Did you Know This?

QDS is a Latin expression that stands for "quater die sumendum".

"Quater" as you must have guessed is four times.
"die" is slightly confusing. In Latin, 'die' does not refer to death. It means "day". In Latin, the word for death is "mori".
The most difficult of course is "sumendum". The word means "to be taken". In English, however, 'to be taken' has two meanings, to be captured, and to be consumed. 'sumendum' means to be eaten. The Latin expression for 'to be captured' is 'un capta'.

At the end of the post, you will learn a few more commonly used abbreviations that will help you with the OET test.

Problems of not understanding abbreviations

Indian nurses who do not understand abbreviations can face several problems in a healthcare setting. Some of these problems may include:

• Miscommunication: Abbreviations are often used to save time and space, but they can also cause confusion and misunderstandings if they are not understood correctly. Miscommunication can result in errors, delays, and even harm to patients.
• Difficulty in documentation: Nurses are responsible for documenting patient care, including medications, procedures, and other healthcare-related information. If nurses do not understand abbreviations, they may have difficulty documenting this information accurately, which can lead to errors and legal issues.
• Decreased efficiency: Abbreviations are often used to increase efficiency in healthcare settings. However, if nurses do not understand the abbreviations, they may need to spend more time clarifying or looking up the meanings of these abbreviations, which can decrease their efficiency.
• Limited career opportunities: Nurses who do not understand abbreviations may have limited career opportunities, as many healthcare facilities require proficiency in English and familiarity with common medical abbreviations.

Therefore, it is important for Indian nurses to learn and understand the common abbreviations used in healthcare settings to ensure effective communication, accurate documentation, and efficient patient care, which can ultimately improve patient outcomes and lead to more career opportunities.

What are the commonly used abbreviations in OET

Doctors and nurses use a variety of abbreviations to indicate dosage in medical settings. Here are some of the most common ones and their meanings:

1. PO - by mouth: It comes from the latin phrase "per os" literally emaning by mouth. This abbreviation means that a medication should be taken orally, or by mouth.
2. mg - milligrams: This is a unit of measurement for the amount of a medication that is taken. For example, a prescription might say to take 500 mg of a particular medication.
3. mcg - micrograms: This is a smaller unit of measurement than milligrams. Some medications are measured in micrograms instead of milligrams. For example, a prescription might say to take 50 mcg of a particular medication.
4. g - grams: This is a larger unit of measurement than milligrams. Some medications are measured in grams instead of milligrams. For example, a prescription might say to take 5 g of a particular medication.
5. IU - International Units: This is a unit of measurement for vitamins and other substances. For example, a prescription might say to take 1000 IU of vitamin D.
6. qd - once daily: This abbreviation means that the medication should be taken once per day.
7. bid - twice daily: This abbreviation means that the medication should be taken two times per day.
8. tid - three times daily: This abbreviation means that the medication should be taken three times per day.
9. qid - four times daily: This abbreviation means that the medication should be taken four times per day.
10. prn - as needed: This abbreviation means that the medication should be taken as needed, or only when the patient is experiencing certain symptoms.

It's important to note that while these abbreviations are commonly used, they can also be a source of confusion and errors. Healthcare professionals should always double-check and clarify any medication orders to ensure patient safety.

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13 More OET Abbreviations

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If you want to learn more abbreviations, please visit the post in the box (it will open in a new window).
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