Mispronouncing a word makes you less of a nurse

[Unique87]

I was in open lab practicing things from my lab the day before. I was talking to a classmate and I mentioned the word larynx but I pronounced it wrong. It's a new word for me so I'm not going to be perfect at pronouncing it. The professor there noticed I pronounced it wrong and corrected me. Then he went on to give me an example of if I were a nurse and he brought his kid to me and I mispronounced a word to him I would be little less of a nurse. In the sense that I was not as competent as a nurse who could pronounced words correctly. He understood that it shouldn't make you less of a nurse but to him it does. I know it's just his opinion and opinions are like mouths everyone has one. I just didn't like the comment nor did I expect this from him. What do you guys think?

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

I think there are always bad apples. I can honestly say as a pre teen/ teen I felt I had TONS of mean teachers that I did not get along with and they were so unfair. Funny enough though, as an adult and taking all my college classes as an adult, I have only encountered 1 professor that was out of line in so many ways. The rest were good teachers, some not as friendly as others but all fair and good teachers. So looking back in my younger years I can honestly see how many a lot of those "bad" teachers were more so tired of dealing with an unruly student.

Not all, because also looking back some of the things said and done were totally inappropriate but I would bet it's a much smaller % than I originally felt.

I have heard lots of students complain and totally put down the teachers I had no poblems with and they felt they were unfair so I guess in the end it's all a matter of perception and I think a little bit might have to do with maturity as well.

[cruisin_woodward]

Well I think he could have said it in a better way! The point is, that we are professionals, so we should sound as educated as we are...obviously, an foreign dialect is different. I guess it is a pet peeve of mine..."prostRate", "alert and orienTATed", "pulses are papaTEABLE"....the last two are not even words! It's just my pet peeve, along with incorrectly using "to, two, and too!

[tvccrn, ASN, RN]

I don't have any problem with nurses who misprounce words. Heck, I'm from the South and I do it quite often according to my northern co-workers.

My biggest problem is with nurses who misspell simple words in their charting. We are fighting to be considered a profession, yet looking at some charts makes me wonder about the basic education of some. I'm not talking about on boards such as this, or in emails, etc. I mean in the legal medical record of patients. If they ever go to court and they consistently misspell words such as clothes, breathe/breath or there/their/they're, it decreases their credibility

[Baloney Amputation, BSN, LPN, RN]

Well I think he could have said it in a better way! The point is, that we are professionals, so we should sound as educated as we are...obviously, an foreign dialect is different. I guess it is a pet peeve of mine..."prostRate", "alert and orienTATed", "pulses are papaTEABLE"....the last two are not even words! It's just my pet peeve, along with incorrectly using "to, two, and too!

Are you talking about orientated not being a word? It is a valid word.

[Atheos]

Indeed orientate IS a valid word.

My pet peeve is all the people talking about valid English and then using orientate as an example of invalid English.

[flightnurse2b, LPN]

i've been a patient many a time and i would only hope that the nurse taking care of me can corrently pronounce the medications they are giving me and the condition they are giving the med to me for.

when i went in for my physical and i told the CMA that i was pregnant and having ligament pain, she said to me "maybe you have an ATOPICAL pregnancy". i was like hmmm... right.

i went to nursing school with a girl who could not pronounce her medications properly and actually ended up with a patient in the hospital who was a retired nurse (this was our LAST semester, too). the pt dumped out her med cup and said "now i want you to tell me what this is and what it's for, and then i'll take it". she got so stuck on acetaminophen that she actually spelled it out.... the pt requested a different student or no student at all.

and after my dad has his colonoscopy, apparently the doctor's nurse/assistant was new and unfamiliar with GI, because she called with the pathology of his "PULL - UPS". i actually had her fax me the report because she was so hard to understand.... and it was kinda upsetting to me. if i didn't have medical knowledge, i'd be wondering what "pull -ups" were.

it irks me when i hear nurses say phenergran, caterpres, and metolprolol.

this is our profession and we want people to respect us... so why not look it up if you aren't sure of how to pronounce it? it will make you look like you are on top of your game.

i don't think that the instructor meant you would be less of a nurse. he meant that it would make the pt think less of you, and he might be right. if a nurse came to me and mispronounced something that they really should know how to say, it would make me think they didn't really know what they were doing.

sorry.

i just think it's necessary for us to know what we're talking about and how to say it.

[meluhn]

Are you talking about orientated not being a word? It is a valid word.

Orientated is a real word but people use it incorrectly all the time and it burns my ears.

example:

Incorrect: The patient is alert and orientated.

This implies that the patient has been through some type of orientation process.

Correct: The patient is alert and oriented X 3.

This means that the pt is alert to name, place and time.

Correct use of the word orientated: Have you orientated on 4 north? Why yes I have orientated on 4 north, thank you very much.

PLEASE GET IT RIGHT PEOPLE!!! IT SOUNDS SO DUMB WHEN USED THE WRONG WAY.

[Atheos]

orientate

v orientate

1 to get (oneself) used to unfamiliar surroundings, conditions etc.

2 to find out one's position in relation to something else The hikers tried to orientate themselves before continuing their walk.

Sorry, orientate and orient can be used interchangeably.

You are oriented to time, place, etc. You are orientated to time, place, etc.

You reorient yourself or you reorientate yourself.

Both correct.

Orient is found in the US more often whereas orientate is found in the UK more often.

ETA:

There are many sites on the web, including a so-called 'linguist' site, that claim orientate is wrong. They are wrong. As a former linguist myself I can tell you personally that most non-American english speakers indeed use orientate.

[leslie :-D]

He understood that it shouldn't make you less of a nurse but to him it does.

my goodness.

it seems the instructor acknowledged 'it shouldn't be', but to him, it was.

in other words, he certainly didn't sound like an insensitive brute.

op, if you are struggling with the concept of an instructor trying to instruct...

then real life as a nurse is going to destroy you.

how are you going to handle truly stinging insults and attacks from coworkers, pts/families, md's et al?

criticism is/can be an invaluable learning tool.

when i am criticized, rather than focus on how it was said, i consider what was said.

you are paying $$ in learning how to become a professional nurse.

i strongly suggest you thank your instructor, for wanting you to be the best you can be.

as for what he said?

he is spot on.

wishing you the best.

leslie

[meluhn]

orientate

v orientate

1 to get (oneself) used to unfamiliar surroundings, conditions etc.

2 to find out one's position in relation to something else The hikers tried to orientate themselves before continuing their walk.

Sorry, orientate and orient can be used interchangeably.

You are oriented to time, place, etc. You are orientated to time, place, etc.

You reorient yourself or you reorientate yourself.

Both correct.

Orient is found in the US more often whereas orientate is found in the UK more often.

ETA:

There are many sites on the web, including a so-called 'linguist' site, that claim orientate is wrong. They are wrong. As a former linguist myself I can tell you personally that most non-American english speakers indeed use orientate.

Maybe that is why it sounds so hideous to our ears. This was my understanding:oriented

adjectiveadjusted or located in relation to surroundings or circumstances; sometimes used in combination; "the house had its large windows oriented toward the ocean view"; "helping freshmen become oriented to college life";

orientated–verb (used with object), verb (used without object), -tat⋅ed, -tat⋅ing. to orient.

[Atheos]

Yea. Depends on where you are from and/or raised.

To me orient is hard on my mouth, it always tries to spit out the extra syllable. I've always said orientated. Of course, I didn't actually learn English in America so that could explain it.

[AngelfireRN, MSN, RN, APRN]

I think some people should get off their high horse.

I think that for some I know, they'd need a hook and ladder truck. Amazing how long those horses' legs can get.