Learn To Say It Correctly!!

Nurses General Nursing

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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.

Specializes in Home Care, Hospice, OB.

I don't get bothered too much by lay people struggling with medical terms--heck, I can't have an intelligent conversation about, say, engineering, but since I'll never find myself at a construction site having an "Emergency" tensile strength test, my ignorance is unlikely to cause any personal problems for me.

[Although I did post on another thread my gagged backed laughter when a cardiac pt needed ntg for his "Terrible lady parts".]

But I have to agree that the worst is the oh-so-condesending "Sont-ah-meeters" in the us, it's "Sent-ah-meeters", in france it's "Sont-ah-met-tras".

Pick one!!

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Specializes in LPN, Peds, Public Health.

It drives me crazy when people add letters that shouldn't be there! For example, this just happened yesterday, a fellow nurse was talking about met-A-formin! Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't it metformin?? The sugar diabetes is a funny one too. Risper-A-dal instead of Risperdal. Soooo many come to mind but a lot of them have already been mentioned so I won't go into it all. I agree that medical professionals sound very unprofessional using the wrong terms. I wouldn't want a nurse working on me that said everything wrong!

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Specializes in SICU.

I am hip to the vernacular. As long as an individual is understood by most of the members of their audience, I would say there is no problem with their use of language. I say this because I am sure most of us (myself included) are guilty of picking up some nasty linguistic habits from those that surround us at work etc. Btw, Is it time to go na-night yet?

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Specializes in LTC, ER.
mom4josh said:
I know this is a regional thing, but "sherbert"... hello, there's only 1 "r" in sherbet (at least on the brand I buy).

We are a pathetic bunch, aren't we? LOL

Okay I learned something today! I have been guilty of saying "sherbert" my entire life. I had no idea.

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Specializes in LTC, ER.
cursenurse said:
Okay I learned something today! I have been guilty of saying "sherbert" my entire life. I had no idea.

Okay mom4josh, I found this at dictionary.com- now I don't feel as dumb.

American heritage dictionary - sher-bet (shûr'bĭt)

n.

  1. a frozen fruit-flavored mixture, similar to an ice, but with milk, egg white, or gelatin added.
  2. British. a drink made of sweetened fruit juice diluted with water and ice.
  3. a frozen fruit or vegetable purée, served either between courses to cleanse the palate or as a dessert.
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Specializes in LTC.
motorcycle mama said:
I'm picky, too. I can't stand it when people say real-A-tor. It's realtor. Real + tor. Not real + a + tor...

There's a national radio ad playing in my area now that says that. So sad.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

I've never heard anyone say stat when they meant sat, but I do hear "I'm orientating" a lot. ?

I don't hear it around here, but I see people on this board write "prolly". I'm thinking they mean probably? (which I pronounce probly).

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blueridgehomern said:

but i have to agree that the worst is the oh-so-condesending "sont-ah-meeters".:angryfire in the us, it's "sent-ah-meeters", in france it's "sont-ah-met-tras".

pick one!!

centimetre(s)

actually in french you do not pronounce the e or the s.

sort of along a different line. my mom says "undoubtedly" when she means apparently. it drives me crazy.

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Specializes in ER, ICU,.

OMG! This drives me nuts! AT first I ignored it, but now I Just say "Her What? what do you mean STAT?" LOL, I hate it!!

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Specializes in ER, ICU,.

My MIL says "WARSH" and WAL MARK!!!!!!! Oh and

"IDEAR" instead of "IDEA"

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Specializes in Telemetry, Oncology, Progressive Care.

I'm usually pretty good when it comes to proper grammar and many things I see in writing really get to me. Actually in writing it bothers me more than when I hear it cause I have to read the sentence more than once (sometimes) to get the meaning of what is being said.

I used to say amiodarone wrong. Said it wrong for well over a year until my colleagues corrected me. I'm sure I sounded like an idiot even saying it to a doctor. They actually gave me a speech lesson on the correct pronunciation. I had to say it about 10 times until I could finally say it correctly. To this day I still have to slow down when I am saying metoprolol or it will always come out wrong.

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Quote
I used to say amiodarone wrong. Said it wrong for well over a year until my colleagues corrected me. I'm sure I sounded like an idiot even saying it to a doctor. They actually gave me a speech lesson on the correct pronunciation. I had to say it about 10 times until I could finally say it correctly. To this day I still have to slow down when I am saying metoprolol or it will always come out wrong.

I have huge problems with those 2 words as well. Went into peds just so I don't have to say them as much!:p

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