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English
For

The Professional Nurse

Book 1
Indah Dwi P.
Risa Herlianita

M. Muslih

Dewi Baririet B

Editor

Risa Herlianita

2012

SCHOOL OF NURSING
UNIVERSITY OF MUHAMMADIYAH MALANG

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FOREWORD
Nowadays, competence in English has become an urgent need for nurses who are
involved in medical services. It is due to the fact that they are required to have the
ability to communicate with the other people in their field including doctors and
patients.
English for Professional Nurse Book 1 is prepared for the demands of professional
nursing also include English Competence. This book provides nurse students to
improve their English skills in listening, reading, speaking and writing.
The contents of this book are based on the standard and fundamental nursing
procedures taught in previous year, so that the contents are not something strange for
the nurses. This course book is certainly help to facilitate the student to acquire the
ability to perform their duties in an environment where English is used and needed. I
wish that this book will be studied and practiced easily to achieve the competence of
Nursing English.
I hope that by the use of this book, the nursing students will be able to learn and
practice English according to their professional skills. By mastering English for
Professional Nurse Book 1, it will improve their quality of human resources and they
will have added value so that job opportunities will be widely open for them to reach
a bright future.
Author

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CONTENT
Page
Foreword

Content

Chapter 1: Describing Parts of The Body

Chapter 2: Using medical equipment

Chapter 3: Giving Direction in and around the hospital

13

Chapter 4: Observation Chart and checking vital sign

19

Chapter 5: Welcoming a patient on admission

Chapter 6: Checking a patients identity (ID)
Chapter 7: General Assessment
Chapter 8: Dimension of symptom
Chapter 9: Asking health problems
Chapter 10: Sharing observation
Chapter 11: Physical Examination
Chapter 12: Taking and recording patient observation
Chapter 13: Giving instruction to a patient
Chapter 14: Talking about pain
Chapter 15: Checking an IV Prescription and using IV infusion
equipment

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Chapter

1
Learning Objectives
After studying this chapter, student should be able to:
1. Label the part of the human body
2. Understand the idiom part of the body

Vocabulary
Study the vocabulary (noun) listed below!
Ankle
Chest
Chin
Elbow
Shin
Thigh
Wrist
Eyebrow
Nostril
Throat
Thumb
Big toe
Nape
Spine
Instep
Armpit
Vagina
Skull
Lips

Fingers
Forehead
Heel
Hip
Shoulder
Toes
Back
Ear
Cheek
Stomach
Nail
Scrotum
Shoulder blade
Elbow
Hand
Breast
Nipple
Tooth, teeth
Mouth

Knee
Navel
Neck
Palm
Sole
Waist
Hair
Nose
Jaw
Abdomen
Toenail
Penis
Arm
Buttocks
Calf
Groin
Skin
Tongue
Scalp

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ACTIVITY TASK 1
Label the parts of the human body (119) on pages 5 and 6 using the
words in the table above! Number 1 has done for the example.

Fig. 1.1 Parts of the body (front view). Reproduced with permission from Allum and McGarr, Cambridge English
for Nursing. Cambridge University Press, 2010.

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17

Fig. 1.2 Parts of the body (back view). Reproduced with permission from Allum and McGarr, Cambridge English
for Nursing. Cambridge University Press, 2010.

ACTIVITY TASK 2
Listen to the sentences and circle the words (a or b) you hear.
1. A. chin
B. shin
2. A. wrist
B. waist
3. A. hip
B. lip
4. A. eye
B. thigh
5. A. knee
B. heel
6. A. back
B. neck
7. A. palm
B. arm
8. A. sole
B. toe

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ACTIVITY TASK 3
Look at the diagram above again and label the shaded parts A, B, C and D
using the words in the box.
back of the hand

back of the knee

lower back

upper back

ACTIVITY TASK 4
In pairs, take turns to point to a part of your body. Ask your partner to say
what it is.

