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!
Im from Texas and when I moved to Mississippi they really gave me a hard time but I finally said you can put 5 ms in texas so Its Ya'll that talk Funny.But I have a daughter that at age 2 when she moved from texas to ms and she still has a stong texas accent so truely its ingrained deep.Just let me go visit home and its back as strong as ever.You can take the girl out of teas but never texas out of the girl..
I have one of the most Southern accents most people have ever heard. I work in Nashville, TN, however, I live in a small town about 60 miles away in a town called Lafayette, which is pronounced with two long A sounds!
I guess sometimes I am not taken as seriously as I would have been because of my accent. However, once people get to know me and realize I am quite intelligent, they usually don't judge me.
I find lots of people love Southern accents. I find I have to repeat myself a lot. I don't really know if that's the accent or the small town, country phrases I come out with!!
You can be a great nurse despite the accent. Once you show how smart you are, and demonstrate your nursing skills and knowledge, you should hav eno problems just because of an accent.
I do agree with you that ignorant or stupid people can come from any part of "the world" and sloppy accents are certainly not limited to the south. It is the heavy bias of the poster's reply that I quoted in my op that compelled me to write what I did. No, I do not consider Bill Clinton uneducated, and yes he has a southern accent although I am unsure whether I would consider it "heavy". However, I have not heard him botching off consanants or completely omitting or switching vowel sounds in his speech either. Also, jmho, but it is a bit hypocritical of you to say that "anyone who assumes ignorance OR stupidity based on the way someone else speaks REALLY needs to get out more". That is not reality. I think it would be hard to find someone who would not question another's intelligence, especially an adult, who mispronounces words, speaks with flagrant grammar, etc. That is the real world. Most well-educated people are familiar with the most basic rules or english grammar. I will even go as far as to say that most of them do not go around speaking as follows: "He be xxxxxx..." "She be......" "They does...." "He do xxxxxx..." "Are then any coffee in there?!?!"" "Where you at?!?!!" It kills me when people end sentences with prepositions.....
I'm from the deep south and I've never said nor heard anyone say "he be" or "they does." I have no idea where you came upon the idea that this is the way southerners talk, perhaps from horribly fake movie southern accents. "Where you at?" however is a perfectly appropriate New Orleans saying which means " how are you doing?"
Ehh law, don't pay attention to what people think.. ain't no account anyhow. If anyone comments on my accent, I looked really suprised and say "Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit, I think you may be on to something."
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!
Y'all have a good evening!
I don't judge people on their accents and if that is the only thing they can find to talk about I would hand them a cross word puzzle so they would have something to do!!
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!
Y'all have a good evening!
DON'T B ashamed of it one lil' bit hun! That is who you are and who you will always be. I am a ggg grandaughter of the confereacy and I'm not ashamed to let anyone know it too. I am proud of who I am and if they don't like it,..then they are not your real friends in the first place! Don't be ashamed of who you are , if you can't respect your southern accent heritage, then who else will respect you for who you are.
I would like to clarify that I have no desire to hide or change my accent. Like I said originally, I love being from the South and I love my voice. Heck, if anything it has been a conversation starter. I said I speak with all sorts of healthcare folks everyday so I'm usually asked about where I'm from multiple times a day. I actually conduct training sessions via teleconference (I bet some of us have talked over the last few years!) and I usually am asked where I'm from within the first minute or so. My answer now is a dead pan "Sweeedun". That always seems to make people laugh and let's them know I'm laid back about it.
Too many bad things going on in this world to get worked up over someone thinking less of me because of the way I sound. I was more or less curious as to whether anyone thought it may be an obstacle in nursing.
Please, please, please, do not think people with southern accents are dumb or stupid though because I can promise you that is NOT the case.
I'm used to repeating myself now so that shouldn't be any trouble either.
Thanks for the comments and banter everyone! Much appreciated.
Sometime in my life I managed to pick up a mild English accent (probably because I made an effort to pronounce things distinctly). It drove my classmates absolutely insane in high school because, this being California, they were almost all accustomed to a neutral mumble. To be fair, they drove me ape-wire because there was no rhythm in their speech patterns.
Southern accents are so interesting! Perhaps it's not a true Southern accent... but I love the way Doc Holliday spoke in Tombstone.
Please, please, please, do not think people with southern accents are dumb or stupid though because I can promise you that is NOT the case.
It's the same with any "accent" - not everyone with an "indian" accent is a "Hajji/Ali Baba" and not everyone with an "asian" accent is dumber than a box of rocks.
58flyer, I couldn't have said it better myself. I am proud of my southern heritage, but I say "Southern by birth, Mississippian by the grace of God!".
That's awesome! My version would be " Southern by birth, Georgian by the Grace of God!"
I was born in Georgia, but raised in Florida. I still claim to be Georgian.
Speakin' of Mississippi, I met many wonderful people while working the Katrina detail along the Mississippi coast last year. It was an honor to help them in their time of need.
doddlebuggin
33 Posts
Im from Texas and when I moved to Mississippi they really gave me a hard time but I finally said you can put 5 ms in texas so Its Ya'll that talk Funny.But I have a daughter that at age 2 when she moved from texas to ms and she still has a stong texas accent so truely its ingrained deep.Just let me go visit home and its back as strong as ever.You can take the girl out of teas but never texas out of the girl..