What is the proper way to address an RN?

Updated:   Published

This question is probably a bit silly, haha. I'm not in school just yet and I've never been a patient (for an extended period of time anyway) so I haven't really been in a position where I would say anything to a nurse beyond "excuse me." So let's say my name is Sally Smith. Do patients call me "Nurse Smith" "Nurse Sally" or perhaps just Sally? Or does it differ by hospital, region, etc? Just curious ? Thanks for the help!

Specializes in Med-Surg and Neuro.
It was interesting for me to see some places don't make you have your last name on your ID. In my area it is a regulation that first and last names are visible on the badge.

Do you know if you own a house, a patient can very easily look you up if they know your first and last name through a property records search? If your patients know both your names, it's only a matter of time before something terrible happens. There's also cyberstalking through facebook, etc. Please ask the powers that be to reconsider that policy.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Working in the OR, I can call residents (surgery and anesthesia) by first names almost all the time. Only when interviewing patients/family do I add their titles. I could call most of the attendings I work with frequently and have earned their respect by their first names. They always return pages/or call and introduce themselves on the phone with their first names, if they say anything to indicate who is calling. Some attendings I address by their first names, some I call by a title and surname, it depends on the physician and situation.

We have one attending I work with frequently who has renamed about half of the OR staff s/he likes working with (it's how you know you're "in" - you are christened with a nickname). Some of the residents then continue to modify one's name or nickname...but it's all in good fun.

I introduce myself as "I'm FurBabyMom, I'm one of the OR nurses and will be helping to take care of you (or your child - whatever the case may be) during the procedure today...". Our physicians generally refer to the nurses they work with in front of patients/family using our given name.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.
I'm honestly shocked that people actually call nurses "waitress." How disrespectful. I mean I knew nurses are often the brunt of disrespect, but wow that is so bad.

that's never happened to me personally, but if it did I'd ignore it...and the request to follow. Hey, he said "Waitress," so clearly not talking to me. :cheeky:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.
We only have first names on our badges. With the number of nurses who have told me stories of stalker ex-patients, I don't want anyone knowing anything other than my first name.

This is exactly why I only have my last initial on my badge. I don't personally know anyone who's ben stalked, but had one who was accused of letting the pt die because of their racial difference, and then "You know I can find out where you live. I can find out if you have kids and where their school is." Never again will my full name be that easily accessible. One hospital I used to work at had our full names on badges, but we'd cover the last names up with tape. Our NM, in her wisdom, got it and never said a word about the obscured surnames.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU.

Some states do require both first and last names to be visible on your badge. Also, all any patient has to do is ask to see his/her medical record, and they can plainly see all the names of anyone who took care of them.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
That comment is amazing hahahah

Please use the "Quote" feature so we know which post you're addressing. Thanks.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

One of the first patients I ever took care of at his home at the beginning of my nursing career was a wealthy, retired banker. He was very irritable. I could not quite figure out how much was due to his condition and how much was his personality. He told me how he had to educate the young new bank employees. How to answer a phone, respond to the public, etc. I had just answered his phone at his request. He told me I was to say, "Nurse Surname". That was the first and only time this subject has ever come up for me. Never addressed during nursing school or elsewhere since. It certainly made me think about it at the time. While it sounds somewhat strange to me, I definitely prefer it to "Babysitter" as used by one of my latest client moms.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
This is exactly why I only have my last initial on my badge. I don't personally know anyone who's ben stalked, but had one who was accused of letting the pt die because of their racial difference, and then "You know I can find out where you live. I can find out if you have kids and where their school is." Never again will my full name be that easily accessible. One hospital I used to work at had our full names on badges, but we'd cover the last names up with tape. Our NM, in her wisdom, got it and never said a word about the obscured surnames.

When the new facility owners gave us new name tags with our full names in big, big, big letters, we whited out our surnames with white out or white correction tape.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Please use the "Quote" feature so we know which post you're addressing. Thanks.

Sorry, didn't realize. I haven't been here too long.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Quality, Cardiac Stepdown, MICU.

I would be horrified to call a doctor by his or her first name. And I've never heard a doctor refer to himself to me that way, like "Hey it's John returning your call." (I'd be like, which John? Cardiologist John Smith or Nephrologist John Jones?) We do have one doctor who goes by "Dr. Firstname" but it's not his real first name -- he is Thai and both his names are too hard for most people, so he gave himself a nickname. Even doctors I have a good working relationship with, joke with and call often, are always Dr. Lastname. I will occasionally call a Dr "sir" or "ma'am" but I live in the South and it's more of a habit.

Only my younger pts remember my first name and call me by that. If the pt is urban and younger, as another poster mentioned, they will call me Ms. Firstname.

Although I am in my early 30s, I am weird about married name stuff. If I were a pt, I'd prefer to be called Mrs. Lastname. The only two times I've been hospitalized, it was for L&D, and most of the time they do call the pts Mrs. Whoever. But I felt a grating feeling inside when a few nurses addressed me familiarly by my first name. (I was not a nurse then.) I didn't say anything, just unclenched and moved on with my life.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

I've been called everything in the book; however, the best is when pts call me Ms. LadyFree...Ladyfree is fine also. ;)

I haven't been called a maid though, don't plan on either! :no:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I would be horrified to call a doctor by his or her first name. And I've never heard a doctor refer to himself to me that way, like "Hey it's John returning your call." (I'd be like, which John? Cardiologist John Smith or Nephrologist John Jones?) We do have one doctor who goes by "Dr. Firstname" but it's not his real first name -- he is Thai and both his names are too hard for most people, so he gave himself a nickname. Even doctors I have a good working relationship with, joke with and call often, are always Dr. Lastname. I will occasionally call a Dr "sir" or "ma'am" but I live in the South and it's more of a habit.

Only my younger pts remember my first name and call me by that. If the pt is urban and younger, as another poster mentioned, they will call me Ms. Firstname.

Although I am in my early 30s, I am weird about married name stuff. If I were a pt, I'd prefer to be called Mrs. Lastname. The only two times I've been hospitalized, it was for L&D, and most of the time they do call the pts Mrs. Whoever. But I felt a grating feeling inside when a few nurses addressed me familiarly by my first name. (I was not a nurse then.) I didn't say anything, just unclenched and moved on with my life.

There are several doctors I work with that our nursing staff calls by their first name. I work in a CVICU, and these are the surgeons and cardiologists that we work with daily, and know well. Since nurses have traditionally addressed doctors by their title and last name, I understand why some may be uncomfortable doing otherwise. But, there is no reason for a doctor who to be insulted by having a colleague he/she works with daily uses a first name, especially when nurses seem to be exclusively referred to by their first names. I mean...it IS their name. It's not like I'm calling them turd-face.

If they want to say it's a sign of respect, what that says to me is that nurses don't deserve that respect. I doubt they insist on being called doctor outside of the hospital, and the only reason I can think of that first names would be an issue inside the hospital is due to a need to feel superior.

I think respect is more adequately demonstrated by a trust in each other's clinical judgement.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion