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Medical Terminology in Nursing: How to Use Medical Terminology to Connect to Your Patients

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If you are a nurse, or thinking about a career in nursing, you want to do what is best for your patients. However, we also need to learn MCQs that don’t include clinical terms to pass the nursing board exam. By learning medical terminology, and a broad scope of knowledge, you can be better prepared for your future and your patients.

This article will show you the benefits of knowing medical vocabulary to be a better nurse.

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1. The Benefits of Learning Medical Terminology

Knowing medical terms helps you communicate with your patients and better explain why they feel sick or in pain. When you understand medical terminology, you can better explain to your patients what is happening to them and not just tell them that they have a cough or pain. You can apply medical terms even in social situations like when you go out to eat or where you live.

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2. Becoming a Better Nurse Means Being Able to Pass the Licensing Exam

You may be a great nurse, but if you can’t pass the licensing exam, you won’t be able to practice. Learning medical terminology helps nurses better analyze the patients and their medical history. This is an important part of the test that may help you pass or fail based on the quality of your analysis. Knowing medical terms will also help you to understand your own body better. This way, when a doctor asks you about the symptoms, you know what they are asking.

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3. Medical Terminology Helps Nurses Read Between the Lines and Understand Clinical Situations Unique to Specific Patients

Reading between the lines is essential to being a good nurse, and by knowing medical terminology, you will be able to read and understand what the doctor is trying to tell you. You will also be able to understand the clinical situations of your patients better. This way, even if you are not in the room with them, you can still make assessments regarding their current diet, medications, and exercise.

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4. Medical Vocabulary is Important to Do Your Job Well

Knowing medical terms is only half of the job of a nurse. As a nurse, you are an important member of the team that provides care for your patients. Being able to understand medical terminology so that you can serve your patients correctly is essential for you to be able to provide them with excellent care. You also need to take the information and make it mean something to your patient.

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Conclusion

For more and better care, nurses need to know medical terminology. It should be a fundamental part of their education. Knowledge is power for both nurses and patients when it comes to medical terminology – with the patient’s understanding of their condition being key in recovery, and nurses’ knowledge of clinical situations being vital for a practical health care experience. To learn the fundamentals of basic medical terminology, enroll in the course entitled, “How to Use Medical Terminology (in 5 EASY Steps!) (and USE IT in EVERYDAY Living!)” offered by Avidity Medical Design Academy.

To purchase scented soaps and candles inspired by healthy living, visit Avidity Medical Scentations.

For more health care tips and information, follow the Avidity Medical Design Blog today.

Importance of knowing medical terminology - Doctor assessing a patient during a checkup.

5 Ways to Empower Yourself as a Patient By Learning Medical Terminology

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If you’re about to have an appointment with your doctor, you should know that it doesn’t matter whether it’s your first or your fiftieth time seeing them—you are still the most critical person in the room. Knowing medical terminology gives you the power to understand better what’s happening during your appointment and to get the treatment you need. 

These are five ways knowing medical terminology can empower patients, so read on to learn more!

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1) Speak Up at Your Next Doctor’s Appointment

When you know the medical terms for what’s going on with your body, you can more accurately describe your symptoms to your doctor. If you’re ever in the hospital, you’ll be able to understand what the medical professionals are saying about your care. By understanding your test results and diagnosis, you can take a more active role in your healthcare.

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2) Decipher Your Bills

When you get a medical bill, it can be challenging to decipher. However, if you know some medical terminology, you can often figure out the charges. This can help you budget for future appointments and get the necessary care. 

There’s also a chance that you might come across something fraudulent or erroneous in your billing. Knowing the language of healthcare will also allow you to do your research on treatments. This, in turn, may save time and money in terms of being an informed consumer.

3) Do Your Research

With so much information available online, patients are increasingly taking control of their health. But with all the medical jargon, it can be tough to know where to start. This is where understanding medical terminology comes in handy. By understanding the language of medicine, you can more easily find the answers you’re looking for. This information is also helpful when doing research on your own or when talking to a doctor.

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4) Educate Yourself About Illnesses

No one wants to be sick, but unfortunately, it’s a part of life. Learning about illnesses can help you better understand your health and the health of your loved ones. By understanding medical terminology, you can better understand doctors’ orders, medications and treatments, diagnoses and prognoses, and what your insurance will cover. 

It is also an empowering way to speak with healthcare providers on the phone or in person. If you can discuss with them what is going on with your body in their language, they will feel more confident that they know how best to treat you.

5) Use Words to Understand Procedures

If you don’t know the medical terms used to describe a procedure, it can be difficult to understand what is happening. However, understanding medical terminology can help you feel more comfortable with procedures and make it easier to ask questions. Using words to understand procedures when conversing with your doctor or provider may initially seem intimidating. 

Still, you will be surprised by how much of this language will come naturally when you begin looking up new words. If you remember these words, you’ll be able to take charge of your health care, understand your treatment plan, and even ask better questions about how you’re being diagnosed, so that every part of your care is tailored to your needs.

In Summary

If you’re ready to take charge of your healthcare and empower yourself with knowledge, enroll in a course offered by Avidity Medical Design Academy. You’ll learn the medical terminology to communicate effectively with your care team, understand your medical bills, and how to do your research. And while you’re at it, why not stock up on some scented soaps and candles from our online store? Visit Avidity Medical Scentations for more information on our scented soaps and candles. They make great gifts for the patient in your life!

Check out our website or contact us for more information about our training programs. We look forward to hearing from you!

5 Ways Medical Terminology is Used By Coding Professionals

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If you are a medical coder, medical terminology plays an integral role in every code you enter. It is the language of medicine that all medical professionals must learn, and for a medical coder, it is vital to know. Avidity Medical Design Academy offers a course in medical terminology to help you grow in your medical coding career. In the meantime, here are five ways that medical terminology will make your job easier if you are thinking about pursuing a career in medical coding, or if you are already a medical coder, and you want to continue to learn new medical terms related to a particular medical specialty, to improve the accuracy of your coding.

