Can we start with grammer, speling, and punctiation?
I am amazed at the number of postings in here that assault the written English language. I am not referring to perfection, Lord knows I make plenty of mistakes myself. I am definitely not referring to those who's first language is not English. I am speaking to the outright ignoring of the basics.
It doesn't take but a second to capitalize your "I's." Really it doesn't.
Perhaps I am just old, cranky, and out of touch with the texting generation.
But when i c posts with run on sentencis multiple mispels lack of punctuation like apostophes in conjuctions im wonderin if u r able 2 c what im saying lol i mean. omg. we look like illiterit.
:)
P.S. to Grammar Nazis here, yes the wored "conjunction' was on purpos.
the above statement implies the writers are cognizant of their mistakes, and could correct them accordingly.
if they are not aware of their errors, then that is what makes this entire gripe irrefutable.
leslie
This is the most perspicacious comment in the thread. I agree wholeheartedly, although it makes my heart heavy to say so.
VICEDRN is also correct in pointing out that there exists specific, formal defined requirements to qualify as a "profession," and Nursing fails to meet most of said criteria. While this is unrelated to text speak, linguistics and epistemology, one doesn't have to be Noam Chomsky to recognize that the content of this website does not generally reflect positively on the average intellect of nurses.
All you ADN RN's are bringing us down and making us look unprofessional!
Now if we all had our BSN's I'm sure we'd become literate writers and professional overnight. OMG what a great excuse to go back to school and get saddled with more student loan debt than we already have! I'll pass!
Nice job trying to throw in a little more controversy. This was never an LPN/ADN/BSN thread though. Most people should know basic spelling and grammar by the time they start high school, so a bachelor's degree is hardly required to at least write professionally.
Nice job trying to throw in a little more controversy. This was never an LPN/ADN/BSN thread though. Most people should know basic spelling and grammar by the time they start high school, so a bachelor's degree is hardly required to at least write professionally.
i'm pretty sure the poster was being facetious, and not to be taken seriously.
Nice job trying to throw in a little more controversy. This was never an LPN/ADN/BSN thread though. Most people should know basic spelling and grammar by the time they start high school, so a bachelor's degree is hardly required to at least write professionally.
I'm pretty sure that was sarcasm (I hope). It must be, I mean we know it's not RN's who have poor grammar, it's Medical Assistants who go to Globe College...where they train their Medical Assistants to work in ER's and to be on the cutting edge of medical technology.... (PSSST! That's sarcasm there...I don't have a problem in the world with CMA's or MA's or RMA's, or CNA's or PCA's...LST's though, that's another story....)
The forefathers may have spake differently, but they didn't spell differently amongst themselves.
Depends on how "fore" you go...back before the 19th century, spelling was incredibly inconsistent. Check out how English monarchs used to sign their names...Elizabeth I used a couple of different spellings of HER OWN NAME.
DH and I have 4 undergraduate language degrees and one masters in language education between us. Unfortunately I could go on and on about spelling and grammar, and the evolution of spelling and grammar in the English language. Wikipedia does have a decent page about it:
VICEDRN is also correct in pointing out that there exists specific, formal defined requirements to qualify as a "profession," and Nursing fails to meet most of said criteria. .
This assertion could be an interesting (and potentially equally polarizing) thread topic platform in itself.
I'd like to see it started here, as it could be very insightful from differing perspectives, but my "inflammatory thread topic starting bank account" is on empty for the week.
Do you mean they kept saying, "of coorifice (sic)?"This is the proper way to quote a person when errors appear in their spelling.You guys are so darn critical. How professional dose that look?
This is an interesting topic that seems to have stirred quite a bit of emotion as well! I have to review patient charts, including progress notes every day from a variety of discliplines (Doctors, Nurses, Therapists, Dieticians, Social Workers etc). Whenever there is a problem, or potential problem with a patient...such as an injury or potential lawsuit, I have to go into an even higher gear and dig deeper into every aspect of a patient's chart.
The unfortunate fact of life is that many of the notes I see from nurses is reflected in the writing on this message board. The same type of sloppy writing, misspelling, incorrect word use and an apparent lack of caring about exactly what is written in patient records. I don't even want to think about the grammar!! It appears in all age levels, nursing levels and education levels. But it is most common in younger/newer nurses. And as I previously stated, I review all clinical disciplines, so I can say that NURSES are main offenders (95%).
Whether it's a popular view or not, the truth is when charts are being reviewed for a legal case, if a note looks unprofessional and sloppy, it certainly looks as if the patient did not receive good care. You may be the best nurse in the world but a lawyer can make you look incompetent if your documentation is full of misspellings, poor grammar and incorrect words. That is a fact of life.
Should you live your life worried about that? Of course not until that one time you do get named in a lawsuit. And you NEVER know when that will be, so always write like a professional. And it is not "eating our young" to encourage them to write professionally and not use slang or text-speak language in their everyday interactions. It's not appropriate and it IS costing them employment opportunities. I also get to look at resumes, applications and cover letters! How will they know it's not appropriate in an professional setting if they are not being told? Isn't that what a mentor is supposed to do? I love mentoring new nurses! Suggesting ways to improve is just as important as all the positive feedback. I know that nurses are not called for interviews when their initial contact with the facility is full of words that are not used properly, not spelled properly and the grammar is horrible. I feel sorry for the nurse who sends it and angry at the nursing school who didn't help the nurse correct that issue before he/she went into the workplace.
Being perceived as a professional is a whole process of writing, speaking, and presenting yourself in a certain way. Several people have said "Nurses are the most trusted professionals" and that's been true for many years. You can't overlook the nurses who have been in the profession for decades since they helped to earn that respect from the public. Why do you think the public trusts us? Ahh... A thought for another day.
BlueDevil,DNP, DNP, RN
1,158 Posts
This is the most perspicacious comment in the thread. I agree wholeheartedly, although it makes my heart heavy to say so.
VICEDRN is also correct in pointing out that there exists specific, formal defined requirements to qualify as a "profession," and Nursing fails to meet most of said criteria. While this is unrelated to text speak, linguistics and epistemology, one doesn't have to be Noam Chomsky to recognize that the content of this website does not generally reflect positively on the average intellect of nurses.