Mispronunciations That Drive You Nuts

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Specializes in critical care.
Mispronunciations That Drive You Nuts

Car-dee-ya-zem.

It's car-di-zem. Or dil-ti-ya-zem.

Cardiazem isn't a real thing.

Can I get an amen?!

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical / Palliative/ Hospice.

I admitted a patient last week who said that the pain medication "Millonick" worked for her in the past. It took me a while, but I was able to figure out that she was talking about Dilaudid. I also had an elderly lady who was very concerned about her "Coodamin" being given on time. Then there was the lady who called her peripheral IV a PICC line all night. Of course, I gently corrected all of them.

What entertaining mispronunciations have you heard from patients?

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VICKodin...he would yell down the hall..I want my ******* VICKodin. I've also had patients correct me when I am struggling with med words...its a 2 way street lol

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Specializes in Public Health.

Zofran turned into Zoloft at 4am. Umm no Zoloft for you my dear

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I had a patient who referred to NS as "Celine", as in, Dion. Regardless of how many times I correctly said "saline", she never did get it.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Emergency, CEN.

Two words that drive me crazy are "Conversate" instead of converse, speak, or talk) and "Orientate" instead of orienting or orientation.

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I haven't had anything like this happen to me but I had an instructor who took a call from someone wanting her "peanut butter ball" refilled.

phenobarbital...

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Specializes in Emergency Department.
NurseOnAMotorcycle said:
Two words that drive me crazy are "Conversate" instead of converse, speak, or talk) and "Orientate" instead of orienting or orientation.

I'm going to, gently, stir this a bit. 

Orientate, orientated, orientation and orientating are the correct pronunciations/spellings, you yanks decided to corrupt them and ended up with words like orient and oriented. This sound too similar to oriental. Remember, it is called English for a reason. 

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

Just yesterday: driver-trichinosis for diverticulitis.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
NurseOnAMotorcycle said:
Two words that drive me crazy are "Conversate" instead of converse, speak, or talk) and "Orientate" instead of orienting or orientation.

Orientate is a Synonyms of Orient

https://www.lexico.com/synonyms/orientate

you will need time to orientate yourself to your new way of life

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Specializes in ICU / PCU / Telemetry / Oncology.
SoldierNurse22 said:
I had a patient who referred to NS as "Celine", as in, Dion. Regardless of how many times I correctly said "saline", she never did get it.

I know a nurse that does that, it's definitely a regional thing. Pecahn or peecan, LOL 

Sent from my iPad using allnurses

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Specializes in ICU / PCU / Telemetry / Oncology.

Had a patient once convinced she was taking Interpol for her BP ... Um, metoprolol ... no espionage here ... ?

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