[Toughy]

I get my healthcare at the SF VA Medical Center. All of the staff (and I mean all...doctors, nurses, physical/occupational therapist, clerks at the clinics, etc) refer to patients as Ms ________ or Mr or Mrs or Miss. It makes me nuts cuz I am always looking around for my mother (who passed 20 years ago) when I hear Ms _________, How are you today?.

My primary care provider for the last 6 years is a nurse practitioner. I call her by her first name and always have. One day I asked her why she called me Ms _______ and her response was it is a sign of respect, plus it is hospital policy. I asked her to call me by my first name and she just cannot seem to do that. I on occasion will call her Nurse Practitioner __________ and that makes her laugh.

When I was active duty we all addressed each other by our rank except when hanging out or amongst our peers. Every place I worked as a civilian we all addressed each other by our first name/nickname.

I think the formality of how we address each other is certainly dependent on the job we do.