Global

Medical terminology and vital signs for New healthcare staff

A ready-made course you customise for your organisation, with a live session deck and two surveys. You only add the 14 details that are specific to your organisation.

See the live deckSee the full outline
Try the coursePreview the survey
Length
40 min
Lessons
6 lessons
Frequency
At induction
Last reviewed
21 Oct 2026
Taking and recording vital signs
What would you do?

Fictional case. Sam, a new healthcare assistant, takes Mrs Patel's observations. Her breathing rate is 24, and she seems a little muddled, which her daughter says is new. Her other values look normal

Try it: this is one of 25 interactive activities in the course.

What's included

Three pieces that work together

Copy once, get everything. Learners prepare on their own, you answer questions live, and the surveys tell you what stuck.

Self-paced course

Short lessons with real workplace scenarios, not walls of text.

  • 6 lessons, about 40 minutes
  • Step-by-step, flashcards, tabs, sorting activity and quizzes

Live session deck

An AhaSlides presentation to run after the course, in person or online.

  • 11 slides
  • Word cloud slides
  • A closing slide for your contacts

Two surveys

Find out what landed, and whether people use it on the job.

  • Post-course feedback, about 2 minutes
  • 30-day check-in
  • Anonymous by default
  • Results feed your next refresher

Learning objectives

At the end of this course, learners can

Each objective and the lesson that covers it.

IDObjectiveSourceWhere it's covered
TO 155.0Achieve ≥ 80% on the final assessment-Whole course
LO 155.1.1Break a medical word into prefix, root and suffix and work out its meaningMedlinePlus Appendix ALesson 1: Word roots, prefixes and suffixes
LO 155.2.1Link common word roots to the right body systemMedlinePlus Appendix ALesson 2: Body systems vocabulary
LO 155.3.1Name the six NEWS2 measurements, record them accurately and know when to escalate + your infoRCP NEWS2; NICE NG136; MedlinePlusLesson 3: Taking and recording vital signs
LO 155.4.1Apply the 5 Moments for hand hygiene and the basics of a clean or aseptic task + your infoWHO; NHS England NIPCM; CDCLesson 4: Aseptic technique basics
LO 155.5.1Avoid error-prone abbreviations and use only your organisation's approved list + your infoISMP 2024; MedlinePlus Appendix BLesson 5: Common abbreviations and safe use

Your part: what a template can't do for you

  • Your workplace details: fill in the 14 highlighted fields so the course describes your own policies, contacts and locations.
  • Records: record completion in your own LMS or record system.

Course outline

6 lessons, about 40 minutes

Minutes per lesson are an estimate, shared out by page count.

ContentInteractiveVideoYou customise
1

Word roots, prefixes and suffixes

3 pages

7 min
Before you beginNoteYour infoList
How medical words are builtTextStep-by-stepNoteYour infoQuiz
Common prefixes and suffixesFlashcardsMatching quiz
2

Body systems vocabulary

2 pages

5 min
Roots by body systemTextTabsQuiz
Read the wordSorting activityQuiz
3

Taking and recording vital signs

4 pages

9 min
What vital signs tell usTextYour infoTabsYour infoMulti-select quiz
Reading the numbersTableYour infoNoteQuiz
Measuring wellStep-by-stepYour infoYour infoNote
When to escalateTableScenarioYour info
4

Aseptic technique basics

3 pages

7 min
Your 5 Moments for hand hygieneTextStep-by-stepQuiz
Rub or wash?AccordionYour infoNoteQuiz
Clean and aseptic tasksTextYour infoScenario
5

Common abbreviations and safe use

3 pages

7 min
Why abbreviations can harmTextFlashcardsQuiz
One abbreviation, two meaningsTextSorting activityQuiz
Your organisation's listAccordionYour infoYour infoFlashcards
6

Final assessment

2 pages

5 min
Final assessmentQuiz
CompletionKey factListNoteYour infoYour infoButtonYour info

Live deck and surveys

11 slides to run live, two surveys to close the loop

Pink slides are interactive. Both surveys are anonymous; pink questions are written for this course.

