why bother using?
From SMO's perpective
People use jargon for many reason, some industries use it to sound more professional, some people use it because it sounds cool, but in the medical field, people use it to allow communication. jargon allows the medical profession to communicate more accurately and precisely.
As SMO Lam CW (formal Associate Consultant, Accident and Emergency Department) said "using medical jargon have simplified our daily work so much, that when we face a critical moment, the communication can still be clear and easy understand". Communication is always one of the most important thing in the A&E department, not only A&E but across the whole medical field.
Poor communication and unclear command can have a direct impact upon patients, since if doctors and nurses have poor communication, there is a chance of giving wrong medication, or even delayed necessary treatment. It is extremely important that both parties have the "same channel". Having the same channel is important to the patient and it will also speeds up the working pace in the department, since this is a crucial department are the most busy department, especially in HK. No matter what kind of reason, injuries, illness, pain or real accident, people in HK will go visit the A&E department, so it is important to keep a quick and highly effective working pace.
A fast work pace is one of the reason why people use medical jargon in this field, and to perform precise and accrete treatment. When it's a life or death situation, time is extremely important. For example, in the 'R' Room a typical resuscitation case, SMO wants to give the command to attach BP, SPO2 start CPR do ECG, ready Defib, inject adrenaline, and alert the department at the same time, if he have to say this words by word, it will be "Prepare Resuscitation room, attach blood pulse and blood oxygen machine start cardiopulmonary resuscitation and then do electrocardiography, prepare defibrillator also inject adrenaline 10 ml and then inform the department we have a resuscitation procedure here", the doctor himself might already be tired after he finished this sentence and the patient surviving percentage will already be decreased over 20%. However if he use medical jargon that every one understands the same message, it can be simplify in under 5 second "ready R room, Code blue, Attach BP, O2, ECG, Ready Defib, start CPR inject Adarone". When you compare these two sentence, you can clearly see the difference.
Medical jargon not only been used in emergency situations, but sometimes when a doctor encounters a patient with a psychiatric problem or a patient who has just deceased, medical jargon is extremely important. This is because professions can inform others about the patient by only saying 'ci' instead of this patient have psychiatric mental problems. By saying 'ci' this not only protects other staff, but also protects patients privacy and keep him / calm. When patient have just past away, usually nurses will inform HCA to package the body and then transfer to a temporary morgue room. This also keeps anyone who is waiting outside calm, as special words phrase has been arranged, that has association with death.
Medical jargon has simplified and improved daily work in the medical field. Without medical jargon, doctors and nurses daily work would become more difficult and patient would have less benefit.
"This article is supported by Dr. LAM (MBCHB, FRCS, FHKCEM, FHKAM, BSocSC) formal A&E associate consultant."
As SMO Lam CW (formal Associate Consultant, Accident and Emergency Department) said "using medical jargon have simplified our daily work so much, that when we face a critical moment, the communication can still be clear and easy understand". Communication is always one of the most important thing in the A&E department, not only A&E but across the whole medical field.
Poor communication and unclear command can have a direct impact upon patients, since if doctors and nurses have poor communication, there is a chance of giving wrong medication, or even delayed necessary treatment. It is extremely important that both parties have the "same channel". Having the same channel is important to the patient and it will also speeds up the working pace in the department, since this is a crucial department are the most busy department, especially in HK. No matter what kind of reason, injuries, illness, pain or real accident, people in HK will go visit the A&E department, so it is important to keep a quick and highly effective working pace.
A fast work pace is one of the reason why people use medical jargon in this field, and to perform precise and accrete treatment. When it's a life or death situation, time is extremely important. For example, in the 'R' Room a typical resuscitation case, SMO wants to give the command to attach BP, SPO2 start CPR do ECG, ready Defib, inject adrenaline, and alert the department at the same time, if he have to say this words by word, it will be "Prepare Resuscitation room, attach blood pulse and blood oxygen machine start cardiopulmonary resuscitation and then do electrocardiography, prepare defibrillator also inject adrenaline 10 ml and then inform the department we have a resuscitation procedure here", the doctor himself might already be tired after he finished this sentence and the patient surviving percentage will already be decreased over 20%. However if he use medical jargon that every one understands the same message, it can be simplify in under 5 second "ready R room, Code blue, Attach BP, O2, ECG, Ready Defib, start CPR inject Adarone". When you compare these two sentence, you can clearly see the difference.
Medical jargon not only been used in emergency situations, but sometimes when a doctor encounters a patient with a psychiatric problem or a patient who has just deceased, medical jargon is extremely important. This is because professions can inform others about the patient by only saying 'ci' instead of this patient have psychiatric mental problems. By saying 'ci' this not only protects other staff, but also protects patients privacy and keep him / calm. When patient have just past away, usually nurses will inform HCA to package the body and then transfer to a temporary morgue room. This also keeps anyone who is waiting outside calm, as special words phrase has been arranged, that has association with death.
Medical jargon has simplified and improved daily work in the medical field. Without medical jargon, doctors and nurses daily work would become more difficult and patient would have less benefit.
"This article is supported by Dr. LAM (MBCHB, FRCS, FHKCEM, FHKAM, BSocSC) formal A&E associate consultant."
From RN's Perspective
Using medical jargon have made the daily life in the department a lot more easier, since nurses usually have to take care a lot more patients and other things in the A&E department in daily life. Another interesting fact that nurses use medical jargon is because they don't want patient to ask too much or concern too much about their situation. Since on average in one hour, they have to take care 8+ patient, not like in the States, where 1-2 patient per hour. When time is tight, nurses tended to use more jargons that normal patient don't understand. it is not because they want to hide any thing or excluding patients, but it's because they don't want them or their family to over concern on their situation and ask to much questions which will slow down the progress of treatment.other then ensure patient are calm and be good when being treated, shard and understandable communication are extremely in the department, since nurses tended to have more practical performance, there fore they need better communication in between other nurses. For example, when performing suture on a wound, it is extremely important to keep patient calm, especially pediatric patient, since it involves needles and some injections. If patient were unstable, it can be more harmful than helpful to the patient. If they use those medical jargon which only themselves understands, and turn those "scary" wordings to unfamiliar words, then the whole progress can be quickly and smoothly done, with out any struggling or mistake.
(PWH, SNO. Personal interview. 12 Dec. 2011.)
(PWH, SNO. Personal interview. 12 Dec. 2011.)