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.
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.
This is not a pediatric unit!
Okay I know that he is your father, but come on that is ridiculous to get irritated with that gal because she is in a good mood. Remember when you used to be in a good mood when you got to work. Its old nurse ratchetts that make it hard for the rest of us to keep people up beat at work. Just because your in the hospital doesnt mean your in prision and being cheerful and having a smile on your face does not constitute unprofessionalism!!!!!!! Instead of being jealous of that 26 year old ,maybe you could be happy that your daddy is being well taken care of by someone who obviuosly loves her job!!! get over it!!!:angryfire
I think you've not quite got the just of what was being said here.He was not commenting on her being in a good mood but the way she behaved and the familiarity of her comment and pehaps even the fact that she did not address the gentleman himself!
I agree a smile is a lovely thing and if you give one its usually infectous! Being happy is good aswell becuase it makes the job easier. However there is being happy at work and there is not recognising what behaviour is actually warrented in a siuation. Would this behaviour have been correct in another senario e.g a patient has just died?
Old nurse rachetts as you call us WILL BE PATIENTS OF THE FUTURE as will you so a little decorum where appropiate and perhaps keep the bee-boppin for in the staff room??
Being professional is recognising the correct behaiour and being aware of your effect on others with your affect!!
I'm sure it's my generation and the area of the country I live in, but I prefer first names for staff. I want patients to call me Zach but I always call patients Mr. or Mrs. so-and-so. I, however, speak to most staff members (docs included) by using first names. We are all part of the healthcare team. Out of respect, I sometimes address attendings with Dr. even though I know them by first name.
When I am the patient in the hospital, I like to be called, "Mrs. SoandSo." until I feel comfortable with the nurse/doc etc...
I am of Hispanic decent, so it is part of my culture to address people,mostly the elders as, "Mr or Mrs" Senor Lopez, Senora Lopez, Dona Lopez, Don Lopez ) . But I agree, it just depends on what the pt. likes to be called.
I always say "Mr.or Mrs Doe" and by the time of d/c we are on first namesbasis.
Nursing school teaches you to say Mr or Mrs when you walk into the pt room .
Unless I am familiar with a resident at the LTC facility where I work I usually don't feel comfortable calling a person by his or her first name. But I wouldn't jump down this girl's throat for her informality. It may have been a little tacky on her part but I doubt she said it with the intent to belittle the man or talk down to him.
The OP needs to lighten. Getting in a huff and jumping on a high horse doesn't make anything any better.
Old nurse rachetts as you call us WILL BE PATIENTS OF THE FUTURE as will you so a little decorum where appropiate and perhaps keep the bee-boppin for in the staff room??
I am a 26 year old wife, and mother and has chosen nursing as a second career. I totally agree with calling patients Mr. and Mrs.. I was born and raised in the south and for me this is the way you should address your seniors. If my patient was 30, i would still say mrs. or mr. I do believe it is a professional relationship with the patient not a social relationship and only if asked to is it appropriate to use first names. I've seen nurses and other health professionals young and old that still in MHO dont know what it is to be a professional.
Addressing someone you don't know well as Mr. or Mrs. is basic manners, no matter what the situation. Manners seem to be lacking everywhere these days.
Unless someone tells you otherwise, start with the more formal greeting. Instant intimacy is not friendly, it's presumputuous.
I work on a Med-Surg unit also. When I go into the room for the first time I introduce myself. "Hi I'm Joanna and I'll be your nurse today". You are Mr/Mrs................ is that correct? 9 times out of ten the patient will say "call me Karen or whatever". If they don't I stick with the last name. I think professionalism is all in how you handle "yourself" not what you call the patient. Friendliness goes a long way when someone is sick. Patients seem to love being able to call their nurse by name. I love it when they ask for Joanna to come to their room rather than just my nurse. Can you imagine someone calling you "Nurse Jones"? Damm, that would be awful !!! Only on TV !!!
Yesterday, I was up at the LINK EDITED OUT BY MODERATOR 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.
This is not a pediatric unit!
Okay I know that he is your father, but come on that is ridiculous to get irritated with that gal because she is in a good mood. Remember when you used to be in a good mood when you got to work. Its old nurse ratchetts that make it hard for the rest of us to keep people up beat at work. Just because your in the hospital doesnt mean your in prision and being cheerful and having a smile on your face does not constitute unprofessionalism!!!!!!! Instead of being jealous of that 26 year old ,maybe you could be happy that your daddy is being well taken care of by someone who obviuosly loves her job!!! get over it!!!:angryfire
Specializes in Gerontological Nursing, Acute Rehab.
If this thread does nothing else, at least it gets one thinking.
I work LTC, so I'd say 99% of the time, I call the residents by their first name. I started thinking, though, about when I meet a new resident or admit someone. I found that it depends on the case. With an alert, oriented resident, I usually start out with Mr or Mrs...with someone with dementia or any type of cognitive disease, I use their first name. It's the one most familiar to them, because as someone else mentioned, you never know how old they think they are, and whether they'd even recognize their married name.
And, I do occaisionally say sweetie or honey.....I know, not PC, but it's always said with affection and care, never condescendingly. These are my residents, and I love them. Just can't help it.
BTW, in my field, I have never had someone say, "Don't call me by my first name, please." However, when I worked in the hospital, I always started out by using Mr or Mrs....guess it just depends on the situation.
I'm not sure if it's a lack of manners or proper upbringing....maybe more a matter of the lack of common sense when first meeting a patient.
Unless I am familiar with a resident at the LTC facility where I work I usually don't feel comfortable calling a person by his or her first name. But I wouldn't jump down this girl's throat for her informality. It may have been a little tacky on her part but I doubt she said it with the intent to belittle the man or talk down to him.
The OP needs to lighten. Getting in a huff and jumping on a high horse doesn't make anything any better.
Im not in a huff just making a point:rolleyes:
Im not jumping down the girls throat (just shows how people can misinterperate what you mean or say!). However at 26 she would hopefully learn if someone did point out her inappropiate or 'tacky' behaviour.
Perhaps you dont have learners to coach but if you did I would hope for nursings sake you'd have the gumption to point out the mistake so she would not inadvertenly do it again. Unfortunately it did come accross as belittling the man and so perhaps she should be made aware of this so that she will not repeat the incident with someone else! Diversity in nursing means we should be adaptable but your liberal flippant way of dismissing her behaviour is worrying:rolleyes: .You say unless you are familiar with a resident you dont usually feel comfortable calling a person by his or her first name. Why?
However at 26 she would hopefully learn if someone did point out her inappropiate or 'tacky' behaviour.
kazcoup
6 Posts
I think you've not quite got the just of what was being said here.He was not commenting on her being in a good mood but the way she behaved and the familiarity of her comment and pehaps even the fact that she did not address the gentleman himself!
I agree a smile is a lovely thing and if you give one its usually infectous! Being happy is good aswell becuase it makes the job easier. However there is being happy at work and there is not recognising what behaviour is actually warrented in a siuation. Would this behaviour have been correct in another senario e.g a patient has just died?
Old nurse rachetts as you call us WILL BE PATIENTS OF THE FUTURE as will you so a little decorum where appropiate and perhaps keep the bee-boppin for in the staff room??
Being professional is recognising the correct behaiour and being aware of your effect on others with your affect!!