Courtesy
By ingrid
@ridingbet (66854)
Philippines
March 11, 2018 9:59pm CST
Do you show courtesy even to persons who were once under your supervision?
I have been a clinical instructor since 2004 and I have already seen many graduate nurses who are my colleagues now. Several of them are already in the Nurse II positions in the tertiary hospital where I handled them. Some are medical doctors and they address me as “Ma’am”, “mother” or “Mommy”, and I am grateful for that.
In the ward where I am handling my students, one nurse is a former student of mine and she is a Nurse II. I greet her with a “ma’am, as she also greets me with the same address. Though sometimes, I call them with a “Anak” (son or daughter) or “Ineng”(young lady) or “Balong” (young man).
Saturday night, I accepted a friend request from an IMCU Nurse II, to which I informed him about my absence in the ward last Friday because I was sick. I called him “Sir”.
Somebody though told me that I should not address them as “Ma’am”, or ”Sir”, because I am older than them. But I said that it is not according to age, but the respect and probably their achievement that I should give courtesy to.
Do you do the same thing of showing courtesy?
Translation of the message:
IMCU nurse:
Ma'am I was off March 9. It is okay Ma'am, don't worry.
Sorry, Ma'am, it is only now that i replied.
Halla, are you okay now, Ma'am?
Me:Good morning Sir_ _ _! I feel better now. Hopefully, i can go on duty tomorrow. Thank you. Happy Sunday.
9 people like this
9 responses
@mydanods (6513)
• Nigeria
13 Mar 18
@ridingbet It can be discouraging for some to be sarcastic.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
13 Mar 18
that is the right thing to do. but sometimes showing respect that is not given wholeheartedly can be misconstrued as sarcasm, and i have dealt with that to some persons here
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
15 Mar 18
@mydanods even in our daily lives, some people are cynical.
1 person likes this
@mlgen1037 (29886)
• Manila, Philippines
12 Mar 18
Hi @ridingbet. I do, particularly when it comes to work. Showing courtesy indeed shows respect to someone, regardless of the age. It shows good manner and breeding as well. 
2 people like this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
13 Mar 18
yes that is why when we were still in our elementary years, we had a subject as GMRC, and this is to mold our personality
1 person likes this
@mlgen1037 (29886)
• Manila, Philippines
13 Mar 18
@ridingbet I agree. I think it is rare nowadays to find people who have good manners and breeding, add alone respect.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
15 Mar 18
@mlgen1037 that is why i somewhat find it rude of a son or a daughter does not address his/her mother/father as mom/dad.
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (58582)
• Philippines
12 Mar 18
I was raised up to treat everyone with kindness.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
13 Mar 18
that is what we always learn from our parents, that we have to give too to our children for the future generation.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (471500)
• Switzerland
13 Mar 18
@ridingbet I also disagree, there are people younger than me who are professional. To be polite is very important.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
13 Mar 18
true. that is also why i disagreed to this person who said that i should not call somebody as SIR or MA'AM if his/her age is lesser than mine, because they are younger than me.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
13 Mar 18
in formal letters or in emails, the manner of addressing is Madam, to which i would not like to be addressed as such. hahaha! and yes, courtesy and being polite is what i always tell my students to practice.
1 person likes this
@just4him (317041)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
13 Mar 18
@ridingbet I wouldn't want to be called that either. Here it's simply Ma'am, sir or Mr., Mrs.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
15 Mar 18
@just4him Madam is too high address. hahaha
1 person likes this
@Starmaiden (9311)
• Canada
12 Mar 18
Respect is a two way street. I give respect where it is shown regardless of position or status.
2 people like this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
13 Mar 18
i agree. being courteous, respectful, and polite have different connotations but they all boil down to one trait, accepting the existence of a person as a human being
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
13 Mar 18
yes, every human being should have the innate attitude to be polite, courteous and respectful of others, in thought, in word, and in deed
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
13 Mar 18
actually, we should address even those whose educational achievements or jobs are lower than us. i for one, sometimes address the institutional worker (IW) or janitor of the hospital as Sir.
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
13 Mar 18
definitely, that should be. even here, i sometimes call some as Sir or Ma'am, but i don't know if they accept that salutation or not, especially if i am older than them.
