Understanding Medical

Terminology & Talk as a Nurse

Ns. M.Deri Ramadhan, M.Kep

School of Nursing_John Hopkins University

B.U.R.P.S
list Talk as a Two main topics
Nurse
 THE B.U.R.P.S LIST

Purpose: To become proficient in Building and

Understanding Roots, Prefixes and Suffixes.

Rationale: Building and understanding medical

terminology is simpler when the words are broken
down into roots, prefixes and suffixes.
 THE B.U.R.P.S LIST

Steps:
 Review the B.U.R.P.S. tables and try to determine the
definitions of the examples
 Notice the overlap among the three groups of roots, prefixes
and suffixes
 Make new words by changing one part of the word. For
example, if an appendectomy is the removal of the appendix,
then a nephrectomy is the removal of a kidney. Tachycardia is a
fast heart rate and tachypnea is a fast respiration rate.

Helpful Note: R/T means “related to”

THE B.U.R.P.S LIST
THE B.U.R.P.S LIST
THE B.U.R.P.S LIST
THE B.U.R.P.S LIST
THE B.U.R.P.S LIST
THE B.U.R.P.S LIST
THE B.U.R.P.S LIST
Purpose: To become familiar with
acronyms commonly used by health
care providers

Rationale: Different professions have TALK LIKE A

unique languages; medicine and NURSE
nursing are no exceptions.
Theacronyms below are used in
verbal and written communication in
health care settings.
 TALK LIKE A NURSE

Steps:
 Review the attached list of acronyms (then you can start to critique shows
like “House” and “Gray’s Anatomy” for accuracy!)
 Notice that some acronyms have two different meanings; e.g., ROM stands
for “range of motion” and “rupture of membranes” - be careful when using
abbreviations
 Take the Self Assessment after reading the approved terms

NOTE: All institutions have a list of accepted and “do not use” abbreviations.
Always check with the institution before using an abbreviation.
TALK LIKE A NURSE
Vocabulary
(Medical
Specialist)

if you work at
a hospital or
clinic, you will
interact with
a variety of
specialists.
Communication between
nurses and clients happens
all day, every day. At times
the communication is
formal, such as when a
nurse instructs client how
to use a piece of Talking with
equipment. At other times
the topic of communication
clients...
is informal; for example,
the nurse greets the client,
they exchange some small
talk and then the nurse
moves to the next room.
Communication
strategy 1.
Dialogue..
Communication
strategy 2.
 Task 1:

Find an article in nursing, identify

the medical terminology and its
meaning. Write in word, times
new roman 12. Collectively
collect to emai:
deriramadhan030394@gmail.co
m
THANK YOU...