spelling and grammar in EMS run reports

[emt3225]

My spelling is not the best and the only reason for that, is that i'm usually writing the pcr's soo fast....When i'm not being rushed i usually do ok with spelling a word correctly...

[cosgrojo]

Although spelling and grammar, in a perfect world, would be nice to have on all run reports, I think the quality of the report and accuracy of the details are of utmost importance. As an anal-retentive document scribe, I strive for perfect narratives and a consistent "story-like" flow. As an auditor for the service I am employed by, I look for completeness and substance. Too many people tend to stick with just the bare minimum. I don't think that poor documentation always equals poor care, but you can't prove it doesn't. If you didn't write it, you didn't do it, or you didn't see it. If it's not spelled correctly, it doesn't nullify it's efficacy. Poor spelling and grammar is not a sin, not documenting appropriately, is.

[paramedicmike]

I do QA at work. I have returned, and will continue to return, PCRs with multiple spelling/grammatical errors. It is something that bugs me to no end. It gives the impression of an uneducated nimrod (sometimes not far from the truth) and puts the provider, and ultimately the service, in a bad way when that chart is presented in court.

And the last thing I want is to be associated with some dumb ass who's too lazy to spell/grammar check the PCR being written for errors. Not because it makes them look bad. They can do that all on their own. It's because it makes *ME* look bad. If I'm going to be regarded in a negative light, let it be for something I did. Not something my lazy coworkers did.

In an online forum I can see mistakes here and there. Free thinking and typing can lead to errors. I know I've missed a letter here and there, too. But I will agree with Dust that there's no excuse for it as there is a spell check feature on this site.

(Spell checked for your convenience. )

[itku2er]

Does spelling and grammatical errors in patient run reports indicate shoddy or poor patient care? Please discuss!

My feelings are no it does not indicate poor patient care (personally)....but it does indicate shoddy and poor doucementation on the medics part which in turn makes them look bad and unintelligent for a lack of a better word. If you dont take pride in your doucementation then yes it can make you look like you didnt take care of the patient....It is much easier to explain a clear and accurately done call sheet than it is to try to figure out what the hell you were saying when you turn in a grammarly incorrect or one that has misspelled words.....a bad lawayer can have a field day with that one....and a good lawyer will shake your hand for it...It is all in the preception....

just my two cents worth

Terri :angel12:

[AZCEP]

And the last thing I want is to be associated with some dumb ass who's too lazy to spell/grammar check the PCR being written for errors. Not because it makes them look bad. They can do that all on their own. It's because it makes *ME* look bad. If I'm going to be regarded in a negative light, let it be for something I did. Not something my lazy coworkers did.

A little background that is not intended to highjack the thread, only to illustrate a point.

My wife and I have a 12 year old daughter that is autistic. She is extremely intelligent, but is unable to communicate a lick. When she wants/needs something she is perfectly able to get it on her own, and is extremely challenging to supervise.

Now, this child may hold the secrets to world peace, but if she can't communicate them, how can we give her the proper credit for them. Even President Bush, a highly educated man, comes off as a buffoon every time he opens his mouth and butchers his given language. I won't say English, because sometimes I'm not sure that is what he is using.

Written language is easily as important as spoken. If your COMMUNICATION is poor, it will reflect poorly on your intelligence level, and in order, your ability to provide good patient care.

[ncmedic309]

Poor Spelling and Poor Grammar on PCRs = Poor Documentation

I don't agree that it equals poor care, one might be exceptional at patient care and their spelling just sucks...however it doesn't make you look good either when it comes time for someone to review your PCR. If you can't spell a word appropriately, find out how, or use a word with similar meaning. Abbreviations might also come in handy in this situation, just make sure your using agency approved abbreviations and remember that some abbreviations can have 100 different meanings to other people.

[MedicNorth]

The poem says it all - Spell check can catch some things, but not all, and substitutions can be a larger problem. At least a misspelled word is still the same word - Spell check can, in its wisdom, substitute a completely different word, which is worse. Spelling ability does not necessarily relate to intelligence or ability. The larger issue, as has been mentioned here, is the perception that people get when reading any kind of report. We associate poor spelling with ignorance.

If you have a spelling problem, it only makes sense that you use every possible tool you can to get it right - spell check, dictionary, your partner. Practice the terms and words you have trouble with. Keep a sheet of words and terms that are difficult for you with you at all times - refer to it if there is any doubt. Add to it as needed. This is faster and easier than packing a dictionary.

This works with grade-school kids. Should certainly work with adults.

Good luck!

