Learn To Say It Correctly!!

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Doesn't it just drive you insane when someone tells you that Mr. Smith's O2 STAT is 96%?

It's O2 SAT people! Sat, short for saturation. I even hear respiratory therapists saying this. I am sooooo tempted to say something next time, but I know it's just petty, so I needed to vent here. Thank you.

Not sure if these two were mentioned yet. I made it through the first 50 pages of this thread and thought of two errors that make my head explode every single time:

"Pt. self-transfers herself." Isn't it enough to just say the patient transfers herself? Or that the patient self-transfers?

and

Dulcolax pronounced "doo-ko-laks" or "doo-ko" for short!

*kaBOOM*

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Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.

"Stats" is the one that drives the me the most crazy. "Orientated" is a close second.

Once saw a nurse in LTC that wanted to fax a message to a doctor that the pt was having purulent discharge from her g-tube site. The fax read that Mr. S was having "***** discharge" from the site. ***** equals pus with the letters "-sy" added to it. You can figure it out from there....I can't say that word let alone post it on this website.

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Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.

One more...

I read something similar in a reply early this thread:

Someone wrote on a piece of equiptment "Broke. Needs fixed." Now, I don't always use proper grammer (and if you have read my posts, know that I am worse at spelling than grammer). Anyway, I had to write on the sign: "-en" on the end of broken and "to be" between needs and fixed.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

You know that sometimes in the eye doctors office the tech blows a gas into your eye to measure intraocular pressure? Once had a patient C/O decreased vision. Never been to eye doctor. After exam he told her she had glaucoma. She got angry and said she never had blo-goma till that girl up front put it in her eye. Hard to argue with such logic.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

Not really on topic, but "Ronchi Scattered Throughout" really get's on my nerves when I read it in a patient's chart or hear it in report. Ronchi are only in the BRONCHI!!! They cannot be scattered throughout.

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Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.
ScottE said:
Not really on topic, but "Ronchi Scattered Throughout" really get's on my nerves when I read it in a patient's chart or hear it in report. Ronchi are only in the BRONCHI!!! They cannot be scattered throughout.

I once was told in report the pt had "bibasilar stridor."

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psu_213 said:
One more...

I read something similar in a reply early this thread:

Someone wrote on a piece of equiptment "Broke. Needs fixed." Now, I don't always use proper grammer (and if you have read my posts, know that I am worse at spelling than grammer). Anyway, I had to write on the sign: "-en" on the end of broken and "to be" between needs and fixed.

lolololol....fixing would also work.

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My biggest pet peeve is when you ask someone "How are you feeling", and they answer with "Good". That is WRONG! Good is a state of morality! On the flip-side, does that mean it could be possible for them to be feeling "Evil"?

Or, how about someone saying that they are "done" with a particular activity. WRONG! The proper word is "finished". For example: "I'm finished with this post. Take care, do good to those around you and you'll feel fine!"

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I have a coworker that does not even attempt to pronounce words correctly. And when I get frustrated and correct her, she brushes it off with a "Yeah, whatever." Really chaps me when she mutilates a patient's name. Even though we do not deal directly in patient care, it is still a respect thing for me.

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.
reruddock said:
My biggest pet peeve is when you ask someone "How are you feeling", and they answer with "Good". That is WRONG! Good is a state of morality! On the flip-side, does that mean it could be possible for them to be feeling "Evil"?

Or, how about someone saying that they are "done" with a particular activity. WRONG! The proper word is "finished". For example: "I'm finished with this post. Take care, do good to those around you and you'll feel fine!"

How about "For the first time, I feel..............WICKED!"

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queenjean said:
I know this is a vent thread, but....

We have a new nurse on our floor who says O2 stat instead of sat. I've tried to correct her by repeating it, like: Her: "The pt's o2 stat is 92% on room air." Me: "Oh, really? Yesterday I couldn't keep her SAT above 90 without a couple of liters of O2."

She's not getting it. It seems so awkward to interrupt her and say, "Hey, it's SAT, not stat." Why didn't her instructors correct her? I hate having to embarrass her like this. Is there any kind way to correct her? Or do I just have to say it? I'm thinking I just have to say it; I just don't want her to feel bad or self conscious. I guess there's nothing for it, unless any of you have a better idea (which I would be happy to hear!).

Most people would appreciate to be corrected. Especially, those whose English is not their first language. I think...go for it, tell her.

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My mom says MRSA "merser" .. drives me nuts.

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