I'm planning to begin a nursing career in the fall of 2007 (accl. BSN program) and was wondering about something. I have a STRONG southern accent. I'm not ashamed of it, I love my accent. I had no idea I even had one until I was 16 and while on a trip to California some people let me know. The question I have is could I anticipate any issues or trouble with my accent? Also, and PLEASE be honest, it won't hurt my feelings (much =) but what would your reaction be if you are from a place where southern accents are not common and heard your nurse have a twang to the voice?
I work in the healthcare industry and deal with RNs, Quality Improvement personnel, Administrators, Drug Reps, etc on a daily basis and most of the ladies (99% of the people I work with are female) don't seem to mind. However, I feel like a few are looking down their respective nose at me while I talk. I even had a person who thought they were on mute one time say to a group I was on a conference call with "this guy from KEN-tucky thinks he's going to teach us something". One of those real sarcastic tones. I rolled my eyes and smiled because I knew they were the ones making an a$$ out of themselves.
I'm already somewhat apprehensive about being a guy in this profession and fighting off sterotypes. I had never given much thought to any preconceived notions about my my voice though. Will I have another sterotype to deal with? Honestly, what do you think when you hear a guy (or a lady) with a southern accent? Please don't think we're dumb....
Any feedback or commentary would be greatly appreciated!
Well, I declare. This is a fine mess. Its been a coons age since I've seen the beat. No need to get the tail feathers ruffled on account of a little ole Southern pride. Its common knowledge that we're all so dumb if we threw ourselves to the ground, we'd miss. Yes, we did lose the war, things ain't never been the same.. but time'll tell. So,we'll just go back to our pot o' collards and corn pon.
We should all just make nice and mend fences. But I would be careful of crowing too loud, the self righteous have a marvelous way of tripping all over their sanctimony just when things are getting almost unbearable.
Damn that Costner fellar... don't he know the pearly gates are just up the road a far piece, between Elmers tater patch and Aunt Pollys hogpen?
Wow. I've heard "God's country" used to refer to just about every piece of real estate that anybody has felt was a great place to be. It's not meant to be inflammatory, boastful, or conceited - just a superlative. About the only thing thougthless here is the attempt to equate someone's entheusiasm with a poke in the eye.
Next up... how Kevin Costner insults the nation in "Field of Dreams" by suggesting heaven's only found in Iowa's corn fields.
I understand what you are saying here completely, and of course there is nothing wrong with someone referring to a fine piece of real estate as "God's country". The only problem is, I do not believe the poster was referring to real estate at all, and I do not think my interpretation was inaccurate.
It is rhetoric like this that alienates "the south" from not only the rest of the country, but the rest of the world. It's inflammatory. This attitude that God favors the South first, the rest of the old U.S. of A. second, and that he couldn't care less or is contemptuous about the remaining world at large facilitates all of the negative stereotypes of the south and its southerners. Quite a thoughtless comment.
You're packing an awful lot of assumptions (and hostility?) into your comments.
If those yankees can't understand you or don't like your accent, just come on back to God's country......we'll understand you just fine
I hear this poster reminding the OP that she can always come back home, and a darn fine home at that, and she'll find people who speak her language.
Calling your home territory God's country doesn't HAVE to be interpreted as a slap to everyone else.
You're packing an awful lot of assumptions (and hostility?) into your comments.
I hear this poster reminding the OP that she can always come back home, and a darn fine home at that, and she'll find people who speak her language.
Calling your home territory God's country doesn't HAVE to be interpreted as a slap to everyone else.
I also found the post offensive, as if "those Yankees" are just nasty people who can't possibly understand (literally and figuratively) someone from the south.
And by saying "come on back to God's country," the implication is that anywhere else is, well, you do the geography...
WoW.. Does an accent make a lots of diffrence... In my hospital we have alot of types of accent. The important thing is we are together and work as a team . Our aim is toward to the patient. Whats wrong with the Southern Accent.. as long as we can understand what she say NO PROBLEMO.....Standard English is good enough....
VA is in the south right? well, i seem to agree with the northerners that those who have southern accent have low IQs.....i am sorry i have to say that, because you guys are taught how to properly pronounce and enunciate words rather than "eat them" when you talk, i also noticed the word phillipene below, correction please, people from the Philippines are called Filipinos, and they have a filipino accent when they speak english! not PHILLIPENE.....
go read a book man....
