In my school there has been a gentle transition where everyone is beginning to address me as Nurse D instead of Mrs. D.
I don't mind - i mean it is my title - but then i got to thinking about how it may come off as snooty or strange or something.
On one hand, the kids and staff immediately know who your talking about if you said Nurse Flare instead of Mrs. Flare (and that's how it began - i took over an extra curricular club and after the kids got confused as to whom the papers were to be returned to, i changed the form to say Nurse instead of Mrs.)- but on the other hand, i don't think it's a title most school nurses use... or do they?
I mean so many of my students just refer to me as nurse or The nurse....
My last name is a tongue-twister. When I first met my MIL, she informed me that I was never to refer to her as Mrs. Tonguetwister, that her first name was preferred. Over the years, I have come to equally detest the constant butchering of my last name, which is even more tongue-tiwster-ish when following Mrs. (It almost rhymes.)
So long ago, I began to ask children to address me as Miss Jolie, a common tradition in the South, where I used to live.
It works fine in school. Miss Jolie, Nurse Jolie, doesn't matter.
I have a last name that is regulary mis-pronounced. So I go by Nurse Stephanie.
One of the K-garten diabetic students calls our health aide "My Trish". She is very cute and we've let that go.
When my son was school, I was on a first name basis with all his friends....he has been long graduated and now for the most part it is Ms. Lastname, a few kids will call be by my first name, but that is usually only after a long relationship....makes no difference to me. One teacher calls me "Flo" short for Florence Nightengale and another refers to me a "doc".....all with respect and good humor!.
Specializes in Telemetry, Gastroenterology, School Nrs.
I am "Nurse ______", Mrs. ________; "Nurse", and sometimes my first name. I honestly don't mind the kids calling me by my first name. I look at it like this, my patients in the hospital called me by first name and my patients in the physician's office called me by my first name, it's OK for the kids to call me by my first name. I really don't have a preference
Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN
11,305 Posts
I have a last name that is regulary mis-pronounced. So I go by Nurse Stephanie.
One of the K-garten diabetic students calls our health aide "My Trish". She is very cute and we've let that go.