Good to know what others think

[rnsince83]

I have read a lot of messages in the past few days. Some are interesting/informative/touching and some are silly, immature, and remind me of someone who talks just to hear the sound of his own voice. One went way beyond what is acceptable, being totally offensive; I have complained and expect appropriate action. I call upon everyone participating in this forum to complain about such communications. I am not talking about the occasional rant--only the things which we know to be out of line. One thing I noticed was some very bad spelling (I'm not talking about typos--we all do those). It may seem like a small thing, but in other businesses if you want respect, you must have good verbal and written (grammar and spelling) skills; I include handwriting in this, as this has been (and remains) an issue with physicians, and unfortunately, with nurses, too. Bad grammar (written and spoken) and incorrect spelling point to lack of higher education or poor accomplishment. In the case of physicians, I have concluded it is lack of respect (passive/aggressive), laziness or arrogance.

[grapejam88]

Just like in another forum I frequent, this grammar and spelling thing was a hot topic. However, I agree with the outcome in the other forum...LOOSEN UP! The forum needs to be a non-judgemental place for people to kick back and relax, let their guard down and feel able to vent/share/joke/whatever without judgement from others. The minute we all start to nit-pick each others' posts about grammar and spelling it starts to create friction and if you think you have seen inappropriate posts, just wait. Tolerance is a must for those who frequent and participate in a forum atmosphere...doesn't anyone else agree?

[rnsince83]

I thought about what you said, and you are right--this is a relaxed, nonjudgmental place where we can spill our guts, exchange thoughts, learn new things, and support each other. In retrospect, I guess I was thinking mostly of nurses' notes--I know we have very limited time, and when you're in a hurry, typos are made. But, some of the nurses notes are just plain bad grammar and terrible spelling--not only of medical terms, but everyday words. For example, I was horrified to read "The patient broke out in whelps." It detracts from a professional image. If you've ever been in court (and I have), these things matter. Every one who reads these notes get an impression of us and our expertise as nurses.

[grapejam88]

I agree wholeheartedly about the total lack of regard for the proper use of English grammar and spelling in nurses' notes and even MD entries. It is downright horrifying at times. I have no problem if someone wants to start a thread discussing the irritation associated with seeing some of the things encountered in those entries. I did not mean to be condescending (hope I spelled that right...I don't like the spell-check in this forum..sorry)in my post to you and I meant no harm. I like these forums for idea exchange and especially like the fact that we can come here without judgement from our peers.

[kidrn911]

i personally think people that are ate up in spelling and grammar are anal retentive and need to chill out. If this suppose to be a place to come kick off our shoes and relax, vent and so forth, then why worry if we use there, or their or spell correctly and so forth. This isn't charting, there is no legal consequence so why worry? Be Happy!

[cassioo]

I'm not too worries about spelling and grammar here. In charting that's another thing. I'm teaching clinicals this semester and had my first set of papers to grade...OH MY GOSH. All I can say is that the papers were sad. Online chats and boards are one thing work/school professional things are another. I've gotten lax myself all the years I've been online but those papers didn't even look like they tried to make them correct. But then any papers I've ever turned in may have been overly correct coming from a home where my mother is a writer with a masters in English.

[1mg.epi]

You know, I can't spell worth a darn. I get extremely stressed every time I wright something. Thank God for spell check. I use a little pocket spell checker for work. Every time I type on here, I stress about my spelling and grammar. I do not want to be thought of as lazy or ignorance when I am a professional.

[rnsince83]

Anal Retentive isn't such a bad thing for a nurse. In fact, I want all of my nurses to be that way when taking care of me or mine. Of course, I want them to be spilling over with the milk of human kindness, have the patience of Job, have WARM, gentle hands, be a mind-reader able to anticipate any and all needs, have the mind of an Einstein, the memory of an elephant, the energy of a hamster, the endurance of a water buffalo, smell good, look good, etc. But, as for this nurse-to-nurse forum, let it all hang out--grammar, spelling, rants, opinions--it's all interesting and everyone should have a say.

[nursinghumor]

I agree, we obsess enough at work. It's good to be able be ourselves and let our guard down once in a while.

I'm not saying we all have to agree, but let's hear each other out.

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.4nursing.com

[smbrn]

I am of two minds about the issue of poor grammar and spelling. I do think it reflects poorly on a profession that wants to see its status upgraded in the public's eye. I see no evidence that its presence indicates a lack of education. I have seen at work and on websites as many faux pas by BSN nurses as any others. Still, I suppose on sites such as this where people really do want to relax and simply share ideas and concerns with other nurses, it is probably not a big deal and perhaps better left to a discussion of just that issue. I am really fascinated by the male nurses' forum. It's good to hear from a diverse group who all seem to be experiencing the same issues of discrimination or stereotyping. There seems to be quite a bit of it in nursing; some new BSN grads rant and rave about how other nurses, (the hired help?), are bringing the profession down, diluting the gene pool apparently. I have not seen this so much on this site, but a quick perusal of allnurses.com shows how common this attitude is among a certain group. I wonder if anyone else finds it amusing and ironic that such supposedly educated, free thinkers, all scream the same mantra, clueless to the fact that they have been propagandized? It doesn't say much for the intellectual curiosity of some. I like this site, though. Lots of useful information/opinion. Seems like a pretty intelligent crowd.