If you really want to be correct, you will use nauseated, not nauseous, when describing the state of being afflicted with nausea. Nauseous, on the other hand, is really supposed to be used to describe something or someone that causes nausea.
We nurses can do a lot to turn around the deplorable trend amongst the common populace to use these words incorrectly. We deal with nauseated people on a daily basis. We can gently educate the public by being role models for proper usage!
(nauseous-correct usage): The smell of rotten eggs is nauseous.
(nauseated-correct usage): The smell of rotten eggs makes me nauseated.
Pt can be alert but not oriented. They can be wide awake and coherent but not know person, place, or time. There is a difference between alert and oriented. I think the post was referring to people saying "orientTATED" instead of "oriented" and putting an extra syllable in it.
I said alert and orienTATED and was agreeing with it..... part of my reply got cut out. I dislike when people use orientated rather than oriented.
I worked in a clinic years ago where a certain patient drove us all crazy. One day, before the clinic opened, we got into a discussion about the above words and how they are used incorrectly sometimes. About that time, the said patient began banging on the door. She rushed in, stating she was nauseous. The doc and the rest of us had a hard time keeping a straight face, because, yes, she was nauseous. Later the MD said he intended to fire any of us who laughed, so of course we all laughed and he walked off.
Lay is passive, lie is active, so, if the patient was laid in bed because they couldn't lie, i suppose they are laying in bed. however, if they put themselves to bed than they are lying in bed.....hmmm about as clear as mud...but fun
In contrast to most posters on this thread, I sort of like the idea that language (and then grammar, by default) is constantly evolving.
The more time I spend living in rural America, the worse my grammar gets. The way I type my thoughts here on AN and the way I speak sound nothing alike. When I talk, I sound like a total hick.
And I will never be able to remember when to use "lay" vs "lie." I always chart, "Pt laying in bed resting quietly," which is wrong, according to that comic strip. And I finally thought I had figured it out!!
Yes, the last time we went around this block, nauseated, was the preferred, but nauseous was catching up.
I'm all for linguistic proselytizing, but the established definition of "nauseous" includes both affected with nausea as well as to cause nausea. This is the definition used by Oxford, American Heritage, and Webster's dictionaries. There are certainly some linguists who offer dissenting opinions, but it's not incorrect to use either meaning if you consider the major dictionaries to be how we define correct word meanings.
You could also argue that a paradox exists here that makes it impossible to use the word incorrectly. If you believe strongly that the word nauseous can only be used to refer to something that causes nausea and someone uses "nauseous" to convey that they feel nauseated, then that to some degree will probably make you feel nauseated, which means the person is correct in referring to themselves as nauseous regardless of how you define the word.
Just to check I looked this up online. I came across an English language forum where someone asked "What's the difference between the words oriented and orientated"?
The reply, which I thought was cute:
"Two letters and an ocean".
It seems the English use orientated, and Americans use oriented. That said, orientated does get on my nerves.
I was raised by a founding member of the Grammar Police, and I've passed the love of (proper) language to my children. My kids are all adults now- and we have a game. We award points for finding grammar errors when we go to large outdoor festivals. The signs can be just atrocious - try it sometime! :)
loveoutloud
84 Posts
I said alert and orienTATED and was agreeing with it..... part of my reply got cut out. I dislike when people use orientated rather than oriented.