Anatomy Acronyms & Tricks for Beginners: Mastering Muscles, Bones & Glands with Nurse Chuckles
- Nurse Chuckles, RN (CNO)
- Apr 28
- 5 min read
Introduction:
Let’s face it—anatomy can feel like you’re trying to decode ancient hieroglyphs. But don’t panic, future nurses and healers! In this blog, we’re just scratching the surface of anatomy with easy-to-remember terms, visual memory tricks, and vocabulary breakdowns to help you remember what matters—without needing a second brain.
Vocabulary Basics:
Origin – Where a muscle starts. This site doesn’t move during contraction.
Insertion – Where a muscle ends. This site moves when the muscle contracts.
Obturator Foramen – A large opening in the pelvis for nerves and vessels.
Obturator Nerve – Controls medial thigh movement (adduction).
Iliac Crest – Curved upper edge of the pelvis. Landmark for injections and spinal taps.
Pituitary Gland – “The boss in the brain basement,” regulates all hormone traffic.
Sella Turcica – “The saddle” in the sphenoid bone that cradles the pituitary.
Memory Tricks – Nurse Chuckles Style
1. Obturator Nerve
Mnemonic: “Obstacle in the opening.”
It passes through the obturator foramen to control thigh adductors.
2. Iliac Crest
Mnemonic: “Hip high-five.”
Put your hands on your hips—you’re touching the iliac crest.
Used for: Bone marrow biopsies, IM injections, and spinal taps.
3. Pituitary Gland
Mnemonic: “Boss in the brain basement.”
Controls thyroid, adrenals, growth, sex hormones, and more.
4. Sella Turcica
Mnemonic: “Saddle for the pituitary pony.”
Part of the sphenoid bone that protects your pituitary gland.
5. Eye Orbit Bones Mnemonic
7 bones form the eye socket—not 8!
Correct mnemonic:
“My Left Eye Sits Perfectly Facing Zebras”
Maxilla
Lacrimal
Ethmoid
Sphenoid
Palatine
Frontal
Zygomatic
Acronym Refresher
RICE – Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation
SOAP – Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan
Orbit Mnemonic – “My Left Eye Sits Perfectly Facing Zebras
Amazon has some great tools to help you along your anatomy and physiology journey. Please feel free to use my Amazon Affiliate links to checkout an awesome anatomy coloring book and other tools.
Acronym Refresher
RICE – Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation
SOAP – Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan
Orbit Mnemonic – “My Left Eye Sits Perfectly Facing Zebras”
Amazon Finds for Anatomy Students
Here are 4 helpful tools I recommend:
Brunner’s Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing – Common Mnemonics
(summarized from Brunner & Suddarth’s Medical-Surgical Nursing textbook, latest editions)
1. Shock Management:
“O2 FINDS”
Oxygenate
Fluids
Inotropes (meds that help heart contract)
Nutrition
Drugs
Support emotional needs
2. Inflammatory Response (Signs of Inflammation):
“PRISH”
Pain
Redness
Immobility (loss of function)
Swelling
Heat
3. Nursing Process Steps:
“ADPIE”
Assessment
Diagnosis
Planning
Implementation
Evaluation
4. Causes of Cancer (Warning Signs):
“CAUTION”
Change in bowel/bladder habits
A sore that does not heal
Unusual bleeding/discharge
Thickening or lump
Indigestion or difficulty swallowing
Obvious change in wart or mole
Nagging cough or hoarseness
5. Layers of Skin:
“Come, Let’s Get Sun Burned”
(from outermost to innermost layer of epidermis)
Corneum
Lucidum
Granulosum
Spinosum
Basale
Helpful Tip:
Saunders especially pushes mnemonics that simplify “memorization overload,” while Brunner’s mnemonics focus more on clinical assessment and nursing action steps.
Saunders NCLEX Review – Common Mnemonics
(sourced from “Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN,” editions 7–10)
1. Cranial Nerves Mnemonic (Order and Names):
“Oh Oh Oh To Touch And Feel Very Good Velvet AH!”
(Names: Olfactory, Optic, Oculomotor, Trochlear, Trigeminal, Abducens, Facial, Vestibulocochlear, Glossopharyngeal, Vagus, Accessory, Hypoglossal)
2. Cranial Nerves (Sensory, Motor, or Both):
“Some Say Marry Money, But My Brother Says Big Brains Matter More”
S = Sensory, M = Motor, B = Both
3. Heart Blood Flow:
“Try Pulling My Aunt’s Lacy Pants”
Tricuspid Valve → Pulmonary Valve → Mitral Valve → Aortic Valve → Left Atrium → Pulmonary veins
4. Symptoms of Hypoxia:
“RAT BED”
Early signs: RAT = Restlessness, Anxiety, Tachycardia/Tachypnea
Late signs: BED = Bradycardia, Extreme restlessness, Dyspnea
5. Developmental Milestones (Months 2, 4, 6, 9, 12):
“Two, Four, Six, Nine, Twelve — Grow, Sit, Teeth, Crawl, Walk”
NCLEX-Style Quiz Questions with Rationales
1. A nurse student is learning muscle anatomy. Which statement is true about muscle attachments?
A. The origin moves during muscle contraction.
B. The insertion is stationary.
C. The origin remains stationary, and the insertion moves.
D. Both origin and insertion move equally.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Origin is fixed; insertion moves. That’s the basis of muscle function.
2. Which statement best describes the obturator nerve?
A. It innervates the gluteal muscles.
B. It passes through the obturator foramen to control leg adductors.
C. It supplies sensation to the arm.
D. It originates in the thoracic spine.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The obturator nerve runs through the obturator foramen and innervates the medial thigh.
3. Which structures use the iliac crest as a landmark?
Select all that apply:
A. Bone marrow biopsy
B. Spinal tap level
C. Blood pressure cuff placement
D. IM injection site
Correct Answers: A, B, D
Rationale: The iliac crest helps locate L4-L5 (spinal tap), serves as a site for marrow sampling, and guides ventrogluteal injections.
4. What nickname did Nurse Chuckles give the pituitary gland?
A. The hormone switch
B. The adrenal ally
C. The brain’s assistant
D. The boss in the brain basement
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The pituitary regulates other glands. It’s small, powerful, and tucked into the sella turcica.
5. Where is the sella turcica found?
A. In the femur
B. In the sphenoid bone
C. In the occipital lobe
D. Beneath the maxilla
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The sella turcica is a depression in the sphenoid bone, cradling the pituitary gland.
6. Which bone is not part of the orbit?
A. Frontal
B. Inferior Nasal Concha
C. Zygomatic
D. Ethmoid
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The inferior nasal concha is part of the nasal cavity, not the eye orbit.
7. A nursing student asks for a portable anatomy resource. What should Nurse Chuckles recommend?
A. Thermometer
B. Cardiology textbook
C. Netter’s Clinical Anatomy Flashcards
D. Stethoscope case
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Flashcards are perfect for on-the-go study, repetition, and visual learners.
Final Thoughts from Nurse Chuckles
Anatomy isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress. These tools and tricks can be your stepping stone to NCLEX mastery and clinical confidence. You’re not just learning to label bones—you’re preparing to save lives.
Follow me @NurseChucklesRN on TikTok, YouTube, and IG.
Check out Harriet & Nightingale’s Protégés for more learning and laughs!
References
Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN®, 8th Ed.
Moore’s Clinically Oriented Anatomy, 8th Ed.
Netter’s Anatomy Flash Cards, 5th Ed.
Visible Body app & Servier Medical Art
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