Such a thought provoking post! I have a very difficult name to pronounce. My parents were immigrants from the Middle East. And then I also kept my husband's name. So my name is hyphenated. I feel that I am extremely sensitive to the need of making a sincere effort to pronounce names correctly. I know firsthand that it is hurtful when someone makes inappropriate comments such as "There is no way I can figure out this name". A more personal approach in my opinion is to ask the person, "I would like to pronounce your name correctly, Can you help me out"? It demonstrates compassion and interest in the person as a human being. Rather than labeling someone by their name it also shows that the individual has patience and is culturally competent.
Mae Qushair-Sakhel MSN BSN ADN RN
MQushair-Sakhel@westcoastuniversity.edu
mqushair@gmail.com
