cdnurse, that is a great question! I don't have the answer for that one. I have often wondered why we put up with being called by our first names and the docs are called Dr. whatever. Nurse Practitioner Jones is a mouthful! We work hard for our degrees but I also think the personal touch is nicer for patients. What say you all??

I sometimes wonder if as a whole we have become way too familiar with the use of first names in many settings, not just health care. Now that I am older, when not in front of patients, I refer to doctors by their first names. They know that I respect them and their knowledge. There was a time when nurses were called Nurse Smith, Nurse Jones, etc. I do not know when that changed. Many NPs fight to get people understand what an NPs role is and what their education level is. So many only hear nurse and often will confuse NP with Practical Nurse. I am for a name change but at a complete loss as to what the name should be.

Why not call them doctors? They prescribe meds and narcotics just like a doctor. Just a thought.

NP is correct as far as I'm concerned.  One of my best friends who I was in nursing school with in the ADN program just got her NP license, she's the one who nagged at me to finish my own education.  We dont work in the same facility, but unless she tells me otherwise, if we did run into each other on the job, I'd probably call her 'Donna'.