IDIOM
The English language has thousands of idioms. By an idiom we mean a number of
words which, when taken together, have a different meaning from that of each
separate word.
Arm

Back

Bone
Brain

Chin
Ear
Eye
Face

To give ones right arm (usually with would): to be willing to make a sacrifice
to get something.
To keep someone at arms length: to avoid being friendly.
To welcome someone with open arms: to greet warmly.
To back someone or something: to give ones support.
To be on ones back: to be ill in bed.
To break ones back: to overwork.
To be all skin and bones: very thin.
Brain fever: encephalitis.
Brainwashing: forcing someone to change his beliefs by use of extreme mental
pressure.
Brainless: foolish, stupid.
Brainy: clever.
Chin up: be brave.
To be all ears: to listen very carefully.
To keep ones eye open for: to watch carefully.
To make/pull a face: to grimace

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ACTIVITY TASK 5
Make a sentence using the idiom part of the body!

Example

When I came home from college, the whole family welcomed me with open arms.
1. To be all ears
___________________________________________________________________
2. To make/pull a face
___________________________________________________________________
3. To be all skin and bone
___________________________________________________________________
4. Chin up
___________________________________________________________________
5. Brain fever
___________________________________________________________________

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Chapter

2
Learning Objectives
After studying this chapter, student should be able to:
1. Label medical equipment and medical terminology
2. Use medical equipment and medical terminology in conversation

Vocabulary
Study the vocabulary listed below!
Blood pressure cuff
Digital blood pressure monitor
Pulse oximeter
Scales
Tympanic thermometer
IV bag
Ointment
Bandage
Tablet/pill
Wheelchair
Oxygen saturation
Electrocardiogram
Otoscope
Oxygen mask
Eye chart
Cervical collar

Stethoscope
Syringe/hypodermic needle
Crutches
Cast
Eye-patch
Sling
Plaster
Capsule
Pulse
Respiratory rate
Forceps
Gauze
Microscope
Privacy screen
Bandage scissors

ACTIVITY: TASK 1
Match the equipment (1-5) to the definitions (a-e)
(___)

1. Blood pressure cuff

a. Takes a patients blood pressure

(___)

2. Digital blood pressure

b. Wraps around a patients arm to take

monitor
(___)

3. Pulse oximeter

blood pressure
c. Takes a patients temperature

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(___)

4. Scales

d. Records a patients blood oxygen

saturation

(___)

5. Tympanic thermometer

e. Weigh a patient

ACTIVITY: TASK 2
Match the pictures (1-5) below to the equipment!

Fig. 2.1 Medical Equipment. Reproduced with permission from Allum and McGarr, Cambridge English for Nursing.
Cambridge University Press, 2010.

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ACTIVITY: TASK 3
Match the comments with the supplies that are needed:
a

table and head-rest

paper

thermometer

3 We'll have to get a blood sample.

oxygen mask

4 I need to sterilize the wound.

hypodermic needle

5 We'll have to feed him with liquids.

bandage scissors

6 Let's find out your weight.

scales

7 I need to examine the patient in private.

eye chart

8 Let's check your vision.

antiseptic

9 Let's see if you are running a fever.

IV bag

privacy screen

1 I can't catch my breath.

2

Prepare the examining table for the next

patient.

10 Can you cut this gauze for me?

Asking and Explaining The Function of Medical Equipments

Study this expressions.
ASKING:
What is this equipment for?
What is this?
Would you take a/an + (medical equipment) for (me, Mr. Jasmine)?
Can you explain the function of (medical equipment)?
EXPLAINING:
Ill introduce you a medical equipment/instrument. Its name is ____. It is used
(for/to)or It is functioned as _______
A/an _________is an instrument that is used for ______(Verb ing)

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ACTIVITY: TASK 4
Work in pairs. Use the medical equipment below to make the conversation
by using the expressions above.

