Comments on: I want to spend a penny, not go to the shop: nurses to be taught euphemisms

By: Charlotte

Charlotte — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:09:39 +0000

Working as a nurse I’ve heard some euphemisms in my time. But even though Im from the UK I sometimes have to stop and think ‘okay that means…..?’, in particular some of the one’s the ‘culchies’ or the folk from the more rural areas in Northern Ireland use are unknown to a city girl like me.

By: rogibson

rogibson — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:27:43 +0000

I still think the idea is a bit far-fetched.

By: Frankie

Frankie — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 21:20:46 +0000

While it seems a good idea to provide training on these phrases, these are not expressions which exist only in Norfolk! These are nationwide expressions and are bound to confuse foreign nurses over the whole of the UK!

By: Daniel

Daniel — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:35:32 +0000

How can you work in a hospital and not understand euphemisms or double-entendres? Surely Carry-on films should be part of the training. Bloody foreigners, coming over here, misunderstanding our nonsensical drivel…

By: eris

eris — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:14:24 +0000

For those confused, “spend a penny” means to go to the toilet. See http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/spend-a-penny.html

So you can imagine how confusing it’d be if you asked for the toilet and were taken to the shop, which was apparently sans toilet!

By: Berber Anna

Berber Anna — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:05:58 +0000

I’m assuming ‘spend a penny’ is a euphemism for using the toilet. You know, because public toilets generally charge a small amount of money, and because really — what else is there in a hospital that requires both a nurse to help you get somewhere, and a euphemism?

By: Angela

Angela — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:08:57 +0000

*what the article is talking about. Sorry

By: Angela

Angela — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:08:31 +0000

Mike,

I totally agree with you. They mention “spend a penny” twice but no explanation when the article is about confusing euphemisms. It most defniitely is an irony. And I sure don’t know what that means!

By: Rob

Rob — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:03:07 +0000

I was a nurse once.
The patient experience is a fundamental aspect of the therapeutic process. If a patient does not feel understood or cared for, it damages the perception of the whole process. They can have wonderful surgery and top-class after care but if the nurse is rude they will leave with a negative experience.
Many people I cared for seemed to think that the influx of migrant labour into nursing would damage care standards. In my experience, many non-English nurses have very high standards, including a knowledge of technical language.
The inability to understand euphemisms can lead the patient to assume that the nurse has poor English, when in fact that is often far from the case.
So, a simple bit of training with a very important outcome.

By: Daphne

Daphne — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:52:11 +0000

I am involved with teaching a course at one of the university medical schools to give overseas student doctors similar help. I think that if we don’t give them this help then we are failing them. Also, I don’t think that patients should be having to struggle to make themselves understood by healthcare professionals. So I think this project is totally appropriate and a very good thing!