Pre-Nursing Terminology

Abrasion

the scraping away of a portion of skin or a mucous membrane because of injury

Agitation

excessive restlessness and increased mental and especially physical activity

Ambulation

to move from place to place by walking

Antipyretic

an agent that reduces febrile temperatures

Apathy

indifference; insensibility; without emotion; sluggish

Aseptic

sterile; free from bacteria and infection

Aspiration

accidental inspiration of fluid or a foreign body into the airway

Atrophy

a wasting; decrease in size of an organ or tissue

Bradycardia

a pulse rate below 60 beats per minute

Culture

characteristic patterns of attitudes, values, beliefs, and behaviors shared by members of
a society or population

Cultural Competence

a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes, and policies that enables nurses
and other healthcare workers to work effectively in a cross-cultural situation

Delegation

transferring to a competent individual the authority to perform a selected task in a
selected situation

Emesis

vomiting

Empathy

ability to readily comprehend the feelings, thoughts, and motives of another
individual

Febrile

feverish; increased body temperature

Health

the state of physical, psychological, and sociologic well-being

Healthcare-Associated Infection (nosocomial)

an infection not present without evidence of
incubation at the time of admission to a healthcare setting

HIPAA

the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, enacted to protect the
individual’s health information and to set standards to control how health information is used and
disclosed

Holistic

a way of looking at individuals and organisms as a whole rather than a sum of the parts

Hypertension

blood pressure that is considered to be higher than normal range

Hyperthermia

unusually high body temperature

Hypotension

blood pressure that is lower than the normal range

Hypothermia

a body temperature below the average normal range

Incontinent

inability to retain urine or feces through loss of sphincter control

Limitation

the state of being limited or restricted

Nonverbal communication

aspects of communication that are not content (such as body
language or gestures) but still convey meaning

Nurse Licensure

the right to practice nursing of an individual who holds an active nursing
license issued by the state in which she or he intends to work.

Pallor

paleness; absence of skin coloration

Patency

the state of being freely open

Physiologic

relating to or characteristic of the normal functioning of a living organism

Rapport

a feeling of mutual trust experienced by individuals in a satisfactory relationship

Reconcile

to resolve discrepancies

Sepsis

a condition resulting from the presence of pathogenic bacteria and their products

Tachycardia

heart rate greater than 100 beats per minute

Transition

the process or an instance of changing from one form, state, activity, or place to
another

Validate

to substantiate or verify

Wellness

a state of physical, psychological, and sociologic well-being of a whole individual

Medical Terminology

1. Blood pressure (BP)

Blood pressure measures the amount of force placed on a patient’s
artery walls with each heartbeat. This is one of the standard vital signs nurses monitor for
patients.

2. Charge nurse

A supervisory nurse who oversees other nurses in a particular hospital
department.

3. Chart

The medical documentation that follows a patient throughout a healthcare facility.
It includes medical history, diagnoses, test results, dosage and timing of medications, and
other relevant information.

4. Charting

The process of adding to a patient’s chart to keep it up to date and accurate.
Nurses often use medical acronyms and abbreviations in their chartings.

5. Clinicals

The portion of nursing education where student nurses work with patients in a
healthcare setting, under supervision from nurses and physicians, to practice their
technical skills and gain experiences.

6. Code blue

A medical emergency, often cardiac arrest, that requires immediate attention
from a team of healthcare providers. Healthcare workers may shorten code blue to
“coding.”

7. Heart rate

The number of heartbeats a patient has per minute.

8. NCLEX

Refers to the nursing exam one must pass to become either a licensed practical
nurse (LPN) or a registered nurse (RN).

9. Pain scale

A numeric scale from one to ten that patients use to rate their level of pain.
Some healthcare facilities use visual cues like faces to help patients rate their pain levels.

10. Respiratory rate

The number of breaths a patient takes per minute.

11. Specimen

A sample of something from a patient’s body, such as urine, blood, skin or
other tissue, that is taken for testing and analysis.

12. Vital signs

Basic indicators of a patient’s health that typically includes heart rate,
respiratory rate, body temperature, pain level and blood pressure.

13. Cardiac nursing

A nursing specialty centered around the cardiovascular system (the
heart and blood circulation system).

14. Dialysis nursing

A nursing specialty that focuses on patients who have kidney disease,
are experiencing kidney failure or are undergoing dialysis treatments.

15. Home health nursing

Nurses who visit patients in their own homes to provide care.

16. ICU nurse

Nurses who work in the intensive care unit (ICU), typically caring for just
one or two patients with severe injuries or ailments at a time.

17. Nurse anesthetist

Nurse anesthetists who administer anesthesia and pain management
medication to patients. This role requires specialized advanced training.

18. Nursing informatics

Nursing informatics who combine practical nursing skills with
data analysis and technology to improve patient safety.

19. Oncology nursing

Nurses who care for cancer patients and those being screened for
cancer diagnoses.

20. Radiology nursing

Nurses who care for patients who are undergoing diagnostic
imaging, such as CT scans, X-rays and ultrasounds.

