One thing that is nails on chalkboard to me is when I hear my fellow nurses use double negatives and other blatant grammar mistakes. I'm speaking of English as a first language, domestically born and raised people.
I feel as this detracts from the professional image of nursing. We are supposed to be educated professionals. Poor grammar makes nursing look like a blue collar trade to those who are educated, such as our physicians and many members of the public.
Let me clarify that I don't harshly judge the intelligence or moral character of people with poor grammar. But, I feel strongly that nurses should project an image of being educated professionals in our speech and demeanor. Thanks for reading.
True. I don't know why some people lose the grammar skills they learned in college and others retain these skills.
I had a 16 year gap between high school and returning to college for nursing 18 months ago. My skills were so rusty a year and a half ago, I did not know what an adjective was or where to place commas. So perhaps I'm projecting a bit in being so forgiving. I simply didn't see my errors.
I have a relative who has a masters degree, and his grammar is so horrid he appears illiterate in his writing. I almost wonder if it's a really early sign he'll end up with dementia or Alzheimer's.
I think you're making an unwarranted assumption that all nurses are learning grammar, or having previous lessons reinforced in college.
Many do, I think, but there's an increasing minority who aren't. That's not entirely the fault of the student, but it does end up reflecting poorly on him/her.
I didn't find it necessary to elaborate much when I wrote about the reaction many people show when hearing someone speak with an accent. I did not say that everyond is doing this, or that they are aware of it. We naturally put people into categories and form judgments as soon as we meet them. We can't possibly avoid this, but we can be open to changing our opinions later on and give people a chance to proof our labels wrong.
I wouldn't label someone 'so ignorant' just because of one grammar mistake. I never use that 'word', but until I read this thread I didn't know it wasn't officially a word. Maybe if enough people start using it it'll get in the dictionary. After all, that's how language evolves. I've seen meanings of words change in my lifetime.
Afterall, who would have thought that 'google' would be a verb and 'gay' would be not straight, and that 'straight' would mean not gay?
If people use words such as google enough, it often get incorportated into the dictionary. There is a panel that gets together every few years, and looks at all the "new words" to see if they should be included in the dictionary. This panel finished their voting just a couple of months ago, actually. Anyway, it is one thing for words to be made up on purpose, such as google, and then become incorporated into our everyday language. It is another thing for people to use words that they think are actually in the dictionary already....not even knowing that they are just making up a word...and using it like it is a word already found in the dictionary. These are the people that are ignorant, and they are the ones I am talking about.
Etc. Years ago I had a nurse manager who insisted on spelling it ect. Such a distraction from whatever she wrote.
The pronunciation of this Latin phrase is good for a twinge or two.
Eck cetera, instead of ET cetera. Gaaahhhh!
That is one of my top grammar pet peeves! Plus, when the abbreviation is spelled "ect," my brain immediately translates it as electroconvulsive therapy. (It makes for one heck of a different interpretation of the sentence... :uhoh21: )
Myriad and many are perfect substitutes. Many is also a noun and an adjective.
We're more familiar with the adjective. I have many favorite foods.
But it can also be a noun. Among the many are pizza, chicken and steak.
Myriad--adjective. There are myriad Chinese recipes I would like to try.
Myriad--noun. Scattered throughout the conforming myriads were a few who didn't fit in.
If many cannot be used in place of myriad(s), then myriad(s) is not being used properly. In fact, I suggest that myriad(s) be used sparingly and many be put in its place whenever suitable.
tddowney
162 Posts
I think you're making an unwarranted assumption that all nurses are learning grammar, or having previous lessons reinforced in college.
Many do, I think, but there's an increasing minority who aren't. That's not entirely the fault of the student, but it does end up reflecting poorly on him/her.