Title + agenda (notesTemplate disclaimer; all cases are fictional; this session does not sign anyone off for observations)
Word cloudOne medical word you have heard this week and did not understand
Pick answerTachypnoea means…" - Fast breathing ✔ / Slow heart / Inflamed lung / No breathing [MED-25-V02] [MED-25-V03]
Matching pairsNephr- ↔ kidney · hepat- ↔ liver · derm- ↔ skin · neur- ↔ nerve [MED-25-V04]
Content · customiseThe six NEWS2 measurements and our observation chart {{OBSERVATION_CHART}} [MED-25-V07]
PickPick answer (reading the observation): "Breathing rate 22, pulse 88, new confusion. What do you do?" - Tell the nurse now ✔ / Recheck in 12 hours / Nothing / Record only the numbers [MED-25-V09] [MED-25-V10]
Correct orderThe 5 Moments for hand hygiene [MED-25-V16]
CategoriseSafe to write / Never write" - 4 units · 4U · 0.5 mg · .5 mg · 1.0 mg [MED-25-V23] [MED-25-V26]
Content · customiseOur approved abbreviation list and escalation route {{APPROVED_ABBREVIATIONS_LIST}}, {{ESCALATION_ROUTE}}
Word cloud recapOne thing you will do differently on your next shift
ClosingClosing - {{SURVEY_URL}}, {{COURSE_URL}}, {{EDUCATOR_CONTACT}}, hands-on sign-off dates {{COMPETENCY_SIGN_OFF_PROCESS}}
Post-course feedback: 11 questions, about 2 min
  1. Overall rating 5 stars
  2. Relevant, realistic, right length, helpful activities agree/disagree grid
  3. What was most useful? multi-select
  4. Confidence before this course, and now 1-5 scale
  5. How confident are you reading a medical word you have not seen before? 1-5 scale
  6. How confident are you deciding when to tell the nurse about a set of observations? 1-5 scale
  7. What would help you most in your first month? multiple choice
  8. I feel able to ask a colleague when I do not understand a term or an abbreviation. 1-5 scale
  9. One thing we should change or add open text
  10. Would you recommend this course? NPS
30-day check-in
  1. Have you used what you learned since the course? multiple choice
  2. How confident are you today? Compare with day 1 1-5 scale
  3. Do you know where to find our observation chart and approved abbreviations list? yes / no / not sure
  4. A moment where the training helped, or where you weren't sure open text
  5. Which topics should the next refresher focus on? ranking

Results show whether people use the training on the job, not just whether they finished it.

Make it yours

14 fields to fill in, and you're ready

Everything else is done. These are the details only your organisation knows; each one is highlighted inside the course.

  • How new staff are observed and signed off for observations and aseptic tasks{{COMPETENCY_SIGN_OFF_PROCESS}}
  • The early warning chart and score you use{{OBSERVATION_CHART}}
  • Local technique for each measurement{{OBSERVATION_TECHNIQUE}}
  • Charts used for children and pregnant women{{PAEDIATRIC_AND_MATERNITY_CHARTS}}
  • How to report faulty devices{{EQUIPMENT_FAULT_REPORTING}}
  • Who to tell and how{{ESCALATION_ROUTE}}
Show all 14 fields
  • Uniform, jewellery and bare-below-the-elbows rules{{UNIFORM_POLICY}}
  • Local aseptic procedure and which tasks each role may do{{ASEPTIC_PROCEDURE}}
  • Approved and 'do not use' abbreviations{{APPROVED_ABBREVIATIONS_LIST}}
  • LMS or record system{{LMS_OR_RECORD_SYSTEM}}
  • Survey URL{{SURVEY_URL}}
  • Live session URL{{LIVE_SESSION_URL}}
  • Course URL{{COURSE_URL}}
  • Educator contact{{EDUCATOR_CONTACT}}

FAQ

Common questions

Can I run medical terminology and vital signs for New healthcare staff training online?

Yes. The course is self-paced and online, and the live deck lets you add a live session in the room or online.

How often is this training needed?

At induction (organisation policy).

Who needs this training?

New healthcare assistants and support workers, medical receptionists and administrators, ward clerks, and new hires in pharma and medtech who need the basic language of care.

What records should I keep?

Record completion in your own LMS or record system, so you can show who finished the course and when.

Can I edit the content?

Yes, everything. Change the wording, swap scenarios for ones from your workplace, add your logo, or remove parts that don't apply.

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Last reviewed: 21 October 2026Templates are a starting point, not legal advice.

Ready to run it?

Open the live deck to see how the session runs alongside the course and both surveys.

See the live deck