F.A. Davis Student Engagement in Med Term

Strategies for Success

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT IN MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY

Susan Sportsman, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN Managing Director Collaborative Momentum Consulting

Introduction A group of health professionals were chatting over lunch about their education, telling stories about the courses that were memorable (for good OR bad.) One member of the group described a boring Medical Terminology class. “ I really didn’t learn a thing, even though it was a face-to-face class. When we came to class, the instructor lectured about the parts of the words we were studying, and we had a test every class meeting. The only reason I know any terminology at all is because I worked at a hospital before I went to school. Even now, I must look stuff up! There must be a better way! ” You may have heard such a conversation—or have felt the same way. And yes, there are better ways to effectively teach students to use medical terminology appropriately in their careers. Let’s consider ways faculty can engage students, motivating them to make medical terminology a part of their professional behavior.

FADavis.com

The Science of Learning 1. With the advancement of technology to assess the structure and function of the brain, researchers have found significant evidence regarding human responses to learning. When listeners are engaged in learning, neurochemical changes in their brain are stimulated. Conversely, if listeners are disengaged, inattentive, distracted (think multi-tasking) or are doing something that doesn’t require effort, these chemicals are not released. It is as if the brain is making a quick determination of the importance of what is being communicated. If the content does not engage people’s imagination, soon their attention will wander, making comprehension of the content exceedingly difficult. Eyler (2018) described engagement in learning as a “ psychological investment in learning .” His review of research in psychology, evolutionary biology, and neuroscience identified learners’ attributes that positively influence learning in both face-to-face and online courses. These attributes include… § Curiosity § Sociality § Emotion § Authenticity of the experience The bottom line is when faculty create learning activities that stimulate learners’ attention, curiosity, interest, optimism, and passion regarding the subject matter they are studying, they are more likely to be motivated to connect with the learning materials. Importantly for health professions students, the extent to which learning activities are closely related to the “real world” of healthcare, the more engaged students will be (Eyler, 2018).

Terminology Courses 2.

Objectives of All Medical

So, how do Eyler’s learning principles relate to medical terminology courses? Regardless of the healthcare discipline of the students enrolled or whether the course is offered face-to-face, online, or as a hybrid model, at the end of the course, students must be able to: 1. Define medical terms using suffixes, roots, and prefixes.

2. Pronounce and spell medical terms correctly. 3. Identify and understand medical abbreviations.

To be sure that students meet these three goals, faculty must provide students opportunities to not only learn relevant content, but also to practice using terminology in a variety of clinical situations. To be sure students have met these objectives, their competencies must be assessed, by answering the following questions: § Can students pronounce the words? § Can students spell the words? § Can students use the words in the appropriate context? Achieving these outcomes requires students to be engaged in the learning process, applying what they have learned in ways that feel as if they were working in actual healthcare settings.

Publisher Resources Offer a Turnkey Solution

Providing opportunities for students to not only learn medical terminology content but also to practice using it in a wide range of situations, and then to assess their abilities in “real-world” situations, is a tall order for faculty. However, publishers in the Health Professions space provide a variety of resources designed to encourage student engagement. For example, F.A. Davis has a wide assortment of digital resources that support a more engaging approach to teaching medical terminology that corresponds to each of their medical terminology texts. Their Medical Language Lab uses the model Learn, Practice, and Assess to develop digital products that support students’ learning. The table below outlines the specific resources in this online lab.

LEARN

PRACTICE

ASSESS

§ Read § Watch § Opportunity for Critical Thinking • Exercises • Critical Listening • Sample Test Questions

§ On-line Assignments • Word Search • Spell it.

§ Self-Assessments § Examinations § Integration of learning into clinical scenarios

• Right word/Wrong word • Picture it • Labeling • EMR Activities • Suffixes and Prefixes

F.A. Davis’s Medical Language Lab provides lecture videos, audio tutorials, interactive flash cards, critical-listening and pronunciation exercises, and quizzes to apply the content. Students can practice with a variety of activities, as described in the table above, to reinforce their learning. Finally, Medical Language Lab offers dashboards for both faculty and students to track individual student progress in integrating learning into clinical scenarios.

Achieving Sociality

According to Eyler (2018), interacting with others–being social–can enhance student engagement in learning activities. When faculty provide such opportunities, either in the classroom or online, students’ competence in medical terminology is more likely to develop rapidly, particularly when the activities reflect their roles in healthcare. Here are several exercises that can accomplish these goals and can be used regardless of whether the class is offered face-to face or online. Terms as an Icebreaker This exercise can serve as an icebreaker in the early days of a face-to-face class, particularly when students may not know each other. Ask students to write one prefix, suffix or root word on an index card and bring the card to class. As students enter the classroom, ask them to match the word on their card with a word on another person’s card to form a medical term. Give students 10-15 minutes, depending on the available time and size of the class, to repeat this process. The purpose of this exercise is to see how many different words can be developed by the end of the designated period, emphasizing the considerable number of words that can be made by combining prefixes and suffixes with root words.

