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.
I agree, that is one of my top pet peeves!! Nurses want to be treated as professionals & respected, but it's hard to take someone seriously when they use poor grammar & spelling. I have known some very bright nurses that couldn't spell or articulate. However, some of these same nurses were whizzes at math & calculations-- so they'd ask me how to spell something & I'd ask them to check my drug/drip calculations!! One friend told me she was really self-conscious of her poor grammar and asked me to point out when she used words incorrectly, etc.
and what about the word "supposubly" vs "supposedly"??? for years I thought people who used the former word were misguided & ignorant, then someone told me it IS a word, although much less commonly used! I'm still not sure they're right & have continued to use supposedly.... it just sounds....more correct to me!
I think I pronounce it that way, come to think it. It just rolls off my tongue that way 'supposibly'. But I spell it 'supposedly'.
Ah, there again ... most of the pet peeves that make me contemplate bodily harm fall into this category: I will tolerate just about any variation of verbal speech, and consider it "quirky" at worst. But when you put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and phonetically spell what comes out of your mouth with no regard for standard English ... I start twitching.
Well, I come from your planet. "Orientate" puts me over the edge. But when I've objected to it on allnurses.com, I have been put in my grammatical place by primarily UK posters.
It is a word actually, according to dictionary.com and I know this because like you the word bothered me so much that I looked it up one day and voila! I still prefer to use the word 'orient' because 'orientate' sounds awkward when it rolls off my tongue.
zooz
196 Posts
Look at what I just found.
It definitely brings to light one of my biggest pet peeves.
I found it and immediately thought of you all and this thread.