horseshoe is okay as well. Ma'am doesn't bother me.

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Specializes in Emergency.

I have been known to channel my inner spicoli as a frequent flyer rolls in yet again - "i know that dude".

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No shirt, no shoes, NO DICE!

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Specializes in Behavioral Health.
Although I am originally from the West Coast, I have spent my entire nursing career in the South where it is customary to refer to people by 'Mr' or 'Ms' plus their first names, i.e. Mr. Rob, Ms. Catherine, Ms. Jessica, etc.

I relocated to this part of the country 10 years ago when I was in my mid 20s. It felt admittedly weird when the CNAs would refer to me as Ms. TheCommuter.

It wasn't until I moved out of the south that I realized people don't use honorifics much in other parts of the country. I spent some time in Vermont and it took me a few days to realize the people were incredibly friendly, they just didn't talk as much as the people from FL/GA, and they didn't use honorifics or names. In rural Florida when you pay your bill at the end of breakfast you get something like, "Thanks for comin' in, Mr. Dogen. You tell Ms. Dogenette we have that cobbler she likes so much. I hope y'all get a chance to enjoy that sunshine. Have a good day." In VT it was, "Thanks for coming in."

At first I thought everyone was a jerk, but it turns out it's the South that's weird... which I guess I kind of always knew.

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Who references themselves as Mr/Mrs/Ms?

You're calling anyone and you say,"

Hi/Hello, this is Ms Libby calling" or,

"this is Libby.." or,

"this is Libby Jones.." ?

I include my last name when it's necessary as an identifier otherwise only my first name with most calls being "This is Libby from ACE Home Health Agency."

I have never referred to myself as Ms or Mrs.

My kids have always followed the accepted formalities. With the exception of teachers who have established nick names or tell the kids to use their first name they always refer to them as Mr or Mrs/Ms. Being raised in an informal home hasn't affected their social compliance, they function well as I've always gotten favorable feedback.

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Specializes in ICU / PCU / Telemetry / Oncology.
It reminds them of the Jim Crow days when blacks were condescendingly referred to as 'boy' and 'girl' to belittle them as childlike people without identities who needed to be controlled. Essentially, being called 'boy' or 'girl' is seen as a slap in the face.

I'm not Black, but the sir thing also bothers me in this vein when I hear "yes, sir" ... I think of a slave saying it to a slaveowner, and it's like the sayer is trying to be subservient to me (my perception), which I dislike. I'm no better than anyone else and neither are you, so please call me by name.

I've watched too many Civil War era movies I guess, lol 😜 ... clearly I am sooo Northener.

Sent from my iPad using allnurses

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Ma'am and Sir offensive? News to me! I am surrounded daily by military and former military, and those forms of address are as common as "hello". Personally, I like it: it's respectful, not condescending (think 'dear' or 'darlin'). Not intimate (think 'honey' or 'sweetie'). Appropriate IMHO.

I had a young fella who works in my facility call me sweetheart and honey no less than three times in the course of a 2 minute conversation, at the end of which I informed him that should he continue to do that I'd have to consider a boot to his backside, LOL.....that unless he knows me so well he knows he can consider me HIS "sweetheart", "Yes Ma'am and "No Ma'am" would be just fine, as would a plain old "yes" and "no"! ;) BTW, he is now just as charming but with appropriate respect when speaking to those of us...ahem....older than himself :)

Oh, and his aunt commented on how nice it was to see him do that, LOL....she works here too! :D

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Who references themselves as Mr/Mrs/Ms?

You're calling anyone and you say,"

Hi/Hello, this is Ms Libby calling" or,

"this is Libby.." or,

"this is Libby Jones.." ?

I include my last name when it's necessary as an identifier otherwise only my first name with most calls being "This is Libby from ACE Home Health Agency."

I have never referred to myself as Ms or Mrs.

Has someone said they refer to themselves as Mr/Mrs/Ms/Miss?

Maybe I missed it.

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