Surgeon for an instructor

[Beldar_the_Cenobite]

Has anyone ever had a surgeon for an instructor and not an RN? He wasn't a very nice guy was he? Mine sure isn't. He asks very difficult questions that make you think "were these covered in the book or power points?"

Is there some way I can practice medical terms that have the same meaning so I can kick some butt on his exams?

[Beldar_the_Cenobite, CNA]

Most nursing programs, following pre-reqs, will require you to take some terminology, where you will learn that there is no pseudo to his terminology. I think it was in the didactic part of my skills course that we had a separate terminology exam each week for the first month (in a class that was only seven weeks long) in which we had to write down the meanings of roots and combine terms, etc.

I totally understand your point about not using medical jargon, or what I like to call 'nursey words', when talking to patients, but depending where you work (I'm in the ED), it's almost necessary just to read and understand the radiology/imaging reports that we follow up on- radiologists ONLY write reports in medical jargon. Not to mention, when you have to give report, and hopefully you review the patient's record to include physician progress notes, you'll have to be able to decipher that cholecystectomy is the same thing as gall bladder removal, or that hyperkalemia is the same thing as high blood serum potassium, in order to be properly informed.

You seem to be taking it in stride, but never be afraid to ask questions- most physicians I have met that are around education at all do it because they enjoy teaching students, no matter how gruff they might seem on the exterior.

"Nursey words" I like that. Some of those words you mentioned like Hyperkalemia I can break down. It makes sense that it's "high/potassium/blood" I could see "-ka" which I think means potassium, or "K". The cholecystectomy I forgot all about, because I've seen it before. I hope we go over it or else I'll have to take med term.

[Wiggly Litchi]

"Nursey words" I like that. Some of those words you mentioned like Hyperkalemia I can break down. It makes sense that it's "high/potassium/blood" I could see "-ka" which I think means potassium, or "K". The cholecystectomy I forgot all about, because I've seen it before. I hope we go over it or else I'll have to take med term.

Potassium is Kalium in latin, it's where it gets its K from