Capitalization Rules

Why This Matters for Nursing: Proper capitalization ensures professional documentation. Medication names, proper nouns, and titles all have specific capitalization rules that reflect your attention to detail.

What You Need to Know

Capital letters are used for specific types of words. Incorrect capitalization can make writing look unprofessional or even change meaning.

🧠 Memory Trick

Capitalize PINTS: - Proper nouns (specific names) - I (always capitalize!) - Nations, nationalities - Titles (when with name) - Start of sentence

Capitalization Rules

1. First Word of a Sentence

Always capitalize the first word: - The patient arrived at 9 AM. - After the procedure, rest is recommended.

2. Proper Nouns (Specific Names)

3. Titles with Names

Capitalize when used WITH a name, not when standing alone:

4. Medication Names

• Brand names: Capitalized (Tylenol, Advil, Lipitor)
• Generic names: Lowercase (acetaminophen, ibuprofen, atorvastatin)

5. Academic Subjects

• Capitalize specific course names: English 101, Anatomy and Physiology
• Don't capitalize general subjects: math, science, nursing (unless part of a title)
• Always capitalize languages: English, Spanish, French

6. Directions

• Capitalize when referring to regions: the South, the Midwest
• Don't capitalize when indicating direction: Go south on Main Street

✏️ Worked Examples

Example 1: Proper Nouns

WRONG: "The Patient was admitted to saint mary's hospital."

Step 1 — Find every word that should be capitalized and check them one by one.

Step 2 — "The Patient" — is patient a proper noun? No. A patient is a common noun — it's a general category of person, not a specific person's name. Lowercase: patient.

Step 3 — "saint mary's hospital" — is this a specific place? Yes! Saint Mary's Hospital is the name of a particular hospital. Specific place names are proper nouns → capitalize every significant word: Saint Mary's Hospital.

Step 4 — Put it together.

CORRECT: "The patient was admitted to Saint Mary's Hospital."

Why this matters: In nursing documentation, writing "saint mary's hospital" looks careless. The official name of the facility is a proper noun and must be capitalized.