Professionalism and Nurses

[Dixiedi]

We have had countless threads involving nurse's beleif that we are professionals and should be treated as such.

I agree, even us lowly LPNs are professionals and should be treated as such. AFTER it is earned!

A degree/lisence does not a professional make. Respect, and the view of professionalism comes from the public. It is not something that can be assigned based on license or degree.

Yesterday, I was up at the hospital visiting my dad. He's nearly 82. This 26 (or so) year old nurse comes bee-boppin in and says "Hi Ray!". Then immediately turns to me and asks, "Does he go by Ray or Raymond?" WHAT!?

This little bimbette expects to be respected and treated as a professional and she has none for this man? A man who is very obviously her senior. A human being who should be treated with repect and she has no simple common courtesy, let alone professionalism.

Very simply I told her "he goes by Ray, but Mr. F******** would be much more appropriate.

How can nurses expect to be treated as professionals if they are not? No professional would have come into the room, first meeting, and spoken the client/pt in such a familiar manner. This is not a pediatric unit!

She was not the only person I have heard calling my dad by his first name. I would like ot know how many of you out there also show so little respect for your elders and what your rationale is for doin so.

[StephMSeattle]

how the patient wants us to refer to him/her.

[Q.]

Professionalism and nursing. A hot button issue for me.

Not that nurses need to act formal and stiff 100% of the time to their patients; after all, to many patients the hospital or LTC is their home. With our constant referring to patients as clients, however, you'd think that our treatment of them would coincide.

I always try to relate our profession back to others.

Would an attorney first meeting his client for the first time come skipping in and say "Hi Ray?"

Would a bank executive make a big deal about his "uniform" (a shirt and tie, or pant suit) and complain it's not conducive to his work?

Why do we, as nurses, do these things?

[Dixiedi]

how the patient wants us to refer to him/her.

That answer is a cop-out. This was the first time she had been in the room, how could she have possibly known how he prefers to be addressed by her?

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Professionalism in nursing seems to mean different things to different people - there are many definitions. As to addressing patients - I start with the Mr or Mrs thing and always ask if I'm pronouncing their name right. This is if they are elderly (over 75). I'm 46 and really pride myself on being courteous, respectful and professional. If it upsets your father to be called by his first name, I would certainly have him mention it.

[Nurse Ratched, RN]

Would a bank executive make a big deal about his "uniform" (a shirt and tie, or pant suit) and complain it's not conducive to his work?

Right on.

As far as the name question, of course we should begin by addressing an obviously senior patient by his/her last name unless invited to otherwise. You can even inquire of the patient's preference.

On psych, we don't use last names, but with our gero-psych patients, it still feels wrong to call "Ethel" Ethel. I usually revert to "Miss Ethel" to maintain the respect while not violating confidentiality.

[NeuroICURN]

Now see, I kind of don't agree with all this. I do address patients by their first name, but then again, I'm in neuro, so sometimes that's all a pt. knows is their first name! LOL :chuckle

However, I do not come "bee-bopping" in either. I conduct myself in a very professional manner and take my job very seriously.

IMHO, I don't believe that just by calling someone "Mr. Smith" or "Dr Jones" necessarily constitutes being "professional". Being professional is a way of acting and speaking....not just what you say alone.

So, to answer your questions...yes, I address my patients by their first name and I even (gasp) address many doctors by their first name.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

IMHO, I don't believe that just by calling someone "Mr. Smith" or "Dr Jones" necessarily constitutes being "professional". Being professional is a way of acting and speaking....not just what you say alone.

So, to answer your questions...yes, I address my patients by their first name and I even (gasp) address many doctors by their first name.

I also address doctors by their first name -- unless I DON'T respect them!

[leslie :-D]

IMHO, I don't believe that just by calling someone "Mr. Smith" or "Dr Jones" necessarily constitutes being "professional". Being professional is a way of acting and speaking....not just what you say alone.

/QUOTE]

and that's just it...what makes you a professional? it is a way of acting, speaking and being.

it is being able to maintain oneself in the face of adversity.

it is a philosophy that commands to treat others as you would want to be treated.

it is being able to keep your chin up when they've just shot you down.

it is a sense of pride of who you are as a person then a nurse.

it's about maintaining one's dignity when others treat you with contempt.

and it's about plowing forward to pull for your patient when your superiors are withholding treatments for the sake of the almighty $.

so, it is indeed staying true to oneself, for all that it entails.

[Dixiedi]

I think some of you are reading too much into the question. Yes, there are times when calling a pt by there first name is appropriate, and I agree with "Miss Ethel." That's the way I do it.

I am talking about a med-surg unit, guess I should have made that clear in my original post. He is alert and oriented though his sats drop so low at times he does zone out a bit, and if he didn't first respond to Mr. F (oh, that just doesn't look right! and he's my daddy! LOL) I would then say Ray.

But that was not the case, he was sitting in the chair having conversation with two of his daughters, two of his grandchildren, a granddaughter-in-law and a great granddaughter.

Oh, this nurse really ticked me off. Not only did she practically run into the room as my sister and (part of) her family were leaving, bumping into my sister who then, trying to catch her balance landed on my knee (torn menisci and ligaments) she addressed my dad as if she had known him for years.

Sad part is, he is very respectful of nurses (he has a nurse daughter and a nurse granddaughter) and would not give direction to them. He should, but that is not the way most older people were brought up. As I earlier suggested to a student not to confront her instructor in front of the class, he believes he should not confront a "professional" in front of other people.

Kind of a catch 22 if you ask me, but that's the way people used to be raised. And, he would consider her behavior as "just one of those things" with people now-a-days and not bring it up later.

We are having a care plan (more like a DNR? meeting I think?) meeting early this afternoon and I fully intend to bring this up. He's nearly 82 and his lungs are about as full as they can get before overflowing, without the assist of a cough and it just keeps getting worse. Very worried about him. The sypmtoms are endless, but alertness is not generally a problem (except when his sats dropped to the low 80s for a time.)

[redshiloh]

I ALWAYS call patients Mr or Ms until they ask me to do otherwise. Our Chief asked me to call him by his first name, but I have a very hard time doing that.

Why is that? I both like and respect him.

[All_Smiles_RN]

So she came into the room happily and addressed your father by his first name? That doesn't sound unprofessional. It sounds like she was just trying to make him feel comfortable in his environment. What I don't agree with is how she asked you whether he prefers Ray or Raymond. She should have asked your father that herself. I just don't see the big to do about being addressed by your first name. Lighten up.

...Jennifer...