What do you call the Doc?

[Flipper911]

I have noticed the rules are different at each place I work. In the units we usually are on a first name basis with all the physicians. We all know each other and it is a very good atmosphere.

In the teaching facilities where I have worked all the residents are called by their first name, not to be disrespectful - just that was how it always done.

I once had a resident ask my name and I gave my first name and she held out her hand and replied, "I am Dr Hassan". I read her badge (Margaret Hassen) and said, "nice to meet you Maggie".

I don't understand how some nurses feel it is disrespectful to call a physician by the first name. I know nurses that still give up their chair and call every physician DR Whatever. If they come find me and use my first name then I gonna use theirs and have not had much issue with that.

The one exception I do make is when I call about a patient. In those cases, I do call them by Dr Whatever. Even if every other time I run into them it is Bill or Rob. Just an odd quirk.

Just wondering what is the norm for others?

[PostOpPrincess, BSN, RN]

First names in non-professional situations...Dr. Whatever in front of patients and professional situations...I do not let them call me by my first name unless I say it is okay.

[suanna]

It all depends on whether it is to his face or behind his back- the name has been known to change.

Seriously- I address all the docs at work as "Dr. *** . It is reassuring to the patients that someone in authority is managing thier care. I've had docs say "call me Frank..." but I feel the patients may feel a bit too much familliarity in that relationship. It can even turn into the "my doctor and his nurses are all covering up for each other " delusions. My presonal doc, in his office I call by his first name- He is my employee, and we have had a trusting relationship for 20 years.

[Blackheartednurse]

I met a doctor today (haha by accident:)))))) and he was really laid back.After talking to me he shook my hands and said by the way I'm X (he gave me his first name).Very very cool guy and I wish more doctors would be that way:)

[ttreeds]

If they are resident doctors i refer to them by their first name; if they're attendants i call them Dr XYZ

[netglow, ASN, RN]

:)"hey you!", "uh, Doc?", "whitecoat", "graycoat", "flea", "gasman", "babycatcher"...

[TDCHIM]

I don't really have a dog in this fight, but I do find it odd that it seem to be considered only polite for nurses to refer to a doctor as "Dr. X," while nurses are by and large referred to by colleagues from all fields (doctors, allied health, etc.) by their first names. I do understand that's not always the case, and my experience is admittedly limited, but that's been my experience in several different hospitals. In fact, I can't once recall hearing a nurse referred to by his/her last name (i.e., Nurse X or Ms./Mrs./Mr. X). I understand that doctors spend a long time working for their credentials, but becoming a nurse doesn't seem to be a walk in the park either. I guess I find the one-sided familiarity a little disturbing, especially given the traditional gender roles and current gender ratios for nurses and doctors.

That's just me, though; as I said, I'm not a nurse and never will be, so I'm not trying to argue one way or the other. It just seems a little strange to me.

[CorpsmanRN, BSN, RN]

I'm curious....since some have mentioned the fact that nurses are not called "nurse (last name)"....How would doctors or others know what our last names are? All throughout my clinicals & preceptorship, I recall only first names being on a badge. Maybe a last name initial, but no full name.

How do these nurses refer to each other then? "nurse (last name)" as well? or first name basis? Is it not an issue to have your full name (first by some, last by others) said around patients? I ask because when we had to use our school ID as an ID/badge one time, our instructor told us to cover our last name. She didn't want patients knowing our full name.

[dinah77, ADN]

I don't really have a dog in this fight, but I do find it odd that it seem to be considered only polite for nurses to refer to a doctor as "Dr. X," while nurses are by and large referred to by colleagues from all fields (doctors, allied health, etc.) by their first names. I do understand that's not always the case, and my experience is admittedly limited, but that's been my experience in several different hospitals. In fact, I can't once recall hearing a nurse referred to by his/her last name (i.e., Nurse X or Ms./Mrs./Mr. X). I understand that doctors spend a long time working for their credentials, but becoming a nurse doesn't seem to be a walk in the park either. I guess I find the one-sided familiarity a little disturbing, especially given the traditional gender roles and current gender ratios for nurses and doctors.

That's just me, though; as I said, I'm not a nurse and never will be, so I'm not trying to argue one way or the other. It just seems a little strange to me.

Heck yeah! this is nicely sums up my problem too- Whether we want to admit it or not, the field of nursing is still rife with sexism- anyone who doesn't acknowledge this is kidding themselves.

My Mother-in-law graduated in the early 80's, is still a nurse, and told me that when she was in school if a doc entered the room everyone was supposed to stand and offer a chair to the doc

I wish we would all stand up for ourselves more- when you meet a doc, if they call you by your first name, why not call them by theirs? I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT IN FRONT OF PATIENTS!!!!

I'm talking about you speaking one-on-one to to the doctor

[suri_wild]

I just noticed the questioning about nurses not being called by their title. I agree we work hard for it..but just coming from the patient side...nurses do patient care and handle the more...personal calming therapeutic stuff. Dr's are more like the authority of diagnoses and medications. They aren't at the patient's bedside every few minutes asking how are they feeling, brushing their hair and helping take their dentures out at night (this is what I've learned so far in LPN school, Ill let you know if my opinion changes when I get to the RN program). But I think you see my point. There is times when I have seen the nurses have to pull their position to authority when the patient is being non-compliant with care. Yet, most of the time they want the patients to feel comfortable talking to them and well even sit next to the patient when talking to them rather than standing. I think that is why they prefer to use first names as well, to make patients feel like they are equal to the nurse, not overpowered. Maybe?

[HeartsOpenWide, RN]

I call the MDs "Dr. Jones" ect. I call the CNMs, and CRNAs by their first name.

[Argo]

I think it is disrespectful to call an MD or DO or PhD anything but Dr/Sir/Ma'am. They earned that right. Even my close friends that are surgeons and anesthesiologists get called Dr. X by me when we are in the hospital. Outside the hospital its different and on a personal basis, inside the hospital it is professional.

If a Dr insists on first name basis then I will do it but otherwise no way. I respect what they have done and the responsibility that they take on being the physician. We see our patients are go home with only those 6 or so patients a day to have to worry about for 8-12 hours.... They are that patients physician 24/7 and have a couple hundred more just like him/her.

CRNAs I call by their first name. If they were a PhD and wanted to be called Dr then I would do it without question. I have yet to meet a PhD CRNA though. I highly doubt they would care about that title.....

[evilolive, BSN, RN]

I work with the same 3-5 doctors at night on my floor. After working with them for almost a year, I am on a first name basis with most all of them except one. I could NEVER bring myself to call him by his first name. When I call the doc on the phone or address him/her in front of a patient, I always use "Dr." If he/she is hanging out at the nursing station taking their time doing an admission or just shooting the **** I will refer to them by their first name. I have never had an issue with this.

I think it's safe to say there is a "feeling out" period of time when you get to know someone. I feel that it's similar as to when you finally get to call a friend's mother "Jane" instead of "Mrs. Smith."