Learn To Say It Correctly!!

[SheriLynnRN]

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.

[DeadHeadRN, BSN, RN]

I have many pet peeves with language as well. Excape instead of escape. ax instead of ask, and the most annoying one in my book is supposeBly. THERE IS NO B IN THAT WORD!!! As far as medical words go, I mostly hear drug names mispronounced. I work with one nurse who I take report from quite often. She's funny because she knows she mispronounces everything and after every word she says wrong she says "Sorry! You know what I'm trying to say?"

My microbiology professor was the worst. He loved the word phenomenal, except he couldn't say it. And he used in EVERY class at least 2 or 3 times. He used to say "pheMOMinal." Oh it used to drive me NUTS!

[Atheos]

When I first started working as LVN, my co-worker always used the word "orientated". It's the first time I've heard of that word and I thought the word existed. I knew that she was using the wrong word but since she speaks fluent English than me, I thought that there was "orientated" in the dictionary.

Orient and Orientate are both acceptable words. They are both proper and the use usually just depends on where one is from.

A long time ago, when people still differentiated between formal and informal speech (like they do in Spanish) orient was the 'formal' version and orientate was the 'informal' version. Since we no longer follow the formal/informal system both words are correct.

[UND1981]

I am with you guys - my biggie is prostrate vs prostate. Like that guy has a tumor of the prostrate - does he have this only when lying flat?

Or graft when they mean graph - as in, "did you see the vital signs graft?"

I agree that general public can't be held accountable for all the difficult pronunciations, but health care workers ought to get it right!

[Scooter321]

My EMT instructor really knew his stuff but when it came to pronunciation--oh my! Apparently we each have a phar-NYX, not to be confused with the lar-NYX. Oh, and food makes its way through the system via the elementary canal (the mental image of this one always makes me smile). He had others, but they eks-cape me right now.

My otherwise-brilliant OB/GYN client (I'm a medical transcriptionist) :typing has a few foibles of his own too. A decent biophysical profile is "support-it-ive" of fetal wellbeing, according to him, and is often "productive of a live-born infant, weighing 3456 pounds" Ouch! I'm gonna just go ahead and assume you mean grams, doc, if that's okay with you.

:yldhdbng:

[Effie, RN]

omg, i can't remember when i have laughed/identified so much with so many postings! i've been with the grammar police since i was in grade school...my mom was an english teacher so i come by it naturally. everything that's been posted as a pet peeve is something that's annoyed me at one time or another! for anyone on facebook, i highly recommend the there/their/they're quiz, though of course everyone here will likely score 100%. :chuckle

happy new year to all on allnurses. we rock! :smiley_aa:smiley_aa:smiley_aa:smiley_aa:smiley_aa:smiley_aa

[inland18mempire]

I work with a nurse that says "orienTAted". It is so darn funny! We all giggle. We asked her why she says orientated and not oriented, and she says she has been saying it for years and she's too old to change it now. She was talking to a doctor the other day and said orientated. The doc said "Ok, but is the patient oriented?" She said "yes, the patient is orientated." The doctor said, "the patient is orientated and oriented? The nurse: "yes."

[kermitlady]

Hear's a funny one! In Indiana, a mango is a green pepper! pronounced w/ the breve for "a" sue

Umm.....no, it is not!

Now, bell peppers can be red, orange, green or yellow. I honestly don't know the correct term for them; I've always called them bell peppers. And they're a vegetable.

A mango is a mango and it's a fruit.

[ECKPowers]

My idjit husband says " supposably". Instead of supposedly. It drives me NUTS! I will probably put " It's supposedly moron" on his tombstone! LOL

[Otessa, BSN, RN]

I have to be honest as a CNA in a nursing home giveing GoLytely to a patient for the first time.... I called it "golli-telly" I didn't understand the "go lightly" or "go (electro)lytes" situation. The only thing I knew was that I needed a commode next to the bed and running shoes on!

otessa

[Otessa, BSN, RN]

Umm.....no, it is not!

Now, bell peppers can be red, orange, green or yellow. I honestly don't know the correct term for them; I've always called them bell peppers. And they're a vegetable.

A mango is a mango and it's a fruit.

I'm with you-from the midwest and a pepper is a pepper and a mango is a mango!

otessa

[Otessa, BSN, RN]

I had a new nurse that called a Foley a 'foily'. During report you couldn't help but giggle a little to yourself. We did correct her but she kept on saying it-we gave up!

otessa

[lwd338]

We have a transporter that is very high functioning downs syndrome girl. She comes to the unit asking for Mrs. GGGG and I ask her (on purpose cause I love to hear her say it) "were are you takeing her" and she says "carliology" I say where?? and she always repeats it "carliology" (cardiology )so cute!!!