Telling The Truth: A Nurse Who Stutters

[RN0310]

Hello All

I have a confession to make. I am a nurse who stammers. Most people may or may not know that I stammer because for years I have done thinks to cover it up. Like use fill in words for what I want to say. Use the "um" in between my phrases so that I wouldn't stammer over a word. Pretend that I can't pernounce the word and spell it out. Or talk in a lower tone so that people don't hear me stammer. Or just remain quite most of the time. This is something I have been battling since I was a child.

Before I started my nursing job I saw a speech therapist and he encouraged me to just tell people that I stutter and not be embarassed about it. Because I wanted to be the most effective communicator possible. He said the most important thing is that you communicate and take care of your patients. No one cares if you stammer over you words when you talk as long as you get your point across. It is so embarassing. I tend to go out in the hall and do my report because the nurses station is so crowded, and I don't want anyone to hear me stammer.

Or I don't explain report as well as I would like to for fear of stuttering across a word, but I write detailed nursing notes. I give the important life saving information, but it's not as smooth as I would like it to be. I am so embrassed to tell anyone because if they hear me stammer over a word, I will loose my self confidience that I have worked so hard to build. I am a good nurse, I just have a speech impediment.

What should I do. I have been seeing a speech therapist but because of my busy work schedule I have not been seeing him as frequently. But my goal is to set a aside at least one day a week to see him, so that I can keep my confidence up. What should I do? I fear that if I tell my Director of Nursing, she will fire me.

[Valdenise38]

I guess we have good days and bad..It seems as if my whole day is a disaster when I stutter in the morning...I too have trouble with certain letters of the alphabet...WOW....Somethings never change...

[Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN]

What should I do. I have been seeing a speech therapist but because of my busy work schedule I have not been seeing him as frequently. But my goal is to set a aside at least one day a week to see him, so that I can keep my confidence up. What should I do? I fear that if I tell my Director of Nursing, she will fire me.

First of all, if your DON fired you over something so trivial as a speech impediment, I'd say you'd be better off not working under that kind of management. Second, I don't think you have to tell her anything. It's none of her business. As long as you are providing good nursing care, your speech impediment has nothing to do with anything.

[Valdenise38]

Hello All

I have a confession to make. I am a nurse who stammers. Most people may or may not know that I stammer because for years I have done thinks to cover it up. Like use fill in words for what I want to say. Use the "um" in between my phrases so that I wouldn't stammer over a word. Pretend that I can't pernounce the word and spell it out. Or talk in a lower tone so that people don't hear me stammer. Or just remain quite most of the time. This is something I have been battling since I was a child.

Before I started my nursing job I saw a speech therapist and he encouraged me to just tell people that I stutter and not be embarassed about it. Because I wanted to be the most effective communicator possible. He said the most important thing is that you communicate and take care of your patients. No one cares if you stammer over you words when you talk as long as you get your point across. It is so embarassing. I tend to go out in the hall and do my report because the nurses station is so crowded, and I don't want anyone to hear me stammer.

Or I don't explain report as well as I would like to for fear of stuttering across a word, but I write detailed nursing notes. I give the important life saving information, but it's not as smooth as I would like it to be. I am so embrassed to tell anyone because if they hear me stammer over a word, I will loose my self confidience that I have worked so hard to build. I am a good nurse, I just have a speech impediment.

What should I do. I have been seeing a speech therapist but because of my busy work schedule I have not been seeing him as frequently. But my goal is to set a aside at least one day a week to see him, so that I can keep my confidence up. What should I do? I fear that if I tell my Director of Nursing, she will fire me.

All these years I let my stuttering keep me from pursuing my Nursing career/goal..It's a blessing to hear other nurses who have the same problem...How do you all handle when you have to name the patients name out load when being seen by the dr or who do you handle going into the room of a patient who has other family members in their that sometimes ask questions about the patient's care...Thank you

[Vespertinas]

I worked with a doctor who had a very noticeable stutter. He didn't have to explain himself and we accepted him as a valuable and personable staff member. I tend to think that everyone thinks like me so I want to say that I find it hard to believe that anybody nowadays would think less of you for having a stutter...but I know I should just speak for myself.

Reading over the responses it sounds like the insecurity arising from the problem is more debilitating than the problem itself! I'm glad to hear some of you have taken control!

[mustlovepoodles, RN]

Last year, my youngest son had a 24 minute seizure. When we carried him into the ER, he looked like he was dead. I never saw people leap into action like I did that night. Our nurse was fabulous, a really take-charge guy who managed to get my son to stop seizing and supported us 100% (we were understandably upset.) Oh, and he had Tourette's syndrome. He didn't tell me that, but it was obvious. He couldn't help making little coughs, whistles, and shouts. It was disconcerting for about 1 minute. After that, it was not big deal. All i wanted was someone to stop my son seizing and give him excellent care. Believe me, a nurse with a stammer (or full blown Tourette's) isn't even a blip on my radar.