Different Lingo Depending where you practice nursing

Nurses Relations

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Just got off the phone with a friend who is a nurse and she was telling me of her last shift. She was talking about K riders, where I work we call it potassium replacement. I hadn't heard about "endorsing" to the next shift until reading it on this forum. Is that something used in other countries or also in different parts of the US? We just "give report to the oncoming shift" We have "casual nurses" to mean those without benefits, some places have "PRN" or "per diem". Some units still have " head" nurses other have managers and/or charge nurses. Post other differences you have noticed in our field.

Specializes in ED; Med Surg.
Briefs, underwear, Pads, Depends, personal incontinence protection...never diaper

^^THIS^^

My Dad uses briefs...he said "they are DIAPERS". I said "BRIEFS". This went on ad nauseum but I still won't call them that. Too degrading.

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Specializes in ED; Med Surg.

I hate the term "Ward Clerk"...we don't have wards anymore, and they are not clerks. I know, I know...some people still call them clerks but the term has always bothered me. It seems to diminish the profession somehow.

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I know there is a lot of opposition to calling a diaper a diaper, but I try to empathize with the companies that manufacture diapers. To call them something they aren't would be degrading to the manufacturer. The manufacturer runs a dignified company and their dignity is something I have to respect. Too add to that, some patients say "change my diaper NOW, I don't want to wait for an aide!"

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The word Chux.

I just call them pads,but apparently Chux is the proper name?

I wrote about this before,but it wasn't until i left NJ that i realized nurses did not write "pt sleeping or sleep" in their notes.

Where i am from,everyone writes sleep or sleeping.

Now that i know the rationale i do not use "sleep" anymore.

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Where I work, any transparent dressing is a Tegaderm no matter what the brand.

And I heard it called an op site. (pronounced "awwp site"), we have PRN's, and saline locks

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Oh, and chux and/or blue pads. And draw sheets. 3 H enemas for soap suds enemas.

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
I wrote about this before,but it wasn't until i left NJ that i realized nurses did not write "pt sleeping or sleep" in their notes.

Where i am from,everyone writes sleep or sleeping.

Now that i know the rationale i do not use "sleep" anymore.

Pt quiet with eyes closed. Arouses to verbal stimuli (only when I'm mean and I wake them up "Hey! You alive?")

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
Where I live I've heard "primmie" or "primmip" more often than anything else. (Primiparous being pronounced with a soft rather than hard I in my locale)

I was spelling it phonetically, sort of, for the benefit of those who might not work in OB

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Specializes in Public Health, L&D, NICU.
Went to a conference where a doctor from the deep South pronounced gynecology (guy-na-cology) as "gin-a-cology." And that was her specialty, so I figure she was just pronouncing it like others from her locale.

Please feel free to correct me if I am wrong about that.

I'm from the Deep South, and have lived here my entire life (except for travel gigs) and I have NEVER heard it pronounced that way. Maybe she was eccentric.

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