Why is there no medical terminology class for the RN program? Among others.

[amanda1266]

Hi all, I was going through my school information tonight, I am not yet a student. I noticed that the CMA program they have seems to have alot more "stuff" about basic healthcare than the RN program does. Like Medical Terminology. It's a whole class in the CMA program but not even mentioned in the outline for the RN program. Is that just something that you learn along the way in the RN program? I noticed a couple other classes to that aren't listed on the RN program. Just curious how this works.

[caliotter3]

Nursing students expected to pick up this knowledge during the normal course of the program. Limited amount of time, priority for subjects taught will lie where there is a greater "need/benefit".

[TiffyRN, BSN, PhD]

During my nursing school we had a medical terminology test we had to pass (and if we failed it, we failed the semester). There are several things that expected to just be picked up before or during school that might be taught as separate classes in other clinical fields.

One very simple example is bed making, bed-making and other ADL type skills. We were given a book with illustrations and no in class illustration, just kind of had to pick it up from watching other nurses and CNAs in clinicals. The CNAs however had detailed classes on such things.

Would we have benefited from it? Sure, but the school has to choose which knowledge and skills to focus on especially in an ADN program that only has 2 years.

Back to medical terminology; it is absolutely essential to doing well in nursing (and other clinical fields), sadly it has been left to students to pick it up on their own. Thankfully for myself, I have really good memorization skills and a background in a Latin language so it was much easier for me.

[Mrs.Rollins, ASN, RN]

I had to take a semester of Medical Terminology for my ADN. It was very well worth the time.

[mariemac89LPN]

I would enroll in a medical terminology class if it is available. It is not required but it will be very beneficial to you.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

consider it medicalese by immerssion, lol

it is considered an secretarial/office class around here, which is why it is covered in the CMA course...that said, i did take it, and found it usefull.

[vanlo001]

Medical terminology was covered in the texts as we went through the nursing courses. I don't remember a test or course on medical terminology but I do remember lists of jdical terminology in a glossary type format after each chapter.

[hearts895, RN BSN]

Nursing students expected to pick up this knowledge during the normal course of the program. Limited amount of time, priority for subjects taught will lie where there is a greater "need/benefit".

I agree. That being said, I found it beneficial to take a Medical Terminology course. If you can take it without it taking up too much time and thus affecting your grades in your pre-req classes or nursing school classes, I highly recommend it.

[showbizrn]

Some nursing programs (like mine) expect the students to learn the medical terminology

along-the-way (i.e., during clinical). I would advocate a 1 - 2 credit

course as a prerequisite.

[caliotter3]

I agree. That being said, I found it beneficial to take a Medical Terminology course. If you can take it without it taking up too much time and thus affecting your grades in your pre-req classes or nursing school classes, I highly recommend it.

By the time I got the idea to take one of these classes on my own, I was already beyond being able to learn anything in the class. I've always looked for ways to improve my skills or knowledge on my own, especially if I can figure a way to list self-initiated improvement on my resume. They wouldn't let us do anything dealing with venipuncture in my program. This incensed me. When I found a phlebotomy course at another school, I took it on my own, for my own benefit.

[hearts895, RN BSN]

By the time I got the idea to take one of these classes on my own, I was already beyond being able to learn anything in the class. I've always looked for ways to improve my skills or knowledge on my own, especially if I can figure a way to list self-initiated improvement on my resume. They wouldn't let us do anything dealing with venipuncture in my program. This incensed me. When I found a phlebotomy course at another school, I took it on my own, for my own benefit.

Totally great idea! I, too, am going to be taking a phlebotomy course at my school even though its not a part of our Nursing Program because they don't have us practice venipuncture/injections on actual people. So, I'm going to take the phlebotomy course even though its part of the Clinical Lab Science program, because I think that its really important that a nurse have good skills with a needle sticking so to speak - after all thats one of the things the patient is most nervous about. In the phlebotomy class we practice on each other, which isn't going to be fun, but I'd rather be stuck a few times by my classmate, then make a patients life worse by being bad at injections etc. once I'm a new grad. I love your idea of listing "self initiated improvement" on your resume. Thats a great idea!

[tewdles, RN]

Way back in the stone age, when I was in college, we were tested on the medical terminology at every turn, but there was no specific class required for graduation, just mastery. It was expected that if a student was not able to learn the terminology well enough to pass the tests, they would seek assistance appropriately, some did take a 1-2cr course pre-emptively. I thought that med terminology was so thoroughly a part of the entire course of study that it was not problematic for me, however, many students did take courses or purchase used work books from other students to help them learn it.

This practice is widespread in college curriculums of all varieties. My youngest is a chemical engineering student at U of M, she is currently in a 300 level organic chem course which tests weekly on subject matter which is not lectured on and is only outlined on the study guide. This is part of their weeding process, apparently... only the very bright and motivated are able to keep up and excell when so much is expected independently. I hope my dau is bright and motivated enough!!