Nursing Fundamentals Comprehensive Study Guide

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering fundamental nursing concepts including sensory perception, wound healing, pressure injury staging, perioperative emergencies, complementary therapies, fluid balance, and pulmonary mechanics.

Sensory Deficit

A reduction in the normal function of a specific sensory modality, such as hearing loss.

Sensory Deprivation

A condition resulting from inadequate environmental quality or quantity of meaningful sensory input, often observed in isolated patients.

Sensory Overload

A state in which excessive environmental stimuli exceed an individual's neuro-cognitive processing capacity.

Myopia

A refractive visual defect in which close objects are seen clearly while distant objects appear blurred; commonly referred to as nearsightedness.

Hyperopia

A refractive visual error where distant objects are easier to focus on while near vision is compromised; commonly referred to as farsightedness.

Astigmatism

A refractive visual disorder caused by irregular curvature of the cornea or lens, resulting in uneven focal points that distort or blur vision at all distances.

Presbyopia

The age-related loss of crystalline lens elasticity and accommodation, diminishing the ability to focus on close objects and read small print.

Cataract

An ocular disorder characterized by progressive clouding of the crystalline lens, causing hazy vision, glare, and faded color perception.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Progressive microvascular damage to the retinal blood vessels secondary to chronic diabetes mellitus.

Glaucoma

A group of ocular disorders characterized by optic nerve damage and progressive visual field loss, frequently associated with elevated intraocular pressure.

Tonometry

A diagnostic ophthalmic test that measures intraocular pressure, utilized primarily in screening for glaucoma.

Pachymetry

A diagnostic ophthalmic procedure used to quantitatively measure corneal thickness.

Hemostasis

The initial phase of wound repair involving immediate vasoconstriction, platelet aggregation, and fibrin clot formation to arrest hemorrhage.

Inflammation (Wound Healing)

The second phase of wound repair involving immune cell recruitment, in which neutrophils and macrophages clear microbes and cellular debris via phagocytosis.

Proliferation

The phase of wound repair characterized by collagen deposition, granulation tissue formation, angiogenesis, wound contraction, and epithelial resurfacing.

Remodeling (Maturation)

The final, prolonged phase of wound repair during which collagen fibers reorganize, cross-link, and strengthen over a period of months.

First Intention Healing (Primary Intention)

The healing of a clean wound where outer surgical margins are well-approximated and closed using sutures, staples, or adhesive strips.

Second Intention Healing (Secondary Intention)

The healing process for wounds with substantial tissue loss that remain open and gradually fill with granulation tissue from the base upward.

Third Intention Healing (Delayed Primary)

The delayed surgical closure of an infected or heavily contaminated wound that is intentionally left open for observation and drainage before later approximation.

Dehiscence

The partial or total separation of previously approximated wound edges along an incision line.

Evisceration

An emergency post-surgical complication characterized by the protrusion of internal visceral organs through an opened, dehisced incision.

Gauze Dressing

A highly absorbent wound dressing commonly selected for fresh wounds exhibiting a substantial risk of bleeding.

Transparent Film Dressing

A thin dressing that permits continuous visual monitoring of low-drainage wounds or vascular access sites.

Hydrogel Dressings

Water- or glycerin-based formulations designed to donate moisture to dry or desiccation-prone wound beds.

Hydrocolloid Dressings

Occlusive or semi-occlusive dressings composed of gelatin or pectin that absorb mild-to-moderate exudate while sustaining a moist healing environment.

Alginate Dressings

Highly absorbent wound dressings derived from seaweed, designed to manage moderate-to-heavy exudate.

Sharp Debridement

The surgical removal of devitalized, necrotic tissue using sharp instruments such as scalpel blades or scissors by an authorized clinician.

Enzymatic Debridement

The topical application of exogenous enzymes directly onto necrotic tissue to digest devitalized debris.

Autolytic Debridement

The liquefaction of necrotic tissue achieved by trapping endogenous enzymes beneath moisture-retentive synthetic dressings.