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Chapter

3
Learning Objectives
After studying this chapter, student should be able to:
1. Describe the different of hospital departments
2. Use expressions related to giving directions correctly
3. Give directions to a certain place in or out of hospital

Vocabulary-Hospital Departments
PATHOLOGY
CARDIOLOGY
PHYSIOTHERAPY
RENAL UNIT
PHARMACY
ORTHOPAEDICS
NEUROLOGY
OPERATION ROOM
EMERGENCY ROOM

PAEDIATRICS
DERMATOLOGY
HAEMATOLOGY
OBSTETRICS
SURGERY
LABORATORY
DISPENSARY
RADIOLOGY

ACTIVITY: TASK 1
Match the information with the hospital department:
INFORMATION
1. Dispenses medicine
2. Treats kidney diseases
3. Specializes in pregnancy and birth
4. Studies illnesses and analyses samples
5. Treats diseases of the skin
6. Performs operation on patients
7. Studies blood disorders
8. Treats bones
9. Specializes in the heart
10. Deals with sick children
11. Treats disorders of the nervous system
12. Designs special exercises for patients

ANSWER

HOSPITAL
DEPARTMENT
A. Pathology
B. Cardiology
C. Physiotherapy
D. Renal Unit
E. Pharmacy
F. Orthopaedics
G. Neurology
H. Paediatrics
I. Dermatology
J. Haematology
K. Obstetrics
L. Surgery

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Vocabulary
Surrounded by

Right

Dead end

Turn

In the middle of

Left

One way

Uturn

Directly opposite

Intersection

Straight ahead

Corridor

On the right-hand side of

Parallel to

Roundabout

Sidewalk

On the left-hand side of

Corner

Close to

Preposition of place and movement

To describe the place where something is, we use prepositions such as in, on
on top of, at the top/bottom of, inside/outside, near, next to, by, in front of,
behind, opposite, under, over, at, on the left/right.
Example:
The toilets are at the bottom of the stairs, on the left.
To talk about movement, we use prepositions such as up, down, into, out of,
away, from, to, through, across, along, past, back to, around, left/right,
Example:
Go through the swing doors, turn left along the corridor, and the coffee bars
in front of you
Prepositions of movement are used with verbs of movement such as go, come,
take, push, carry.
Example:
To get from here to surgery, you have to wheel the trolley through three
wards

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Useful Expressions

Visitor/Patient: How to ask for direction

Could you tell me how to get to ....?

Can you tell me where .... is?
Im looking for .... How can i get there?
Excuse me, can you tell me the way to ..., please?

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Showing a place or room

ACTIVITY TASK 2

Make group of four

Each group decides a place based on the map above
Tell the place one by one in front of the other groups, and then let them guess
the place
The fastest group who raise their hands become the group which has a chance
to answer/guess it
The winner is the group which has the highest point
Other groups take their turn
For example: From parking area, go straight until you find an entrance. Then you go
straight until you find lift, you turn left. The room is after the operation room and on
the right-hand side.

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ACTIVITY TASK 3

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Refer to the site map above. Make a communication exchange to show the direction. The
starting points are as follows.
1. The security to maternity unit
2. The nurse station in ICU to the canteen
3. The security to the toilet (between dispensary and radiology)
4. The emergency room to the lift
5. The polyclinic to the pediatric ward (on the 2nd floor)
6. The waiting room to the children playground (on the 2nd floor)
7. The operation room to ICU (opposite the physiotherapy unit)
8. The entrance to the Class 1
9. The nurse station (near the lift on 2nd floor) to the laboratory
10. The emergency room to admission

ACTIVITY TASK 4
Refer to the site map below. Make a communication exchange to show the direction. The
starting points are as follows.
1. The main entrance to the restroom in Hunnewell
2. Pavilion to Enders Pediatric Research laboratory

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REFERENCES
Allum and McGarr. 2010. Cambridge English for Nursing. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
Hogue, Ann. 1996. First Step in Academic Writing. New York: AddisonWesley
Publishing Company.
Jakeman and McDowell. 2005. Cambridge Practice Tests for IELTS 1. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
_____________________. 2005. Step Up To IELTS. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press.
Silvestri, LA. 2006. Saunders Q&A Review for the NCLEXRN Examination. Missouri:
Elsevier Saunders.