Don't Call Me "Honey"

i am a 5 yr survivor. while i understand where you come from, i have also dealt with doctors and nurses talking to me about my diabetes.  because i cannot get it under control, they talk to me like i am a complete idiot, talking AT me, not TO me. i'd love it if they would have said honey or dear to me.  buh bye Kaiser, back to Health Net i go!

Thanks so much for your comment. I think we actually agree. My complaint was about the lack of respectful, courteous communicating a listening skills in the medical community, and the misuse of endearments was simply one example. You made my point—you also were treated without sensitivity, and people like you don't get help. I'm so sorry to hear of your experience.

So how can we insure that this doesn't happen to you again? How can we make our medical community, whom we admire and on whom our lives depend, develop better communication skills? Any ideas?

I agree to a certain extent, there are some times they sound a bit ridiculous but as long as they are seeing to my needs and respecting me in other ways, I tend to overlook those who call me honey, etc.  The reference to "we instead of me", I find more annoying.  I do think, though, that to those who really find it offensive, it is a perfectly good idea to make it known how you want to be addressed.  Being in ill health is hard enough to bear without having to put up with something that really does annoy you.

 

I was a CNA doing home health for quite awhile and I always got to know my patients before ever calling them something other than their actual name.  There were some elderly patients that actually liked to be called honey or dear, but I never did that unless I really knew them well. 

 

IT IS AN INTERESTING TOPIC FOR ALL TO THINK ABOUT.  THE FORM IDEA MIGHT VERY WELL BE A GREAT IDEA FOR SOME.