Any other nurses have a baby voice?

DoeRN · Mar 15, 2013

No advice but I can kind of relate. I have a very strange hippyish name (thanks mom and dad) and I'm a float nurse at a big hospital. Every single time I work I get asked about my name. I have a nickname that I use that's easy to pronounce but staffing gives the floor my real name and of course they put it up on the erase boards. So when I come into the room and I tell the patient my nickname they always ask how do you pronounce my real name. I hate my real name with a passion.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

wanderlust99 · Mar 15, 2013

Not a baby voice but I'm soft spoken and sometimes my accent comes off strange to people. It's a mix of southern and sometimes can sound prissy. People always think I'm sweet from my voice but I'm really not so I guess that's an advantage.

I work with someone with a baby voice and I don't think twice about it. I think just owning it and being confident in yourself will help in the long run. Not much else to do ya know.

PalmHarborMom · Mar 15, 2013

Here's what I would say....

"Do you always sound like this?".......... Reply... "Only when I'm mad" said with a smile

"How do you sound when you get angry?"......... Reply........."Like a grizzly bear"

"Your voice is cute"........."Yours is not" (wouldn't do that one at work)

"Your voice is sexy"........."Just like the rest of me" (Also wouldn't so that one at work)

"You talk White"(which I'm not)....... "Really, so do you"

"Is that your REAL voice" ( no, I'm just pretending).... "Is that yours"

I have had people say weird things to me all of my life. Until about 4 years ago, I only weighted 100lbs and I'm 5'8. People would say the rudest things to me about my weight. Like, "Are you anorexic?", "You make me sick", "God, you're so skinny" (my favorite reply to that one... "And you are so NOT"), "Do you eat", "Do you have a disease that makes you skinny and is it contagious 'cause I want it" And the list goes on. Finally when I got close to 40, I gained enough weight that while still skinny not super skinny. It's a good thing. Not only can I buy clothes that fit but the older I got... the less understanding I was to rude comments.

SleeepyRN · Mar 15, 2013

I know exactly what you mean. People have mocked my voice my whole life, and now, some patients do too. The most annoying thing about it is that people do not take me seriously. I always have to PROVE myself. Not only do I sound babyish and sweet and nice, but I have the face that matches. It drives me NUTS when nurses and CNAs say to me, "oh, you're going to have a hard time with this resident, you're way too nice." Its insulting to my ability to be firm and set boundaries with patients. People are always very surprised when they see me in action with patients trying to test me. And I think "yes, I AM capable of not letting patients take advantage of me, thank you very much." I just hate constantly having to prove myself to everyone.

mclennan, BSN, RN · Mar 15, 2013

Baby voice here. My whole life. Yep. And I keep landing these careers that require a lot of phone work, I dunno why.

In my 20s I worked IT helpdesk. Every dang day someone would comment that I sounded like a little kid. Or I'd show up to fix their computer and they'd laugh, "I thought you were a kid on the phone!"

I wanted to be a lawyer until a lawyer friend said no way - you'll never be taken seriously in a courtroom with that cartoon voice of yours. And you know what, he was probably right.

I've developed a compensation mechanism by learning to speak very articulately and intellectually, with lots of big words and technical terminology. I learned public speaking skills that override my voice characteristics. Yes, world, I know I sound like Strawberry Shortcake, but I will articulate, pontificate and elucidate the living crap out of a presentation for any audience, fearlessly. I can also swear like a sailor and will win any belching contest against any teenage boy and don't even need soda to do it. My scream can break glass. So back off.

After 6 years of nursing I'm now in case management and it's 90% phone work. So far I've only had a couple of comments - mostly from sweet old people. "You sound just like a little girl!" That, I don't mind. What I do mind is when I call for a darn cab to the airport and the dispatcher ASKS TO TALK TO MY PARENTS. My stock answer is "well, they're both in pine boxes 6 feet under but I think I can get them on the Ouija board if you'll hold on." That usually shuts them up.

Develop good speaking skills and be tough, a baby voice can really be a secret weapon instead of a burden.

Kdrenee · Mar 15, 2013

Idk if I have a baby voice, but it is high pitched and soft. I've worked in daycares all my life and sometimes when I would be disciplining a child, they'd just laugh and not take me seriously because of my voice. You should hear me when I'm mad. My boyfriend and I hardly ever fight because he can't stay mad at me. He just laughs when I yell at him. It's very annoying.

Sometimes I'll try to make my voice sound deeper, but then I just sound silly. I also have a pretty southern accent (which I hate and try very hard not to use) so I sound even worse.

High pitched, soft, with a southern twang. Just great!!!! I'm sure I will have problems with it when I become a nurse. Oh well, I can give some pretty mean looks that could kill so maybe that will compensate for it.

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Mar 15, 2013

If this really bothers you, or you feel that it a limiting factor in your career, I suggest you seek out the assistance from a Speech Therapist. They can help you sound more "normal" - that's what they do.

Altra, BSN, RN · Mar 16, 2013

Agree with HouTx ... voice coaching is something you might consider.

BSNbeauty, BSN, RN · Mar 16, 2013

Thank you PalmHarborMom. I will keep this in my memory and use PRN. They are funny responses.

sharpeimom · Mar 16, 2013

I had a little girl voice until I consulted with a speech therapist. I was absolutely fed up with people asking if a parent were home or did my mommy know I was home alone. :banghead: Uh... my mommy lives 1000 miles from here!

When I went to the speech therapist, she suggested that I practice reading whatever I happened to be reading aloud and to concentrate on lowering my voice an octave. She said it would take practice and concentration at first, which it did, but that eventually it would become second nature. She said my eventual goal would be either two or three octaves, depending upon the situation.

Her other suggestion was to be careful that I didn't laugh like either Edith Bunker or Olive Oyl.

Vespertinas · Mar 16, 2013

I'm glad you posted this because a floor I frequently work on has a consulting doctor with a baby voice but we all have decided it's awfully annoying without considering that she can't help it or she might be struggling. She does make her presentation worse though by using ridiculous cutsey phrases like "eensy bit" and "okey dokey!"