Alternatively, the faculty can give students a card with a medical term as they enter the room. As students sit down, have them independently define the term on their card. As soon as class is convened, ask students to share their terms and their definitions, either in pairs, small groups, or with the entire class. This provides students with the opportunity to pronounce the word correctly in front of others and define the term. As these terms are shared, other members of the class have the opportunity to hear pronunciations and definitions. These activities can also be used when students are online together at the same time via an online meeting space such as Zoom or Teams. “Speaking” Medical Terminology The exercise,” Speaking” Medical Terminology gives students an opportunity to use medical terminology in a clinical scenario. In a face-to-face classroom environment, divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a slip of paper that describes a clinical experience. For example, “A patient has been diagnosed with cardiac tamponade. The symptoms are hypotension, tachycardia, cyanosis of lips and fingers, diaphoresis, and paradoxical pulse. The patient will have an emergency pericardiocentesis.” One student will read the written statement, concentrating on correct pronunciation. The second student will explain the meaning of the text without using medical terminology. After both have completed their assignments, the pair will reflect on each other’s performance, making suggestions for improvement. Faculty may develop their own phrases or use clinical descriptions from resource materials, such as exercises found in Medical Language Lab. This exercise may also be used in an online class. The faculty member might email or text the clinical scenario to students and student pairs could communicate by telephone, text, or email at their convenience. Translating Medical Terminology The Translating Medical Terminology exercise can be used in a face-to-face class as an exercise or as a pop quiz. The instructor reads short clinical scenarios which include medical terminology, such as: § “A pulse oximetry probe may be used on a patient with peripheral vasoconstriction.” § “Lab Findings: gram stain of the material showed the presence of both intercellular and extracellular gram- negative diplococci. Neisseria gonorrheal grown in the culture.” Students will listen to the medical terminology spoken and write the terms down, correctly spelling and defining them. Resources such as Medical Language Lab include clinical scenarios that can be used in this exercise. Students or faculty may grade this work. Simulated Patient Reports Simulated patient reports such as a History and Physical or Discharge Summary can also be found in Medical Language Lab and will provide students with life-like situations. Ask students either individually or in small groups (in a face-to-face class or online) to identify medical terminology in the report, defining all terms. Translating Patient Complaints into Medical Terminology Patients are often overwhelmed by the medical jargon they encounter in the healthcare system. They use layman’s language to describe their complaints. While the healthcare professional may know exactly what the patient is describing, these descriptions need to be translated into medical terminology when entered in the patient’s record. The following type of exercise can help students make translations from “patient-speak” to “medical-speak.” Provide students with a scenario where patients describe their symptoms in layman’s terms. For example: Mrs. P, an 85-year-old female has the following complaint: “Since last night, I have had bad pain when I pee. The pee looks sorta red. I think I must have a fever, but I don’t have a thermometer. The small part of my back is really hurting too. Maybe I strained it working in the garden. The last time I went to the clinic, they said I had high sugar.” Ask students to transfer the patient description into appropriate medical terminology. This type of exercise could be implemented in either a face-to-face or online class.

Reflection to Support Learning Health profession faculty may be so busy helping students grasp concepts important to the student’s discipline, they may not consider planning for student reflection on their learning experience. Yet Cross (2018) suggests several benefits to regular reflection in learning that can aid in the retention of important content. Perhaps most importantly, it encourages learners to take charge of their own learning. Reflection also helps students to make strong connections between multiple learning experiences. Equally important, it sparks social interaction which according to Eyler (2018) is effective in encouraging engagement. Because reflection is a critical part of the learning process, medical terminology faculty can ask students to reflect on their learning experience. Such questions might include: § What did I learn from this exercise? § What areas do I need to review? § What resources should I use for this review? § What other areas of my study will these reflections help? Conclusion Effective use of the language of medicine by health professionals is a key component of a successful career, particularly as interprofessional collaboration becomes increasingly important in a complex healthcare arena. Health Professions faculty play a vital role in students’ development of competence in the use of medical terminology. Developing engaging learning activities will go a long way in supporting students’ success. References Cross, L. (2018) Why reflection encourages a better learning experience. Learning Pool. August 18. https:// learningpool.com/why-reflection-encourages-a-better-learning-experience/ Accessed, 2023. Eyler, J.R. (2018) How Humans Learn. The science and stories behind effective college teaching. West Virginia University Morgantown. About the author Susan Sportsman, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN , is a nationally recognized speaker and consultant with over 10 years of consulting experience, providing program development and other consultation services to nursing and health professions programs throughout the United States and Canada. Previously, she served as Dean of the College of Health Sciences and Human Services at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas.

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