Well, as my screen name says, I lurk-- a lot! Anyway, I am preparing to write my final paper for nursing school, it is a wrap-up of our final preceptorship and our impressions of the nursing workforce we are about to enter. We are supposed to share our thoughts about furthering our education, how we have witnessed nurses being treated in the workplace, how we felt our school experience was, etc. My paper has kinda veered off on a little tangent (which I am probably going to remove) because one thing that has stuck out in my mind is the way I have seen my fellow nursing students communicate on our class web program, and I see it here on a daily basis as well. I am talking about basic communication skills as far as the written word is concerned.
Is it a trend today, or are my classmates really so deficient in language skills that they can not write a professional, comprehendable sentence? I am not talking about spelling errors, gosh knows we all make those-- I am talking about stuff like this:
"i dont know what u all r talkinabout, but there crazy the way they grade us in nursing school!"
Some of my classmates actually respond to discussion questions from our instructor in this manner. Whatever, to each his own--but my question is, how can a person be taken seriously as a professional if they can not write in basic comprehensible language? And in reading the message board here, I am kinda stunned how many times I just can't understand what the heck someone is trying to say because it just doesn't make any sense!
The more important question to me is this: Do people write like this in real life? Are nurses out there writing notes like this, and communicating with other professionals in this manner? Or is it just something people do on message boards? Do any of you run into this in the workplace?
I'm not talking about simple spelling and/or grammar errors(Tweety, I love your sig about spelling!:)). In fact, in 1st semester my instructor gave me a 98% instead of a 100% on a paper, and she made a note to me that my "grammer was incorrect in one sentence.":uhoh3: Yes, she made a spelling error while correcting me, but I got her point. But if she had written this instead: "ur grammer wuz not write," I probably would have not understood what she was referring to.
So, do nurses communicate this way in the workplace, or is it just confined to the internet?
*** I'm not looking to make fun of spelling or grammar errors, we all make them, I really am just curious if this is the way nurses communicate in real life!***
This is a universal condition. Some linguistics/communication ivory tower types are attributing this to the intardnetZ. Message boards and texting are essentially informal enviornments and most writing is now done within that context. As such, language is (d)evolving.
Teachers know less these days as well, and basic grammatical errors are not addressed and poor grammar is taught by example. Even the novels, and texts written within the last 15 years show a change in what is acceptable and what is not.
I think this is an interesting phenomenon and believe that this is but one way in which one can view broken social systems. Our way of being is corroding.
But I'm a pessimist. Others would say that it is a stylistic change and that I'm an old fart. And I would never consider myself a stickler! I use run-ons and fragments constantly. My writing is very informal and I am a crap speller. Or, rather, the way I write used to be considered informal. Today, it is a far cry from "wHat U DuIn??"
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.).
Umm...I have a BS and an MPH and I can't spell crap....I'M GOING TO BE A TERRIBLE NURSE..OH THE HORROR:trout:
Sorry- In my experience, only teenage girls write like that in real life. Now, let me pose another question- does your irritation extend to all the internet abbreviations (Ex: LOL, BTW, WTHDTM)?
Aside from the posts here, which I consider informal and therefore not a "real" reflection of someone, I am afraid for the communication skills of my fellow RN's. I make spelling errors. I am bad at spelling. I know it and try to make an effort the correct it. I'm talking about the people who are graduated professionals and confuse or don't know the difference between the following:
know & no- there their & they're- two, too, and to- where & wear- here and hear. Or things like saying "I seen her at the store." or "She does that real good." or "She don't have any." These are things I have read and heard at work.
We are supposed to be professionals. I think that we should speak/write like them. These are basic things. Not advanced compostiion or something.
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.
I agree! I can overlook spelling and minor grammatical mistakes because this is an informal internet forum. However, I have a difficult time understanding how an educated professsional posting here does not know the difference between "no and know", "their, there, and they're", etc. If it's buried in the middle of a post, that's one thing, but I have seen these mistakes even in the titles of posts.
