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.

Specializes in Medical.

Lizzy, there are days I'm not even monolingual! I can't speak for nursing as a whole, of course, but I have no problem with accents or some language issues. Most of the comments on this thread are about people who mangle terminology in a way that makes it seem as though they have no idea what they're talking about. If you say "oxygen sTat" then you don't understant that "oxygen sat" is short for "saturation" and that it therefore measures the amount of oxygen saturating the patient's red blood cells. I think you'll be fine :)

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Specializes in IMCU.
OMG! you guys are making me nervous! I am planning on going to nursing school and English is like my third language. I kind of have an accent and I am about medium fluent in English. Do you guys give sympathy to "English as a second language or third" people? :)

We have huge respect for people who are operating in a new language, don't worry.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Cardiac Cath Lab.

One of my colleagues calls Valium "val-ee-oom". It drives me crazy! :D

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Specializes in LTC.
OMG! you guys are making me nervous! I am planning on going to nursing school and English is like my third language. I kind of have an accent and I am about medium fluent in English. Do you guys give sympathy to "English as a second language or third" people? :)

Absolutely, sweetie! Whenever I encounter people from other countries and they apologize for their English I always tell them "Well it's better than my Spanish, Arabic, Greek, or whatever."

My problems are with people who have been speaking English most of their lives and still have very bad grammar. :lol2:

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"Lizzy, there are days I'm not even monolingual! I can't speak for nursing as a whole, of course, but I have no problem with accents or some language issues. Most of the comments on this thread are about people who mangle terminology in a way that makes it seem as though they have no idea what they're talking about. If you say "oxygen sTat" then you don't understant that "oxygen sat" is short for "saturation" and that it therefore measures the amount of oxygen saturating the patient's red blood cells. I think you'll be fine :) "

"We have huge respect for people who are operating in a new language, don't worry."

" Absolutely, sweetie! Whenever I encounter people from other countries and they apologize for their English I always tell them "Well it's better than my Spanish, Arabic, Greek, or whatever."

My problems are with people who have been speaking English most of their lives and still have very bad grammar. :lol2: "

Thanks guys, you are so sweet :hug:. I'll try to speak to the best of my abilities and learn all those hard medical words. I understand that misspelling or saying wrong (even a letter) a medical word can result in serious mistakes that may cost the patient's life :(:nono: or the nurse's pride :p

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Specializes in ICU, ER.

I'm slightly :cool: OCD and there are billions of things that annoy the crap out of me, but "O2 stat" (or worse yet, "statting") is a big one!

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this isn't a term limited to the medical field, but i can not stand when people say irregardless!! when that word comes out, i just can't help but feel like my image of who just said it is now tainted because that word screams ignorance to me, even when i know they are intelligent people, it just kills whatever they are trying to say.

it's a double negative, and when you think about it it just sounds off anyway so you don't have to be a grammer champ to be able to figure that one out. what do people think regardless means then?

and i am with the posters with the no/know, too/to waste/waist and so on, and apostrophies in the right place. i once worked in an office setting and a coworker was putting up decorations on a bulletin board that said "happy holiday's" in huge letters. she was so proud of how nice it looked and asked what i thought. i had to tell her there is no apostrophe in holidays and explain why, she was clueless but glad i told her before the whole place saw her work.

hahahaha! my husband says this when i correct him on his grammar. he knows it's not a word, but he says it just to irritate me more. lol

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Specializes in ICU, ER.
Hahahaha! My husband says this when I correct him on his grammar. He knows it's not a word, but he says it just to irritate me more. LOL

Oh my sweet Lord, I think this is the one that bugs me the most. That and "yous" which is popular around here for some unkown reason. Glad "yous" guys understand me! :redbeathe

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Specializes in OB, PSYCH ER, MED ER, PSYCH/MEDICAL.

Originally Posted by SoCalHeart:This isn't a term limited to the medical field, but I can NOT stand when people say irregardless!!

Yuck, I, too, cringe hearing someone use that word. It's essentially a neologism.

Admittedly a grammar nazi, another of my pet peeves is misuse of lie, lay, lain.

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Originally Posted by SoCalHeart:This isn't a term limited to the medical field, but I can NOT stand when people say irregardless!!

Yuck, I, too, cringe hearing someone use that word. It's essentially a neologism.

Admittedly a grammar nazi, another of my pet peeves is misuse of lie, lay, lain.

Also, sit and set. I also can't stand it when people use alot. It's obviously got a little red squiggly line under it!! Alot is two words! A LOT!

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Specializes in Medical.
Also, sit and set. I also can't stand it when people use alot. It's obviously got a little red squiggly line under it!! Alot is two words! A LOT!
You might like this post, cicatrixx :) http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you-at-everything.html
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Specializes in IMCU.

That is bloody funny!

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