Online Medical Classes

I need to interview a HCP, such as a nurse or CNA for school if you can take a minute to answer the following?

questions: How important is medical terminolgy in this profession? How did you learn medical terminology (in a class or on the job)? Could you perform your job without knowing medical terminology? What types of medical terms are used the most often in your job? How often do you encounter a term that you are not familiar with or do not understand? How do you find the answer to the terms you are not familiar with? ( ask someone or look it up in a dictionary) If you did not take a medical terminology class, would you take one now before entering the health profession? Should all healthcare professionals take a medical terminology class? Please be descriptive. This is a research paper. I am legally blind and was advised to do my interview online rather than finding a way to go to a medical facility. I appreciate any help.

Public Comments

1. Medical terminology is essential. It enables you to use acronyms or a short term that speaks volumes. It makes for greater understanding from medical person to medical person and shorter writing on nurse's notes. As an R.N., I learned medical terminology in my classes and it was re-inforced "on the job"...that is, while doing my student nursing. Beyond standard terminology, the reat is learned while working since some terminology is specialty related. No, I couldn't perform the job without knowing medical terminology. Since others (doctors, nurses, technicians, etc) would be using it, if I didn't know it, I wouldn't have a clue what is being said and wouldn't be able to interpret doctor's orders. There is so much medical terminology used routinely in any phase of nursing and, having worked E.R., I had even more medical terminology to know. Some of the standards are: qd = every day bid = twice a day tid = three times a day qid = four times a day po = by mouth npo = nothing by mouth hs = at bedtime n & v = nausea and vomiting multipara = having 2 or more pregnancies mi = myocardial infarction (heart attack) im = intramuscular subq = subcutaneous gsw = gun shot wound ta = traffic accident doa = dead on arrival and there are oodles more! I rarely encounter a term I am not familiar with but, if i do, i ask the source...that is whoever used or wrote the term. It is not necessary to learn medical terminology before you enter the studies for your chosen profession. When you attend nursing classes or medical classes, you will learn that terminology as part of your specialized education. Yes, all healthcare professionals should and, in fact, do take classes that teach terminology since the terminology is incorporated into the classes. You cannot complete any medical classes without learning terminology...just not possible.