Unfortunately, the "younger" generation arent being taught basic grammar skills the way most of us were until they get to college level classes. Then its a major culture shock when they have to abandon the "net speak" and use real grammar in their sentances for papers. Its what you get used to. Nurses tend to find themselves writing in nurse abreviation in notes to their familes etc. I know i have. My family doesnt understand our shorthand for "with" "and" etc. So i have to re-read my notes to make sure they can understand them.
It isnt just net, i remember a few years ago my college english instructor having a fit because "netspeak" is showing up in billboards and advertisements. Do i think it will continue, probly because the new english teachers are products of interet based pastimes and casual attitudes of acceptance.
I know my kids have high school english teachers trying to teach them how to write a MLA paper and they only have half an idea of how to do it themselves. A sign of the times.
You've expressed yourself well, i see what you're saying. And even though it's not for work, i communicate the same way with my professor as i do at work. One reason is that i want to come across clearly, but, hey you never know when he's going to deduct points.
What it all comes down to is; are you able to communicate your ideas/ thoughts to others effectively? I'm still not sure if webspeak is equally effective as more formal grammar. On the one hand, if it is easier to communicate you may express yourself more often. On the other hand, (as other posters have observed) you might not be taken as seriously if you use the less formal language.
I think the only think I have seen here that really grates on my nerves, is the occasional person that insists on Capitalizing The First Letter Of Every Word In Thier Post Just Like This. I don't see how a person can type like this, it seems to be more of a hassle and in what school was that ever taught as correct? If it is a language barrier thing, I appologize. However often these posts seem to have a decent command of the English language, so I don't know if that is the case. It makes it hard to read, I tend to just kind of skim over those kind of posts because it is annoying.
Spelling errors can be annoying, but often it's just that, an accident. I would never take the time to PM a nurse about a spelling error. That is really rude. The spelling errors that bug me the most are the intentional ones (hott/hawt instead of hot, Kewl=cool, l8er dood = later dude...ect...)
does your irritation extend to all the internet abbreviations
No,
I use BTW OTOH JMO LOL on message boards and IM. The abbreviates don't bother me at all, just when people say things like "whut" instead of "what". It wouldn't have taken any less time to spell that word the right way.
I would never take the time to PM a nurse about a spelling error.
Yeah but then again someone PM'd me not long ago about my sig line having a spelling error, which i didn't mind, actually it was something i hadn't noticed.
Being somewhat anal myself about spelling and grammar, when I first started posting here I refused to use abbreviations and checked my posts for errors.
I've lightened up but still am not crazy about abbreviations, although I used "jk" this morning. I use the smilies for the most part instead of abbreviations.
I agree that here on the bb, we need to cut people slack.
However I do notice that in charting at work, there are numerous spelling errors. Just a few I noticed last week:
Aggitation for agitation
Recieve for receive
And one person at work always says "Alztimers" . . . and it isn't a joke.
Anyway, I am preparing to write my final paper for nursing school, it is a wrap-up of our final preceptorship and our impressions of the nursing workforce we are about to enter. We are supposed to share our thoughts about furthering our education, how we have witnessed nurses being treated in the workplace, how we felt our school experience was, etc. My paper has kinda veered off on a little tangent (which I am probably going to remove) because one thing that has stuck out in my mind is the way I have seen my fellow nursing students communicate on our class web program, and I see it here on a daily basis as well. I am talking about basic communication skills as far as the written word is concerned.
geekgolightly, BSN, RN
866 Posts
This is a universal condition. Some linguistics/communication ivory tower types are attributing this to the intardnetZ. Message boards and texting are essentially informal enviornments and most writing is now done within that context. As such, language is (d)evolving.
Check http://www.studentdoctor.net and even there, our formally trained physicians are writing this way.
Teachers know less these days as well, and basic grammatical errors are not addressed and poor grammar is taught by example. Even the novels, and texts written within the last 15 years show a change in what is acceptable and what is not.
I think this is an interesting phenomenon and believe that this is but one way in which one can view broken social systems. Our way of being is corroding.
But I'm a pessimist. Others would say that it is a stylistic change and that I'm an old fart. And I would never consider myself a stickler! I use run-ons and fragments constantly. My writing is very informal and I am a crap speller. Or, rather, the way I write used to be considered informal. Today, it is a far cry from "wHat U DuIn??"