Reading the Medical Record Will Become More Natural

If you’re new the medical field, terms like “hepatomegaly,” “myalgia,” and “stenosis” will probably leave you scratching your head. As a medical coder, these terms should become more familiar to you, especially if you work in a doctor’s office, clinic, hospital, or ambulatory surgery center. If you code for a particular medical specialty, such as dermatology (the study of the skin) for example, you will see certain terms over and over again that pertain to dermatology, and it will become easier for you to recognize them. But other words you will not see very often and you might have to look them up. By learning medical terminology, you spend less time looking up words and more time entering codes.

Medical Terminology Helps You Find the Right Codes

Accurate coding is critical. An incorrect code becomes a permanent part of the patient’s record, it can affect patient care, and delay physician reimbursement because the patient’s claim may be rejected due to an incorrect code. It also means that you or someone else will have to go back in and correct the mistake. Coding can be challenging, especially for someone new to the field. Knowing medical terminology goes a long way towards cutting through the confusion. 

You’ll Be Able to Speak Intelligently to Other Medical Professionals

You are probably going to have to question or query doctors, nurses, lab technicians, and many other healthcare professionals in relation to a code assignment. They are most likely going to be pushed for time, so they may not have time to give you detailed answers to your coding questions. If you are familiar with the medical terminology they are using, you will be able to know exactly what they are saying and will be able to ask intelligent questions. It also helps when you get an email from your supervisor, or the medical biller, or the medical claims examiner, asking why you assigned a particular code. 

Learning Anatomy Will Be Easier

Knowing anatomy is crucial to being a successful medical coder, and in order to understand the terms used to describe the human anatomy, you must understand prefixes, root words, and suffixes, and how they combine to form the complete medical term. There is a reason why many medical terminology classes and anatomy classes are taught together.  If you know that ‘my’ means muscle and ‘-algia’ means pain, then you understand that myalgia means muscle pain. 

You’ll Be More Efficient

No one likes to think that they are not efficient at doing their job. It’s also hard when you get negative feedback. By learning medical terminology, you will be faster and more efficient at your job. The more medical terms you know, the more time you can spend finding and entering codes rather than researching unfamiliar medical terms. Your employers will be impressed, and you’ll have greater confidence in what you can bring to the table as a medical coder.

Learning medical terminology can be intimidating, as there are many terms to master, but it is a part of the job that you will do everyday. It will save you headaches, and improve your ability to accurately code each patient’s medical record. Check out “How to Learn Basic Medical Terminology (in 5 EASY Steps!) and USE IT in EVERYDAY Living!” offered Avidity Medical Design Academy, for more information on how to learn medical terminology.

To learn more about medical coding, enroll in the three-part medical coding series. Medical Coding Series (Part I) teaches you how to code using ICD-10-CM. Medical Coding Series (Part II) teaches you how to code using ICD-10-PCS. Medical Coding Series (Part III) teaches you how to code using CPT. Medical Coding III will be available in the near future.

Listen to three sample lectures from Medical Coding I. Click here to take the Medical Coding I course for only $99.99!

Title Slide for “Medical Coding Series (Part I): How to Code Using ICD-10-CM”
Lecture 1 for “Medical Coding Series (Part I): How to Code Using ICD-10-CM”
Lecture 2 for “Medical Coding Series (Part I): How to Code Using ICD-10-CM”


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Why Medical Terminology Is So Important To Learn

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Medical terminology is important if you work in the healthcare field. It is the basis for all that you will do. It is used to describe symptoms, diagnoses, tests that need to be ordered and ran, and special medical equipment. The terminology is spoken and written in charts so you must learn to say, spell, and read medical terms.

medical terminology

Medical terminology is important for many reasons:

  • It allows all healthcare workers to communicate in one language.
  • You will use it every day when you work in the healthcare field.
  • If you have to get your medical dictionary out every time you get asked to do something, you will be wasting valuable time. Nurses, doctors, and other health care professionals do not have time to waste, especially in an emergency situation.
  • One small mistake can make a big difference. You could give the wrong medication or just give the right medication the wrong way. It can be the difference between ordering the right test or the wrong one! You need to understand medical terms.
  • Common abbreviations are used in patient records. This helps doctors and nurses write quickly and efficiently in the records so that they can be onto the next patient. It also allows you to read and understand the records quickly.

If you want to do a great job in the health care field, you need to learn medical terminology and understand it! You do not want to have to reach for a medical dictionary every time you are told to do something. If you are unsure, it is better to check your dictionary than get something wrong. However, with a basic understanding of medical terminology, you will be able to communicate quickly and efficiently with other healthcare professionals.

how to learn basic medical terminology online course offered by Avidity Medical Design Academy

If you are interested in learning more about medical terminology, enroll in the course entitled, “How to Learn Basic Medical Terminology (in 5 EASY Steps!) (and USE IT in EVERYDAY Living!)” offered by Avidity Medical Design Academy.

Watch sample lectures from the Medical Terminology course below:

Lecture 6 from “How to Learn Basic Medical Terminology (in 5 EASY Steps!) (and USE IT in EVERYDAY Living!)”
Lecture 7 from “How to Learn Basic Medical Terminology (in 5 EASY Steps!) (and USE IT in EVERYDAY Living!)”
Lecture 8 from “How to Learn Basic Medical Terminology (in 5 EASY Steps!) (and USE IT in EVERYDAY Living!)”

Click Here to Take the Full Medical Terminology Course for Only $29.99!

Contact us whether you need a full course or a refresher course on medical terminology!