Nursing English 4 — Medical Abbreviations & Acronyms BE

The shorthand of clinical care — the abbreviations and acronyms you'll encounter in notes, drug charts, and handover every single shift.

Medical abbreviations in nursing practice

Medical documentation relies heavily on abbreviations, and misreading or misusing them can have serious consequences. This exercise covers the most common clinical abbreviations used in hospital and care settings — from drug chart instructions to observation documentation and clinical assessment tools.

Ready to practice! Let's go!

Fill in each blank with the correct word from the list:

BD
DNR
ECG
NBM
NEWS
OD
PRN
SBAR
TDS
VTE

1. The patient has a order in place — do not commence resuscitation.

2. The medication is prescribed — give it once daily in the morning.

3. She is from midnight — she is having a procedure under general anaesthetic tomorrow.

4. The drug is prescribed — administer twice daily, morning and evening.

5. His score is 5 — escalate to the registrar as per protocol.

6. The drug is to be given — three times daily, after meals.

7. Complete a assessment for all patients over 60 admitted for more than 24 hours.

8. The showed ST elevation in leads II, III, and aVF — the cardiology team have been called.

9. Use the format for all handover communication — Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation.

10. Administer the antiemetic — only when required for nausea.