NURS 105 is Liberty's one-credit medical terminology course. Most of its points are quizzes and exams; its written work is two short discussion forums, a medical abbreviations chart and a two-page professional development plan.
Liberty's catalog lists the course as NURS 105 Medical Terminology, 1 credit hours; Canvas and the course guide file print it as NURS105.
What NURS 105 covers
The catalog description: This course provides basic understanding of medical terms and abbreviations. Includes study of prefixes, suffixes, word stems, and technical terms with emphasis on proper spelling, pronunciation, and applications. Elementary aspects of the nursing process with special emphasis on assessment are incorporated.
The course teaches the building blocks of medical language (prefixes, suffixes, word roots and technical terms) with attention to spelling, pronunciation and use, and introduces the nursing process with emphasis on assessment. The textbook is Jones and Cavanagh, Acquiring Medical Language.
Two assignments are study tools rather than writing: two 25-card terminology flashcard sets submitted to the discussion board, and a spelling test. Eight quizzes and a midterm and final exam carry 760 of the 1,010 points, so the written assignments are small but easy to get right.
Textbook named in the published guide: Jones & Cavanagh, Acquiring Medical Language (2016). Check the current edition in your Canvas section.
NURS 105 assignments, week by week
Every graded written assignment in the published guide has its own how-to guide below. Quizzes, exams, checklists and class introductions are left out because there is nothing to write.
| Week | Assignment | Points | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Discussion Board Forum 1 | 20 | Thread at least 150 words |
| 2 | Medical Abbreviations Chart | 25 | 20 common abbreviations plus 10 to avoid |
| 3 | Discussion Board Forum 2 | 20 | Thread at least 150 words |
| 6 | Professional Development Plan | 50 | 2 pages |
Week 1: Discussion Board Forum 1
A 150-word thread on the topic and two replies of at least 100 words. How to write NURS 105 Week 1 Discussion Board Forum 1.
Week 2: Medical Abbreviations Chart
A chart of 20 common medical abbreviations with long forms and definitions, plus 10 do-not-use abbreviations with their correct forms. How to write NURS 105 Week 2 Medical Abbreviations Chart.
Week 3: Discussion Board Forum 2
The second forum: a 150-word thread and two 100-word replies. How to write NURS 105 Week 3 Discussion Board Forum 2.
Week 6: Professional Development Plan
A 2-page first-person APA essay on how you will keep learning medical terminology and what you found hardest. How to write NURS 105 Week 6 Professional Development Plan.
How NURS 105 is graded
The published guide totals 1,010 points. Quizzes (8 at 45) are 360 and the midterm and final 200 each. The written work: the professional development plan is 50, the abbreviations chart 25 and the two forums 20 each. The flashcard sets are 50 each, the spelling test 25 and the checklist 10.
| Graded item | Points |
|---|---|
| Quizzes (8) | 360 |
| Midterm Exam | 200 |
| Final Exam | 200 |
| Terminology Flashcards (2) | 100 |
| Professional Development Plan | 50 |
| Medical Abbreviations Chart | 25 |
| Spelling Test | 25 |
| Discussion Board Forums (2) | 40 |
| Course Requirements Checklist | 10 |
The published scale puts an A at 900 to 1010 points.
Week timing in the published guide: Each course module/week (except Module/Week 1) begins on Tuesday morning at 12:00 a.m. (ET) and ends on Monday night at 11:59 p.m. (ET). The final module/week ends at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday.
How to approach NURS 105
Learn word parts, not whole words. Once you know that -itis means inflammation and gastr- means stomach, gastritis needs no memorizing; the same parts appear in hundreds of terms.
For the abbreviations chart, use The Joint Commission's official "Do Not Use" list for the ten abbreviations to avoid, so your chart reflects the standard that hospitals follow.
Questions students ask
How hard is NURS 105 Medical Terminology at Liberty?
It is a one-credit course graded mostly on quizzes and exams (760 of 1,010 points). The written work is short: two forums, an abbreviations chart and a two-page essay.
What abbreviations should be avoided in NURS 105?
The chart asks for 10 abbreviations that must be avoided in practice, with the long form, correct abbreviation and definition; The Joint Commission's "Do Not Use" list is the standard source.
Working through NURS 105 now?
Tell us the week and the assignment. A tutor who knows the course replies with a plan for the draft.