Proper salutation for a NP?

Specialties NP

Published

I'm sorry if this is a random question-but I figured this would be the best place to ask! Is there a special salutation for NP? I know a doctor I would refer to as Dr. Whoever, but I wasn't sure about a nurse practitioner... Would it still be Ms/Mrs/Mr or use Dr.? Thanks!

wowza said:
I think correcting them is a sign of humility. It is a good characteristic to have whether an MD or a nurse practitioner.

I'm not one, nor will I ever one, of those NPs who think we are equivalent to MDs. Our education is *not* in any way comparable to what they get and it is a slap in the face of their years of itnense education to let patients call us something we are not. I've never met a PhD outside the academic environment who insists on being called "Dr." and will resist calling any DNP colleagues "Dr." in front of patients. It is not a clinical degree and should not imply a clinical title.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.
traumaRUs said:
I respectfully disagree with you Wowza - its not a sign of humility, its a sign of correctness. Just as I'm not a physician, I'm not a plumber or auto mechanic either.

However, having been an APN for a few years, and after correcting the same pts over and over, it becomes insulting to them to cont the correction.

Insulting and condescending/dismissive.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
carachel2 said:
I'm not one, nor will I ever one, of those NPs who think we are equivalent to MDs. Our education is *not* in any way comparable to what they get and it is a slap in the face of their years of itnense education to let patients call us something we are not. I've never met a PhD outside the academic environment who insists on being called "Dr." and will resist calling any DNP colleagues "Dr." in front of patients. It is not a clinical degree and should not imply a clinical title.

Every clinical psychologist I've known over the 25 years I've worked in psych nursing (and that's quite a few, at this point) has gone by "Dr. XYZ" with clients at work, and no one, colleague or client, has ever suggested that's inappropriate or had any difficulty distinguishing between the psychologist and the psychiatrist. I don't see how the situation is any different for a doctorally-prepared NP.

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

In addition to the clinical psychologists, there are the dentists.

Also, teaching hospitals ARE academic environments.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psych, Chem Dependency, Occ. Health.
elkpark said:
Every clinical psychologist I've known over the 25 years I've worked in psych nursing (and that's quite a few, at this point) has gone by "Dr. XYZ" with clients at work, and no one, colleague or client, has ever suggested that's inappropriate or had any difficulty distinguishing between the psychologist and the psychiatrist. I don't see how the situation is any different for a doctorally-prepared NP.

I'm glad you mentioned this because I also have a psych-nursing background and all of the clinicians I worked with who held doctorates, were called "Dr. ABC" in the Hospital, on the units and with the patients. I never once saw any of the MD's complain. They even referred to them as "Dr. ABC" to patients and to other staff. Maybe it is speciality specific, but to not address those clinicians as "Dr. ABC" would of been incredibly disrespectful in any of the psychiatric facilities/units I have worked on.

Sue, RN

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
llg said:
In addition to the clinical psychologists, there are the dentists.

Also, teaching hospitals ARE academic environments.

I think the argument against dentists calling themselves doctor in a hospital is weak. Dentists have the highest level of training with regard to clinical presentation of the mouth and teeth. Period. For the mouth, dentists are the king of the castle. As a physician, I can say unequivocally, that unless there is a very simple presentation, anything that goes on in the mouth of one of my patients gets sent to a dentist.

Now to compare this to nurse "doctors". There is nothing that DNPs have more clinical training in when compared to a physician. They have less than 1/10th the clinical training hours and less than 1/4 of the basic sciences. The training nurses have for medical conditions pales in comparison to a real physician which is why I don't think that an NP should be called a doctor (even with a DNP) unless they also have an MD/DO.

Now my opinion may change if the NP adds thousands more clinical hours, multiple years of 60-80 hour residencies and dozens more basic science hours.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
wowza said:
Now to compare this to nurse "doctors". There is nothing that DNPs have more clinical training in when compared to a physician. They have less than 1/10th the clinical training hours and less than 1/4 of the basic sciences. The training nurses have for medical conditions pales in comparison to a real physician which is why I don't think that an NP should be called a doctor (even with a DNP) unless they also have an MD/DO.

Now my opinion may change if the NP adds thousands more clinical hours, multiple years of 60-80 hour residencies and dozens more basic science hours.

So do you feel the same about psychologists? Do you approve of their training sufficiently for you to acknowledge their degrees?

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×

It was my understanding that physician was a distinct clinical title, not Dr. I was always under the impression that Dr. referred to ones level of education.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Dr Wowza - I'm sure with your many many years of education/training/what not, you can surely stay on topic!!!!

The topic is what is the proper salutation for an NP, not what educational requirements YOU feel are necessary.

STAY ON TOPIC!!!!!

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

Exactly. Echoing traumaRU's above post, this thread will remain open despite the non-nurses and physician's input trying to derail the topic.

If you cannot exercise self-restraint and act like a professional and an adult, insisting on coming here to divide the membership, post disrespectfully, throw grenades in the mix, and dive off-topic, we will close your account.

Without notice............and, immediately.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
elkpark said:
So do you feel the same about psychologists? Do you approve of their training sufficiently for you to acknowledge their degrees?

I have very little experience with psychologists in the hospital. I have only had experience with one psychologist in the hospital and he had very specific training that made him distinct from the psychiatrists. He was more of a consultant than the person in charge of care. So I don't have enough experience with them.

traumaRUs said:
Dr Wowza - I'm sure with your many many years of education/training/what not, you can surely stay on topic!!!!

The topic is what is the proper salutation for an NP, not what educational requirements YOU feel are necessary.

STAY ON TOPIC!!!!!

My bad for derailing but I was responding to someone asking about dentists. So my reasoning was based entirely on education. I felt it pertinent.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CCU,ED, Hospice.
Pageantnurse said:
It was my understanding that physician was a distinct clinical title, not Dr. I was always under the impression that Dr. referred to ones level of education.

We are of the same mindset. A doctorate is an academic achievement. And like Pharm D's, Dentists and PhDs of Psych, DNPs are at the top of their field... top of the nursing field.

In the end it really depends on the practitioner and the setting. I have heard several physicians refer to and introduce the DNP as.. This is Dr X, she/he is a nurse practitioner with the XYZ group. On the other hand I am aware of DNPs and DN's who do not want to be called Dr for the reason that it "goes against the grain of the patient- nurse relationship"

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment