So, it's bad enough when people make obvious grammar/usage flaws in places like allnurses, blogs, etc. What I find both more entertaining and somewhat depressing is when I come across it at work. Our unit director is awful about homonyms, and it get embarrassing sometimes, when I wonder who else might notice her slip ups (i.e., someone who is not a lowly floor nurse).
My favorites that I've come across recently:
"Check at nurse's station before entering room"
"Unit Counsel"
And the one that I could barely restrain myself from asking her if it was a purposeful pun:
A binder with the label "Opportunity's for Learning"
So, anyone have any others that they have come across specifically in the workplace, for all the world to see?
"eyes and nose" for I/O. 'Kay... checking the eyes and nose every two hours! Say whaaaat? lol. And yes, that was WRITTEN in a pt's chart one time. :)
My peds instructor pronounced the word "SAHN-timeters" as well. Drove me batty! He was already a bit pompous without trying to sound more... intellectual? Upper crust? Crazy guy. =P
do you guys think that the u.s. school system is at fault?
when i was in high school, teachers were not really strict regarding proper spelling and grammar. they kept telling us try our best but otherwise it was acceptable. as a new immigrant in the 11th grade, i was amazed at how my classmates were using there/their/they're, its/it's, and your/you're, just to name a few, interchangibly. i used to tell my mother how americans do not know how to spell and speak their own language correctly.
just fyi, in the philippines, each grade has an english class from elementary to high school. so either you pass that english class or you will have to repeat that english and all other classes for that grade the next school year. so basically, 1st grade has its own english class then when you go on to 2nd grade it has an english class again, then another english class for the 3rd grade and another english class in subsequent grades until you graduate high school. i am not quite sure if it is the same way here since i did not even have an english class in the 11th grade and 12th grade.
i am not saying i do not make spelling or grammar mistakes but i always try my best to write or speak properly. plus, i can always use the "english is not my first language" excuse. so if you find mistakes on this post, i'll use that excuse.
anyway, i flinch when i read my don's memos because she herself uses "there" in place of "their".
NOT my shining moment, but I got the giggles at work the other day when a co-worker charted "Pt easily aroused. Husband at bedside."
Come on, people....it's "Pt easily roused." as in easily awakened from sleep.
A few years ago, I was doing training for EMTs, and we set up a scene with a non-responsive Pt. One of the trainees, with a great sense of humor, asked the "spouse," "When was the last time you were able to arouse your husband?" Without missing a beat, she replied, "Oh, it's been years, sonny."
That was pretty much the end of useful training for that evening, as everyone had the giggles for the rest of the session.
awokened. Woke up. Awoke. These drive me nuts. How hard is it to say something like:
The patient was awakened. I awakened from a nap.
Of course, I spell checked this posting twice :typing
Actually, "awakened" means someone/something caused the patient to wake up. e'g' "Awakened patient to give sleep medication".
If someone was asleep, and awoke spontaneously, we could chart, "After sleeping 2 hours, patient roused and asked for hs sedative. Then we'd darn well better give it, and chart the time it was given, (within 20 min. of request).
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taz628, BSN, RN
90 Posts
"eyes and nose" for I/O. 'Kay... checking the eyes and nose every two hours! Say whaaaat? lol. And yes, that was WRITTEN in a pt's chart one time. :)
My peds instructor pronounced the word "SAHN-timeters" as well. Drove me batty! He was already a bit pompous without trying to sound more... intellectual? Upper crust? Crazy guy. =P