Mechanical Debridement

The physical detachment of devitalized tissue and debris from a wound bed using external physical force, such as irrigation.

TIME Framework

A clinical system guiding systematic wound assessment by evaluating Tissue bed appearance, Infection/inflammation signs, Moisture balance, and Edge progression.

Stage 1 Pressure Injury

An area of intact skin displaying localized, non-blanchable erythema.

Stage 2 Pressure Injury

Partial-thickness loss of skin with exposed dermis, appearing as a shallow, moist wound bed or as an intact or ruptured serum-filled blister.

Stage 3 Pressure Injury

Full-thickness loss of skin in which subcutaneous adipose tissue is visible, but muscle, tendon, ligament, cartilage, and bone remain unexposed.

Stage 4 Pressure Injury

Full-thickness skin and tissue loss with directly visible or palpable fascia, muscle, tendon, ligament, cartilage, or bone.

Unstageable Pressure Injury

Full-thickness tissue loss in which the true depth of the wound bed is completely obscured by overlying slough or eschar.

Deep Tissue Injury (DTI)

A localized area of intact or non-intact skin exhibiting persistent, non-blanchable deep red, maroon, or purple discoloration.

Braden Scale

A validated risk assessment tool evaluating sensory perception, moisture, activity, mobility, nutrition, and friction/shear to predict pressure injury development.

Malignant Hyperthermia

A life-threatening pharmacogenetic hypermetabolic emergency triggered by volatile anesthetics, presenting early with rising end-tidal $CO_2$ and muscle rigidity, followed late by fever.

Dantrolene

The specific pharmacological agent administered immediately to halt the hypermetabolic crisis during suspected malignant hyperthermia.

Complementary Care

Non-mainstream healthcare interventions used together alongside conventional Western medicine.

Alternative Care

Non-mainstream healthcare interventions practiced entirely in place of conventional Western medicine.

Integrative Care

The deliberate and formal coordination of conventional and evidence-based complementary therapies within a unified healthcare plan.

Biofeedback

A mind-body technique that utilizes electronic monitoring instrumentation to allow individuals to gain voluntary control over physiological functions.

Guided Imagery

A mind-body modality involving the intentional visualization of positive or calming mental scenarios to evoke relaxation and clinical symptom relief.

Intracellular Fluid (ICF)

The fluid compartment situated inside cell membranes, representing roughly two-thirds of total adult body water.

Extracellular Fluid (ECF)

The body fluid compartment outside cells, encompassing interstitial fluid, intravascular plasma, and transcellular spaces.

Diffusion

The passive transport process wherein solutes or particles move down a concentration gradient from an area of higher concentration to lower concentration.

Osmosis

The passive transport mechanism whereby water molecules move across a selectively permeable membrane toward an area of higher solute concentration.

Filtration

The movement of water and permeable dissolved solutes across a membrane driven by physical hydrostatic pressure gradients.

Active Transport

The metabolic process requiring cellular energy ($ATP$) to move solutes against a concentration gradient across a cellular membrane.

Dehydration

A state of pure water deficit leading to hypertonicity and cellular desiccation.

Hypovolemia

An isotonic loss of intravascular circulating blood volume characterized by tachycardia, orthostatic hypotension, oliguria, and delayed capillary refill.

Surfactant

A surface-active lipoprotein complex secreted within alveoli that lowers alveolar surface tension, preventing alveolar collapse during expiration.

Ventilation

The mechanical movement of air into and out of the pulmonary tree through inhalation and exhalation.

Perfusion

The continuous flow of systemic or pulmonary arterial blood through capillary beds supplying alveoli and peripheral tissues.

Hypoxemia

A lower-than-normal concentration of oxygen dissolved in arterial blood, quantified via $PaO_2$ or approximated using pulse oximetry ($SpO_2$).

Hypoxia

A physiological deficiency in oxygen delivery and availability at the cellular and tissue level.