Hello and welcome. Congrats on your decision to become a nurse. Now on the southern accent, personally I would have no problem. The floor I work on our accents are so ethnically mixed...spanish, phillipene, new york, southern, dutch to name a few...now sometimes depending on what is said one may have to say something twice but I don't see that as being problematic. Also take into account the doc's who also have accents...russian, indian, chinese to name a few that I have also worked with. I am actually from VA but moved up north with family years ago. Unfortunately there are all types of stereotypes..don't let it get to you.
It is rhetoric like this that alienates "the south" from not only the rest of the country, but the rest of the world. It's inflammatory. This attitude that God favors the South first, the rest of the old U.S. of A. second, and that he couldn't care less or is contemptuous about the remaining world at large facilitates all of the negative stereotypes of the south and its southerners. Quite a thoughtless comment.
An excellent comment I thought. Way to go boysmomrn ! Having some pride in something is fine, whether it's your favorite football team, race car driver, college, or the land of your birth.
VA is in the south right? well, i seem to agree with the northerners that those who have southern accent have low IQs.....i am sorry i have to say that, because you guys are taught how to properly pronounce and enunciate words rather than "eat them" when you talk, i also noticed the word phillipene below, correction please, people from the Philippines are called Filipinos, and they have a filipino accent when they speak english! not PHILLIPENE.....
go read a book man....
At least I, being from the South, do realize that sentences start with capital letters, the word "I" should be capitalized, and that the use of "run on" sentences is not proper in the English language. There are many more mistakes in your little comment, but I think you get my point. Talk about needing to go read a book!
VA is in the south right? well, i seem to agree with the northerners that those who have southern accent have low IQs.....i am sorry i have to say that, because you guys are taught how to properly pronounce and enunciate words rather than "eat them" when you talk, i also noticed the word phillipene below, correction please, people from the Philippines are called Filipinos, and they have a filipino accent when they speak english! not PHILLIPENE.....
go read a book man....
Let's keep the discussion on topic. Rarely do visits from the spelling and grammar police improve a thread that is already heating up.
i seem to agree with the northerners that those who have southern accent have low IQs.....i am sorry i have to say that because you guys are taught how to properly pronounce and enunciate words rather than "eat them" when you talk[/b'].
Hhhmmm.... ?
So, if I understand you correctly, anyone who has an accent must also be in possesion of an inferior intelligence? Would this apply to Brits, Africans, anyone from Boston or NY. WOW.. that must mean that there are few people of intelligence. Everyone has an accent... or are you just isolating those below the Mason Dixon? If that be the case, then I feel the problem is larger and deeper than a little Southern pride.
If I were from NY, a grandchild of immigrants, would my pride in my family and childhood be an issue. Would my recalling stickball, Mass and homemade marinara be considered offensive?
If I were from the midwest or CA, would you feel that my pride was unwarrented?
As it is, I am from the South.. I spent days in cutoffs, playing in the creek, saying "Yes Mam', Thank you and Bless your heart". I was raised to be respectful, to mind my manners and to have a deep sense of who I am and from where I come. Now if you find that or my accent offensive or inferior, simply because of a sterotypical idea that you posses about the South, then I ask who is comming from a position of ignorance? I would not change one thing about my life or my local.... I'll just keep on drinking my sweet tea and wallowing in this God forsaken, ignorant embarrassment of a place.
I feel those that cannot get with that idea and racial harmony should get themselves on a remote island somewhere in the Pacific and go live so they won't be bothered with the yankees and others.
And those who hate the South as much as you do would probably be better off up north. As far as the racism issue, try living in a big northern city and then come back to Alabama and take an honest look at how well black and white get along in comparison. Maybe you should try to resolve this hatred of you birthplace. Those who hate their roots tend to live a very bitter existence.
And then you woke up!!!
Look, I don't need you to tell me how well blacks and whites CAN get along because my dad is white and he and I get along just fine, thank you. And so what if the North has it's share of problems. I never said that they didn't. I'm saying, at least they don't claim to be the "Bible Belt" or "God's country" and harbor all that hate at the same time. I'm talkign about being hypocritical. These so-called Christians are the same ones that are racist in their beliefs.
And I don't have to go anywhere. I'm going to stay right here and combat this on a personal level. And things are going to change or the South will continue to lag behind on everything.
VA is in the south right? well, i seem to agree with the northerners that those who have southern accent have low IQs.....i am sorry i have to say that, because you guys are taught how to properly pronounce and enunciate words rather than "eat them" when you talk, i also noticed the word phillipene below, correction please, people from the Philippines are called Filipinos, and they have a filipino accent when they speak english! not PHILLIPENE.....
tryingtomakeit, RN
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