Skip to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.
allnurses

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.
Discussion

It's etc and not ect!

  • Expert

Did you ever notice that people (allnurses members, e.g.) will write "ect" when they mean "etc"?

Et cetera, abbreviated to etc. is a Latin expression used in English to mean "and other things", or "and so forth". Translated literally from Latin, et means 'and', while cetera means 'the rest'; thus the expression means 'and the rest (of such things)'.

Whereas "ect"...

1767546151_etcnotect.png.341974907e84538362ccb8022bfa79e0.png

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), often referred to as shock treatment, is a psychiatric treatment in which seizures are electrically induced in patients to provide relief from mental disorders.

Big difference.

  • Quote

    • Featured Replies

    Davey, just FYI - some computer 'spellchecker' applications will read ECT as an error automatically and correct it to ETC.

    Another frequent one is the auto conversion of CNA (the nurse aide) to CAN. That one used to drive me nuts.

  • Quote
    • Author
    • Expert
    Davey, just FYI - some computer 'spellchecker' applications will read ECT as an error automatically and correct it to ETC.

    So if someone wants an ECT they're just going to get an et cetera abbreviation?

    That really singes my shorts!

    Another frequent one is the auto conversion of CNA (the nurse aide) to CAN. That one used to drive me nuts.

    I can understand your frustration, amoLucia!

    Because if you wanted to CAN a CNA, you would only be doing a a high-energy, physically demanding dance that became a popular music hall dance in the 1840s known as the CAN CAN!

  • Quote
    • Author
    • Expert

    Like etc, most medical abbreviations come from the Latin. Which reminds me of something that happened on an episode of Gilligan's Island:

    An undersea telephone cable had washed on the island. The Professor tapped into it (probably by using coconuts), was able to listen to transmissions and heard a non-English speaking voice. The Skipper asked, "Does anyone know any foreign language?" The Professor replied, "I know Latin!" And Mr. Howell said, "That's great! If we reach a Pharmacist!"

    Anyway, as I was saying, most medical abbreviations come from the Latin. We use to use them all the time, but I guess a lot of mistakes were being made in the translation.

    According to one of my journals from 2004, Wrongway Regional Medical Center cut down on the use of Latin abbreviations. For example (e.g.), we were to no longer use the abbreviation O.D.

    O.D. could be interpreted as "once a day" (omne in die) or "right eye" (oculus dexter).

    I can see how that could be a problem.

    This is an edited cartoon from my journal dated 7.3.04:

    [ATTACH=CONFIG]27688[/ATTACH]

  • Quote

    People who use 'ect' instead of 'etc' should loose their licenses...

  • Quote
    • Author
    • Expert
    People who use 'ect' instead of 'etc' should loose their licenses...

    [ATTACH=CONFIG]27692[/ATTACH]

  • Quote
    • Expert
    Like etc, most medical abbreviations come from the Latin. Which reminds me of something that happened on an episode of Gilligan's Island:

    An undersea telephone cable had washed on the island. The Professor tapped into it (probably by using coconuts), was able to listen to transmissions and heard a non-English speaking voice. The Skipper asked, "Does anyone know any foreign language?" The Professor replied, "I know Latin!" And Mr. Howell said, "That's great! If we reach a Pharmacist!"

    Anyway, as I was saying, most medical abbreviations come from the Latin. We use to use them all the time, but I guess a lot of mistakes were being made in the translation.

    According to one of my journals from 2004, Wrongway Regional Medical Center cut down on the use of Latin abbreviations. For example (e.g.), we were to no longer use the abbreviation O.D.

    O.D. could be interpreted as "once a day" (omne in die) or "right eye" (oculus dexter).

    I can see how that could be a problem.

    This is an edited cartoon from my journal dated 7.3.04:

    [ATTACH=CONFIG]27688[/ATTACH]

    I'm sure the Professor and Mary Ann had a thing going.

    The real reason O.D. was stopped is because everyone was confusing it with OldDude.

  • Quote

    So sad!

    They eventually said "qd" and "gtts" and most of the rest of it was "confusing" too. It was all so much more romantic written the old way!

    I'll tell you who should loose their licenses - - people who do away with all the good stuff. Those darn changeophiles. [Translation: "one that loves, likes, or is attracted to change"]

  • Quote
    • Author
    • Expert
    The real reason O.D. was stopped is because everyone was confusing it with OldDude.

    [ATTACH=CONFIG]27715[/ATTACH]

  • Quote
    People who use 'ect' instead of 'etc' should loose their licenses...

    Yes they should cuz they have probably had too many ECT

  • Quote
    So sad!

    They eventually said "qd" and "gtts" and most of the rest of it was "confusing" too. It was all so much more romantic written the old way!

    I'll tell you who should loose their licenses - - people who do away with all the good stuff. Those darn changeophiles. [Translation: "one that loves, likes, or is attracted to change"]

    I agree, we went from longhand to shorthand back to longhand.

    Yes, fire those changeophiles!

  • Quote
    • Author
    • Expert
    So sad!

    They eventually said "qd" and "gtts" and most of the rest of it was "confusing" too. It was all so much more romantic written the old way!

    However, we can still use those romantic abbreviations in our own personal notes, e.g. shift report.

    I use some of my own abbreviations and symbols. Speaking of change, if a patient that I know well has no change, I use a Delta sign and glyph:

    [ATTACH=CONFIG]27759[/ATTACH]

  • Quote
    However, we can still use those romantic abbreviations in our own personal notes, e.g. shift report.

    I use some of my own abbreviations and symbols. Speaking of change, if a patient that I know well has no change, I use a Delta sign and glyph:

    [ATTACH=CONFIG]27759[/ATTACH]

    And if a patient insists they on a mission to collect three magical artifacts so they can outsmart Death, I use this:

    [ATTACH=CONFIG]27809[/ATTACH]

    You wouldn't want to confuse those two symbols! Maybe we should retire both?

  • Quote

    • Join the conversation

    You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

    Guest
    Add a Comment
    Go to topic listing

    Currently Reading 0

    • No registered users viewing this page.

    Account

    Navigation

    Search

    Search

    Configure browser push notifications
    Chrome (Android)
    1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
    2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
    3. Adjust your preference.
    Chrome (Desktop)
    1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
    2. Select Site settings.
    3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.