Some musings about reading posts here...

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · May 7, 2006

No, this this not the way i talk or write at work or at school.

I post here in my offtime.

I understand the occaisional grammar/spelling thing (i realize that a lot of people that post here are tired, etc.) HOWEVER i cannot stand when people go out of their way to botch the English language (i've gotten a lot of IMs on Yahoo like "whut r u up ta, l8r"). "i dont know what u all r talkinabout" is not illiteracy or such, it's intentional that someone's writing like that.

Katnip, RN · May 7, 2006

In general, I find that internet language is different from anywhere else. It's far more casual than in other areas of life, mainly because it's perceived to be a faster form of communication and abbreviations are used to facilitate that.

Most people don't want to take the time to type out full words or sentences on the internet, especially in a chat room. That doesn't mean I like "leet speak" (which, by the way is the proper term for it), but it's there and you can choose to ignore it if you wish.

I do agree that posts, especially the long ones, that have no punctuation, capitalization, or paragraphs tend to be very difficult to read and understand. Usually, I don't even bother reading them because it's just too difficult. But I don't expect perfect grammar and spelling on a forum or in chat. Just as in spoken language, internet language is colloquial, not something you would use in a formal paper.

As far as spelling and grammar standards in nursing, I've heard many nurses say it's not important to the job. I don't agree, especially when documentation ends up in court.

MajorAl · May 7, 2006

Well Madam Lurksalot, I happen to agree with you. Now people who have a hard time spelling can still make themselves understood, but what really irks me (in capital letters) are the people who apparently have never learned basic English and apparently don't know the difference between: your and you're and yore; their and there and they're; etc. I understand when someone is posting, especially if they're doing it on their break at work, why they might misuse a word. But I have seen it done in charting by Nurses who have GRADUATED from COLLEGE! I sometimes think that people are either (1) too lazy to proofread their writing, (2) too uneducated to know the correct words to use, or (3) too ignorant to know how they come across to people. As I said, I understand in posts, IMs, etc. using "no" for "know" but I have read CHARTING that does it. I've been working for 31 years to get Nurses to act in such a manner that we will be regarded as professional by other professions (Doctors, Lawyers, etc) and have been told that I'm TOO PICKY! Well boys and girls I'm going to retire soon (a couple more years) and then I won't have to worry about it. Thank you Madam Lurksalot (and others) for being willing to pick up the pen (mightier than the sword after all) and continue my crusade. Madam Lurksalot, I hope your career is as satisfying and rewarding as mine has been. Also, please, please, please become a preceptor as soon as you can so you can help shape our young Nurses into Nurses who know how to write a coherent sentence. Alan

nursedawn67, LPN · May 7, 2006

As far as spelling and grammar standards in nursing, I've heard many nurses say it's not important to the job. I don't agree, especially when documentation ends up in court.

I agree the documentation better be "court ready". I have been known to write out, on a separate sheet of paper, my nurses note and then reread it or have someone else read it to make sure it sounds appropriate and gets more point across.

Tweety, BSN, RN · May 7, 2006

I confess to getting a little slightly ever so irritated by the "how r u" type of communicating.

I do come here to hopefully write a comprehensible sentence, and I realize a lot of people, including nonnursing people lurk and read what we have to say, but sometimes I'll make a typo or an error, and I know people cringe.

I have yet to make less than an A in any paper I have written the last year in my RN to BSN program, although you would never think so from the way I post here. However, when I post to a message board I am not writing a paper or writing in professional journal, or charting on the job.

It's way much more casual for me. I wouldn't worry too much about the intelligence of your classmates, or people on a casual message board, if they've made it as far as you have, likely they are going to be o.k.

llg, PhD, RN · May 7, 2006

I'm in agreement here. I don't always take the same care with my posts that I do with other forms of writing. So, I understand making a few careless mistakes and don't always use proper grammer myself. (I also don't spellcheck these posts!)

However, I do lament the fact that some nurses write as if they never learned how to write (or speak) properly. I have worked with students and have seen some of their papers. Some are wonderful -- but some are atrocious.

When those poor writing skills show up in charting and/or other written documents, it brings our profession down. When nurses speak poorly in the workplace, it brings our profession down. Whenever we present ourselves badly, we bring the whole profession down a bit.

llg

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · May 7, 2006

I think what irks me is when a word is spelled wrong by one letter here, someone misses it, and someone else takes it upon themselves to say something like "if you spelled that wrong, what kind of nurse are you".

Had that happen once, had one typo in a post and someone PMed me, questioning my nursing ability over that one typo (not to mention a stab in the you-don't-have-a-4-year-degree-no-wonder-you-can't-spell dept.). :rolleyes: After telling them to spare the judgments, and adding them to my ignore list, my theory's pretty much been that typos happen, i don't spaz about it unless it happens at work, and if it bugs someone THAT much, they can put me on ignore.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · May 7, 2006

Also, i've never been able to get the spellchecker working here.

Lurksalot, BSN, RN · May 7, 2006

I think what irks me is when a word is spelled wrong by one letter here, someone misses it, and someone else takes it upon themselves to say something like "if you spelled that wrong, what kind of nurse are you".

I agree, that's exactly what I was trying to avoid-- I am not trying to pick on people about misspellings and typos, not my intent. It is silly when a whole thread gets off course because someone's picking on other's typos. I know I am guilty of typing out something quickly and making errors. I can even usually even follow the "internet slang" that goes on here and other places.

I'm struggling to explain what I am talking about better....I don't want to post any examples. It's just so much of nursing is paperwork, documentation, and more and more communicating with peers via email and letters. And it scares me to see my schoolmates communicating so poorly with our instructors, I just wonder how it all translates to the workforce. I wonder if maybe I am just an old fogey and this is how people DO communicate professionally anymore. :confused:

Lurksalot, BSN, RN · May 7, 2006

I'm in agreement here. I don't always take the same care with my posts that I do with other forms of writing. So, I understand making a few careless mistakes and don't always use proper grammer myself. (I also don't spellcheck these posts!)
However, I do lament the fact that some nurses write as if they never learned how to write (or speak) properly. I have worked with students and have seen some of their papers. Some are wonderful -- but some are atrocious.
When those poor writing skills show up in charting and/or other written documents, it brings our profession down. When nurses speak poorly in the workplace, it brings our profession down. Whenever we present ourselves badly, we bring the whole profession down a bit.
llg

:yeahthat:

Lurksalot, BSN, RN · May 7, 2006

Madam Lurksalot, I hope your career is as satisfying and rewarding as mine has been. Also, please, please, please become a preceptor as soon as you can so you can help shape our young Nurses into Nurses who know how to write a coherent sentence. Alan

Thank you, you are very kind. I love nursing so far. I've had two great preceptors so far, they have been so outstanding that someday I hope to "grow up" to be like them and help some newbies like me! :)