I've been neglecting my "words of the week" posts so here's an update! I've been working in the hospital for over 2 months now, and naturally, some of the language used is different than what I'm used to. Two most notable differences are the use of the words "toxic" and "expired."
In the hospital setting, the word toxic doesn't refer to something that's poisonous or dangerous, but it simply means that you're very busy and don't have enough time. For example, a nurse with 7 patients might describe her shift as being very toxic or the dialysis unit might refer the general unit as being toxic due to their heavy workload.
Secondly, I'm used to the word expired being used to describe food items that are no longer good to eat; however, in the hospital setting, nurses refer to patients who have died as being "expired." In nursing school I've always be taught to use direct language in order to avoid confusion and possible misunderstandings. For me, the word expired is confusing and a little bit insensitive. However, that doesn't mean that the use of the word if wrong. It's simply something that I've never been exposed to.