How do I respond to a poorly written request to be a nursing student?

[BrentRN]

I am a faculty member who monitors a web page for additional information or comments. I usually just have to point someone to web page or answer a simple question. Today I got the following question from someone trying to get into our second degree program. I have pasted the message just as it came. The nursing school name has been deleted for their protection:

I PREVIOSLY ATTEDED NURSING SCHOOL AT **************, HOWEVER, DO TO PERSONAL PROBLEMS I WITHDREW AND SWITCHED TO PSYCHOLOGY. HOEVER MY PASSION TO BECOME A NURSE HAS PLUMETED OVER THE LAST YEAR. I CURRENTLY WORK AS A CNA AND LOVE WHAT I DO... WOULD MY PRIOR ATTENDACE TO NURSING SCHOOL AND SWITCHING TO PSYCHOLOGY EFFECT MY CHANCES OF GETTING ACCEPTED TO YOUR ABSN PROGRAM? i AM HIGLY MOTIVATED MORE THAN I EVER TO BECOME A NURSE.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry at such a poorly written e-mail. I would like to know if she ever had to write anything in English at her previous program.

My question is: I would never want someone who is this illiterate to even enter my program. I could just tell her she isn't qualified (and from her description she doesn't have a bachelors degree yet and would be ineligible). Should I comment on her lack of professional writing skills, just comment on her qualifications, or both?

[cherrybreeze, ADN, RN]

i'm not a lawyer, but i would also becareful posting things that would not be considered public record. depending on the op intentions, which i see as simply discussion, however harmless, could be bordering calumny?

cal-um-ny

   [kal-uhm-nee] show ipa

-noun, plural -nies. 1. a false and malicious statement designed to injure the reputation of someone or something: the speech was considered a calumny of the administration.

2. the act of uttering calumnies; slander; defamation.

seeing as we have no idea who the person is who wrote the email, where they live, what school they wish to attend........etc etc etc......no. the writer was not and has not been identified, so that argument is void.

since calumny is a noun, wouldn't it be "a calumny?" (just wondering.)

[cherrybreeze, ADN, RN]

On another note, I find it attractive when men know how to use proper punctuation, spelling and grammar. :)

This is a bit O/T (and a little long), but I found this statement hilarious, because I am the exact same way...I'll give you an example:

I am terminally, painfully single (ha). I'm not TOO unfortunate-looking or anything (at least I hope not ), I just find it very hard to meet guys (I'm too old now for the bar scene, and where I live, that's about all there is!). I briefly had a profile up on an internet dating site....I never got into it, and honestly, I think I wasn't in the mood to REALLY meet anyone (my last relationship left me pretty.......jaded). I never made the effort to make a first contact and didn't really apply to any emails I got. Anyway. What I couldn't help finding appalling was some of the emails I received....now, I'm not saying I'm perfect or that I don't make a mistake here and there when I type, but I DO pay attention to spelling, punctuation, grammar, etc (no matter what the circumstance: professional correspondence, instant messages, emails to friends or family, message-board posting...even when texting I often spell things out besides the very basic of "text-speak"; I'll use "LOL" and "IMO", but can't bring myself to type "C U L8R"). Even my sister thought that perhaps I shouldn't judge a guy based on what they wrote to me, but I couldn't help it; I couldn't get past some of the HORRIBLY composed messages (and my sister is the same way that I am about the writing, we get a kick out of finding typos in books, etc). Granted, I know it was only a dating site, but I think that when how/what you write is the first impression someone gets of you, you should take the time to do it properly!

An example: I am white, and got one message from a gentleman that was black (for the record, before anyone gets mad, I say that to illustrate the story; I do not care what race, etc, someone is, when deciding whether or not to date someone). The email he sent to me said this, and only this:

"you date black guys"

Huh? Is that, a question ("[Do] you date black guys?")? A statement ("You date black guys.")? An accusation ("You date black guys?!?!")? Obviously, I know what he MEANT, but I could not get past it. If that makes me judgmental, so be it, but IMO you DO form an opinion/impression of someone (and their intelligence) based on what/how they write. It's normal, and to me, can't be helped.

