Can you be a nurse if....

MissJulie · Oct 3, 2010

I have a good friend that has some speach issues, as well as some mild learning disabilities, that has always done well in school and otherwise. However, she is not going into the medical field, per say, as she is currently working on her Masters in psychology. She plans to specialize in children with learning disabilites, because she fully understands their strugles.

What I'm saying is, if you want to become a nurse, then do everything in your power to do so. Something like this shouldn't stop you, so please don't let it. Personally, I think you should use this to your advantage and work with people who may be experiencing the same issues. :)

Pimpushka · Oct 3, 2010

Hey llaura!

Your post reminded me of the way I felt when I began my first semester in college. I moved to US three years ago from Poland, and at the beginning English language seemed to be a big barrier! I felt so awkward and miserable because of my lack of vocabulary and bad grammar. I remember that I questioned myself- "I want to be a nurse? How my patients and coworkers are ever going to be able to understand me?!"Even though I was able to overcome this difficulties I still pronounce certain words with a strong East European accent. But you know what? I am not shy about it anymore! Even though I know that I may mess up pronunciation, I always try to speak out loud and clear enough for others to understand me, and I do it with confidence. I know that your situation is different. I hope that maybe there is a certain therapy that will be able to help you. Don't beat yourself up, and go for it if you really like nursing! Have more confidence and if you won't make a big deal out of your speech issue than others won't neither notice nor care! Good luck to you!

llaura · Oct 3, 2010

Llaura, please do not let this stop you. If it is your wish to be a nurse, and if you are aware of the time commitment and the strength it takes to get through nursing school, DO NOT LET THIS GET IN YOUR WAY. Have you seen a speech pathologist about it? I work with a nurse who has a speech impediment. She is one of the strongest nurses I work with and I love having her there. She is simply brilliant. Her personality and her assertiveness make her speech impediment non-existent.
Go for your dream, honey. Don't let this stop you. I will tell you why:
My baby brother had a speech issue as well, and could not pronounce some words. Since my mother passed away when he was 10, I raised him. I took him to a speech pathologist at a great university in my area when he was 12. He learned to pronounce words correctly, although it took about a year and a lot of coaching and lots of frustration on his part. After he gained some confidence, I took him out to mingle with people his own age so that he could "try out" his teachings. He was completely terrified that the other kids would make fun of him.
He is now graduating from Yale this December and is going on to Stanford to get his Med/Law School degree. Yes, the brilliant baby brother is getting his med school and his law school degree at the same time. (Can we say HELLO TUITION???) And an added surprise: he is the speaker for the Yale Political Union.
The point of my musings is that you CAN rise above it. I am not saying that it will be an easy venture for you. But I understand that along with the speech issue that you have comes with it the "shyness" of being around people who don't know you and the utter fear of conversation that you must experience. I know that. But if you can get some coaching from a speech pathologist, you will overcome that and you will gain some confidence.
Where are you in your studies now?
I urge you to get some feedback from a speech pathologist. This is something that you CAN overcome.

Wow, that was really inspiring! I would like to see a speech pathologist sometime because i do feel like my speech can possibly be improved. Right now i am in HS. Would it be a good idea to wait to see a speech pathologist when i get to college? I feel a LOT better right now! Thanks everyone! :lol2:

Bandaide, ASN · Oct 3, 2010

Go see a speech therapist now. Then, when you get to college, the problem may be behind you and you can move on to the next stage without thinking about it. Also, if you are in a public high school, the service may very well be paid for by the school. Go see your school councilor and ask about what is available to you.

My current nursing instructor has some speech issues which sound like they are about like yours. She has worked as a nurse for decades and has gone on to graduate school in nursing. She didn't let it hold her back, and you shouldn't either.

canesdukegirl, BSN, RN · Oct 3, 2010

I would go ahead and set up an appointment with a speech pathologist. What do your parents think? Are they supportive of this? I think it would be a great idea for you to do this now instead of waiting until you get to college.

BluegrassRN · Oct 3, 2010

First off, i wasn't really sure where to put this question so sorry if this is the wrong place:uhoh3:.
Anyways i am extremely worried. I REALLY want to be a nurse but there is 1 thing getting in the way. I have a speech issue. I have had it since i was born. I have trouble pronouncing some sound and i just don't know if i will ever have ANY job. I just feel pathetic. My older brother is going to pharmacy next year and my older sister is going to Med school in 2 years and i don not know where i will be. Any advice would be nice...

I work with some nurses who are not native English speakers and have a very thick accent as well as grammar issues with their speech. No one questions their ability to be a nurse. If you can generally be understood most of the time, I wouldn't think that anyone would think twice about it. If you really struggle to be understood in every conversation, I think you should see a speech pathologist, work on your pronunciation, and then go ahead and go to nursing school, if that is what you wish to do.

I think patients appreciate having all sorts of nurses in the field; the diversity of race, religion, socioeconomics, educational backgrounds, gender, and physical differences enriches our profession. As long as you are a good nurse, whether you stutter, mispronounce words, walk with a limp, wears thick glasses (I'll raise my hand here), whatever, we would welcome you into our ranks.

dudette10, MSN, RN · Oct 3, 2010

Well, I can communicate but sometimes my sounds are just wrong. For example i can't really pronounce the letter "Z" and the sound "Ch". I just feel ashamed sometimes because of it. I just want to be normal..

If this is the extent of it, go for it. You're talking about pronunciation, not a communication issue. You will run into soooo many nurses from various ethnic backgrounds and countries who have accents. If their native language does not have a sound that is spoken in English, they too have pronunciation issues, but they make fine nurses.

Good luck!

llaura · Oct 3, 2010

I would go ahead and set up an appointment with a speech pathologist. What do your parents think? Are they supportive of this? I think it would be a great idea for you to do this now instead of waiting until you get to college.

My parents act like it doesn't exist. I don't think they would be supportive of professional help. And if i do get help during school people are probably going to make fun of me. At my HS people are really mean so i don't really know if i can see a speech pathologist now.:grn:

llaura · Oct 3, 2010

And BTW i am going to go to nursing school and be a nurse regardless. My mom thinks i would make a great nurse and she always encourages me so i don't want to throw that away. I just don't want people to look down on me b/c of my speech. One year,during parent/teacher conference, my teacher suggested that i should be in special ed because of my speech. I just don't want that kind of thing to happen again. I get great grades and i couldn't believe my teacher had said that. I guess speech is really important. I don't want to let it get in my way though.

Sun0408, ASN, RN · Oct 3, 2010

I think I am very normal but there are plenty of words my mouth just can not say right.. Some are very common words like WAR, SALT, CONSCIENCE etc.. Trust me, I have a time with some of the generic drug names.. I ask, or I have spelled them out for the MD while over the phone.. They know me and they are fine with it.. I am sure they get a kick out of it just as much as I do.. We are not all perfect. I have to laugh at myself sometimes too.. I know how to do my job and be the best I can be for my pts, we communicate just fine.. One of the other nurses on my floor has had a stroke and her speech is a little off because of it, but she does well also.. And yes, there are a few foreign nurses and MD's on the floor also, we all manage very well... Don't let this stop you if this is what you want to do with your life..

anon456, BSN, RN · Oct 3, 2010

I have been very inspired by one of my instructors. She has a learning disability that involves the pronunciation of some sounds and also her spelling is affected. However she is very bright, a good teacher, and an excellent nurse of 20+ years. I'm sure if there's a will there's a way.

BluegrassRN · Oct 3, 2010

My parents act like it doesn't exist. I don't think they would be supportive of professional help. And if i do get help during school people are probably going to make fun of me. At my HS people are really mean so i don't really know if i can see a speech pathologist now.:grn:

School districts often have speech pathologists within the district, and it is typically free to the student. You should check this out. If you bypass this opportunity because you worry that others might laugh or make fun of you, you are letting them control not only your present but also your future.