NSG 300 topic 2

These flashcards cover the foundations of nursing related to client safety, environmental hazards, the nursing process, stages of infection, and infection control tiers.

Nursing Process

A critical thinking model used in the nurse's role for risk reduction and safety, consisting of five components: Assess, Diagnose, Plan, Implement, and Evaluate.

Culture of Safety

A practice supported by organizations such as WHO, AHRQ, CMS, TJC, QSEN, and NQF to ensure client and environmental safety.

Environmental Safety

The maintenance of basic needs, specifically oxygen, nutrition, and temperature, to protect clients from harm.

Common Environmental Hazards

Potential threats to safety including motor vehicle accidents, poison, falls, pathogens, fire, disasters, and transmission of organisms.

Intrinsic Factors

Internal risk factors originating within the individual that contribute to falls or injuries.

Extrinsic Factors

External environmental risk factors, such as water spills on the floor or a call light out of reach, that lead to client injury.

Fall Risk Indicators

Clinical findings that alert a nurse to potential falls, such as urinary incontinence and orthostatic hypotension.

Seizure Precautions

Safety interventions including lowering the client to the ground, protecting the head by laying them on their side, clearing surroundings, removing pillows, avoiding restraints, and putting nothing in the mouth.

Chain of Infection

A series of six links required for infection to occur: Infectious agent, Reservoir, Portal of exit, Mode of transmission, Portal of entry, and Host.

Incubation Period

The first stage of infection occurring between the entrance of the pathogen and the first appearance of symptoms.

Prodromal Stage

The second stage of infection characterized by the interval from the onset of nonspecific signs to more specific symptoms.

Illness Stage

The third stage of infection where the client manifests signs and symptoms specific to the type of infection.

Convalescence

The final stage of infection where acute symptoms of infection disappear and the body recovers.

Signs of Inflammation

Five classic indicators including pain, redness, swelling, heat, and loss of function.

Standard (Tier 1) Precautions

Infection control practices applied to all clients, including hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene, use of sharps containers, and PPE as needed.

Contact Precautions

Tier 2 precautions used for organisms transmitted by direct or indirect contact, such as MRSA or Clostridium difficile.

Droplet Precautions

Tier 2 precautions used for pathogens transmitted by large droplets expelled into the air.

Airborne Precautions

Tier 2 precautions used for pathogens that remain in the air for long periods, such as tuberculosis.

Protective Environment

A type of Tier 2 precaution used to protect highly susceptible, immunocompromised clients, such as those recovering from a lung transplant.