In the email posted in the OP, a similar impression applies. I didn't conclude that the person was not a native English-speaker, though (in fact, that didn't even occur to me). IMO, it just made the person making the inquiry appear...not very intelligent (the all-caps lends to that as well; even if your grasp of the LANGUAGE isn't very good, would you/should you still know it's not proper to type in all caps?).

Regardless of the situation (dating website vs. professional/scholastic communication ), poor use of grammar and punctuation and/or bad spelling indicates one of a few things: laziness (that the writer can't be bothered to take the time to pay attention to detail), not CARING what type of impression they make or how they appear, or again, just plain lack of intelligence.

As they say, "you never get a second chance to make a first impression." If you want people to take you seriously, you have to present yourself with care.

[tikilpn2]

BOTH...I can only imagine what that would sound like verbally...Not good OMG! Hopefully she is an international student who has not mastered english grammar or spelling...or maybe she was just being verrrry informal, or in a hurry..in one of the other post someone mentioned that you request she rewrite the request using a more formal approach...also inquire about having the proper credentials to be accepted into the program to begin with..

[Moogie]

Regardless of the situation (dating website vs. professional/scholastic communication ), poor use of grammar and punctuation and/or bad spelling indicates one of a few things: laziness (that the writer can't be bothered to take the time to pay attention to detail), not CARING what type of impression they make or how they appear, or again, just plain lack of intelligence.

As they say, "you never get a second chance to make a first impression." If you want people to take you seriously, you have to present yourself with care.

When I was doing online dating, I met a guy who told me his favorite book was "The De Vinchy Code". He seemed genuinely surprised when I turned him down for a date.

Sorry for the temporary derail, but this was too good not to share.

[cherrybreeze, ADN, RN]

When I was doing online dating, I met a guy who told me his favorite book was "The De Vinchy Code". He seemed genuinely surprised when I turned him down for a date.

Sorry for the temporary derail, but this was too good not to share.

LOL! That is hilarious; thanks for sharing, Moogie.

[wishiwereanurse, BSN, RN]

This must be from a foreign student. I would have to investigate this further. Probably suggest remedial English.

how easy it is to assume that the letter was written from a foreign student..when there are a lot of average Americans who write like this and can't even pronounce words correctly to save their life...This letter could've come from anyone....not just from a foreigner..

[Black Jade, BSN, RN]

Thanks cherrybreeze and Moogie. It's good to know that others share the same opinion when meeting guys. :) I didn't know if I was being judgmental, but it is definitely first impressions.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

i'm one of those (in)famous grammar-and-spelling police. i would like to say that i get my correction urges out of my system by serving as an editor, but in truth it just makes me alternately crankier and hysterical.

students: when i corrected one whose idea of a snappy rejoinder was, "i can always use spellcheck," i ask him or her (not "them"-- that's a plural, and "someone" is singular) (hell, see what i mean?) if that pen has a built-in spell-checker.

once i had a student from china who was an experienced midwife there but needed to pass us nursing school to practice where she lived. her math was excellent (that's another pet peeve of mine,but let's not digress). but her english was so bad that she could not teach her patient to use an inhaler or take medications with food; teaching is a basic, common nursing action. she was very intelligent, but she couldn't read or write in the charts, couldn't communicate verbally, and did very poorly on papers, care plans, and exams. i encouraged her to watch more english-language tv, read popular magazines (like time), and get out of the deeply ethnic neighborhood in which she lived to push herself in english. this she declined to do. i had no choice but to fail her, and it broke my heart. i think she would have been a tremendous asset to that neighborhood as a bilingual nurse...but how would she communicate with english-speaking resources if she wouldn't/couldn't learn/use english? if you want to graduate from nursing school, you have to meet the minimum requirements of nursing school.

students need to know that medical records are important, and using correct english in them is important, and handwriting is important. i review thousands of pages of records for my work. it's truly scary to see the errors in not only basic english (e.g., "the affect of the medication," "the patient had a cut on their hand") but also the medical words that may make an enormous difference in a lawsuit, a billing audit, or an inter-team communication.

you know what the ad says: if caring were enough, anyone could be a nurse. as to the wannabe-student in the op note, i would ask for a hand-written note with details about prior education. that will give you all the information you need about whether this student will be able to fulfill one of the most basic nursing functions, communication. if referral to the school's esl program or adaptive technology department is indicated, fine. but as it stands, with only that writing sample to go on, i'd say the chances for success were very poor.