[Dustdevil]

I think the bigger issue is not grammar itself. After all, thanks to public education, most of us leave high school with some weakness or another. For some it is math, for some it is the sciences, and for some it is the language arts. We have to remember, public education is there to cater to a minimum functional level of human knowledge and performance. A lowest common denominator. Those with exceptional math or language skills after high school are the exception, not the rule. They are anomalies. It isn't until a couple years of college that I reasonably expect somebody to be literate at either. Between high entrance requirements and college co-requirements for graduation, we simply should not be turning out a single medic in this country who is not proficient at both math and language skills any more than we should be turning out physicians without them.

Now, back here in the real world, where any GED chimpanzee that can squeeze his fat ass into a fireman's uniform is accepted and graduated into paramedic school without any entrance exams or general educational co-requirements, the above concept is but a pipe dream. Consequently, we are going to have some good medics whose language skills are simply horrible. In those people, the measure of their professionalism is their efforts to improve themselves. To finish medic school and start churning out horrible documentation is one thing. To not make a single effort to improve yourself through self study, tutoring, or better yet, attending college, is unforgivable. Unfortunately, it is probably the most common outcome that I see. Once they have that patch on their shoulder and start hitting IV's and tubes consistently, they cop the attitude that nothing else makes a difference. Those are the guys I have zero professional respect for. That is something that I would not tolerate.

Solutions? More competitive EMT and paramedic school entrance requirements. They aren't allowed in until they have completed the general education co-requirements. Period. And the more college hours they have, the higher on the list they go, ahead of the other candidates. Minimum SAT or other standardized testing scores. Essay entrance exams.

For those already in the field, you will improve yourself or you will be terminated. EMT's will be in paramedic school AND have their general educational requirements completed within two years of employment or be terminated. Paramedics will complete an associates degree within two years or be terminated. Those are all things they should have done BEFORE they entered the field in the first place, so I will accept no whining about being unable to do it in two years.

New employees, primary paramedics will not be hired without a college degree. Medics without degrees will be hired on an as-needed basis as secondary medics so long as they are actively enrolled in a degree program, which they have two years to complete.

And regardless of your educational level, if you have low grammar skills which are not showing noticeable improvement, you're out the door. I will not have my agency and all the good people who work there embarrassed by your lack of professionalism. Because no matter how good the rest of my people are, YOU are the one all the doctors and nurses are talking about. You are the weakest link. Goodbye!

SPELL CHECKED: one error found and corrected. :wink:

[Nate]

I'll admit...I don't always have time to "proof read" my run tickets before I hand a copy to the nurse. I'm usually getting paged by dispatch to get back on the streets and take another call. Now if we are slower and I have the time then I usually write longer, don't use as many abbreviations, and will proof my run tickets.

[UMSTUDENT]

Solutions? More competitive EMT and paramedic school entrance requirements. They aren't allowed in until they have completed the general education co-requirements. Period. And the more college hours they have, the higher on the list they go, ahead of the other candidates. Minimum SAT or other standardized testing scores. Essay entrance exams.

For those already in the field, you will improve yourself or you will be terminated. EMT's will be in paramedic school AND have their general educational requirements completed within two years of employment or be terminated. Paramedics will complete an associates degree within two years or be terminated. Those are all things they should have done BEFORE they entered the field in the first place, so I will accept no whining about being unable to do it in two years.

New employees, primary paramedics will not be hired without a college degree. Medics without degrees will be hired on an as-needed basis as secondary medics so long as they are actively enrolled in a degree program, which they have two years to complete.

And regardless of your educational level, if you have low grammar skills which are not showing noticeable improvement, you're out the door. I will not have my agency and all the good people who work there embarrassed by your lack of professionalism. Because no matter how good the rest of my people are, YOU are the one all the doctors and nurses are talking about. You are the weakest link. Goodbye!

SPELL CHECKED: one error found and corrected. :wink:

Completely agree. I had this argument with someone from my station the other day only to be shot down on several of these points. Too many of the people I deal with on a daily basis are unable to properly communicate via written language. I am constantly hounded at my station by own administrator because I refuse to abbreviate. Apparently my reports are also too "long." My rebuttal is simply that abbreviation, refusal to capitalize and a refusal use proper punctuation are signs of laziness that are easily seen by our counterparts in higher medicine.

I also agree that higher education should fix this problem. Granted, most colleges and universities only require one to two courses in english composition; however, at the same time you will not survive a four year education at a respectable university with sub par grammar skills. I agree with Dust in that everyone must be made to meet the requirements otherwise the profession will never advance.