21. ABC

This is the simple way to remember “airway, breathing, circulation,” which is the
order in which nurses assess and prioritize a patient who is unresponsive or unconscious.

22. CAB

Following the CAB acronym helps nurses remember “chest compressions, airway
and breathing” as the correct order for performing CPR.

23. CBR

Seeing this on a patient’s chart means “complete bed rest” and refers to a patient
who is not allowed out of bed at all, even to use the bathroom.

24. CPR

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is an emergency procedure commonly used when a
patient has stopped breathing.

25. DNR

Do Not Resuscitate is an end-of-life health directive given by patients who do not
wish to be revived if they stop breathing or go into cardiac arrest.

26. EHR

Electronic health records (sometimes called electronic medical records, or EMR)
are digital medical records that are updated each time a patient visits a healthcare facility.

27. ICU

Intensive care unit.

28. IV

Intravenous therapy.

29. L&D

Labor and delivery.

30. NICU

Neonatal intensive care unit, where critically ill newborns are cared for.

31. OTC

Medication that does not require a prescription (over the counter).

32. PPE

Specialized gear and clothing, such as gloves, masks and face shields, designed to
protect both patients and nurses from bacteria and contagious illness (personal protective
equipment).

33. Rx

Prescription.

34. SOP

Standard operating procedures, which describe how nursing tasks are to be
performed and the outcome that should be achieved.

36. ASN

Associate’s Degree in Nursing.

38. BSN

Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

39. CNA

not technically nurses, but they do help patients
with basic tasks, like bathing and dressing. They may also take vital signs.

40. LPN

They have a narrower scope of practice than
registered nurses but are tasked with a wide variety of nursing duties, such as changing
bandages, administering medication, monitoring vital signs and inserting catheters.

41. MSN

Master of Science in Nursing.

42. RN

refers to a nurse who has passed the
NCLEX-RN exam and is fully licensed in their state.

43. Basic metabolic panel

Sometimes shortened to BMP, this refers to a routine blood test
that measures basic body functions, like kidney effectiveness and sugar levels.

44. CT scan

An imaging procedure that uses X-rays and computer technology to produce
highly detailed images.

45. EKG

A test that checks for signs of heart disease (electrocardiogram).

46. IV therapy

An IV is used to deliver fluid, such as medication or rehydration fluids,
directly into a patient’s veins.

47. Saline lock

A medical procedure in which an IV catheter is placed in a patient’s vein,
then flushed with saline solution and “locked” without additional fluids or medications.
Saline locks make it easy for nurses to quickly administer IV medications during a
patient’s hospital stay.

48. Spinal tap

Also called a lumbar puncture, this is a procedure that uses a needle to
remove fluid from a patient’s spinal column for diagnostic purposes.

49. Ultrasound

An imaging procedure that uses high-frequency sound waves.

50. Urinalysis

A common urine test that can detect and diagnose a variety of illnesses, such
as urinary tract infections, or access kidney function.

51. Vaccination

A minor medical procedure that reduces the risk of contracting and
spreading contagious illnesses.

52. X-ray

An imaging procedure that uses electromagnetic waves, which is a type of
radiation.

53. Catheter

Any flexible, hollow tube used in medical procedures; most often refers to a
tube used to drain urine from the bladder.

54. Pulse oximeter

A small device that clips to a patient’s finger or toe to measure the
amount of oxygen in their blood. Nurses can often use a pulse oximeter to determine
which patients need to take priority in an emergency department setting.

55. Sharps container

A hard plastic container used as a trash receptacle for any type of
biomedical waste—anything that’s been used to puncture human skin—such as needles
or IV catheters.

56. Stethoscope

An audio device that allows nurses to hear a patient’s pulse or take their
blood pressure.

57. Tourniquet

A tight band used to control bleeding after an injury, surgery or other
medical procedure.

58. Crash cart

A wheeled cart with all the medications and supplies necessary to save
someone in cardiac arrest or experiencing other life-threatening emergencies.

59. Peds

Pronounced “peeds,” this term is short for “pediatric,” or anything related to
children.

60. STAT

This term, short for the Latin statim, does in fact mean to do something urgently
or immediately. However, you won’t hear it quite as often or as dramatically as TV
dramas would have you believe.

61. Sundowning

This refers to an observed pattern that often occurs in dementia patients
around evening, when the sun is going down. During this time of day, “sundowners” can
become especially confused, irritated or delusional.

62. Tachy

Pronounced “tacky,” this term is slang for “tachycardia,” which means a patient
has an increased heart rate.

Charge Nurse

A nurse who supervises the clinical care of patients within a nursing department
(This role is not to be confused with a nurse manager who has more administrative duties.)

Clinicals

Part of nursing education where student nurses provide patient care in a hospital
setting under the supervision of staff nurses and their clinical instructors

Chart

Medical documentation usually kept in digital form that follows the patient at one
hospital; includes medical history, examination, test and imaging results, diagnosis, medications,
and a record of events throughout each shift