Mispronouncing a word makes you less of a nurse

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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?

Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

All I can do is just shake my head.

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I think it's more accurate to say that a nurse may be perceived as less competent if he/she mispronounces medical terms. Especially if the mispronunciation isn't just placing the accent on a different syllable.

Fair? Probably not. But if we want to be respected as health care professionals, then we have to speak the language.

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Specializes in OR Hearts 10.
The instructor sounds like a butthead (albeit with a point), but it wasn't like you were mispronouncing an obscure term, either. It's good to hear the right way to say these words now, but not quite in his abrasive manner.

There are so many regional ways of pronouncing words. I've lived in Illinois, TX, Hawaii, California, Indiana and back to Texas. Went to nursing school in IL, which of the different ways of saying the same words is the correct way?? LOL

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Now what really bugs me is "her stat is 98% instead of her sat" if you want to abbreviate, at least get it right.:chuckle

That bugs me too, and I hear it quite a bit. The regional differences are perfectly understandable, but when the wrong word entirely is used, it can sound like Larry The Cable Guy is your nurse.................and how scary is that? :eek:

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Specializes in OR Hearts 10.

"when i first started i had a pt. with rhabdo....i had no idea what that was or how to say it. i went straight to the admitting doc who wrote the diagnosis and asked him. now i know how to say it and understand the patho. "

how do you know he pronounced it correctly? not trying to be a smart as$, but there are many medical words that i was "taught" in il that are pronounced differently here in tx.

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Specializes in OR Hearts 10.
As a nurse, you are expected to know medical terms and pronounce them correctly. That's your business.

Again, but which correct pronunciation? Which regional pronunciation is THE correct one?

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Specializes in CTICU.

This post was not about regional accents or pronunciations. It was about messing up a word that you just can't say properly. Accounting for the fact that someone has an accent is nothing to do with it.

I may say "res-PIR-uhtory" rather than "RESP-ir-uhtory" - but that's not like calling it "respiratoriology" or otherwise mangling a word.

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.
:chuckle

It's "grudge", though the typo is pretty funny.

I resemble that remark... ;)

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Specializes in acute rehab, med surg, LTC, peds, home c.
I beg your pardon, but that is ridiculous. There is a whole gamut of accents, including people such as myself who are native english speakers but have an accent. I can still pronounce words correctly and certainly speak understandably!

What a strange post from another foreigner!

I agree. I don't think having an accent is the same as just using words wrong and sounding stupid. If anything, I admire anyone who is bilingual, they are one up on me, I can only speak one language! I never think, "What a *******, s/he speaks with an accent". Its more like, "Wow, they know/speak and understand a whole other language, how cool".

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does anyone read the moderator's/miranda's posts???

not only are you choosing to ignore the tos, you are also ignoring the very person who is trying to enforce them.

and that is just plain disrespectful.

sheesh.

leslie

Thank you, Les. Appreciate the support.

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Update:

First, the SPAM reported by three members (thank you!) was removed and the poster was shown the door.

Second, a number of posts have been deleted/edited as off topic. Each of these posts was made after the second request to stop debating individual word issues.

Third, there is a new staff request that we stop discussing problems with accents. This topic was beaten to death in another thread which had to be closed after 27 pages and continued TOS violations. Don't want that to happen here.

Fourth, I am investing a fair amount of time keeping this thread viable. Good communication skills and the care and feeding of our beautiful English language are subjects near and dear to my heart. Many parts of this thread have offered great insights, and there is potential for much more. Please, stay on topic so we can keep going.

Thanks.

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.
There are so many regional ways of pronouncing words. I've lived in Illinois, TX, Hawaii, California, Indiana and back to Texas. Went to nursing school in IL, which of the different ways of saying the same words is the correct way?? LOL

Mosby's Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Professions contains the correct pronunciations of medical terminology.

For example, the word "larynx" is pronounced "ler'ingks", with the emphasis on the first syllable. Many drug books, like my Davis' Drug Guide, for instance, contain the correct pronunciations of drug names.

Maybe a medical dictionary would be the place to start....

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