Chronic Illness, Gerontologic Care, and Nursing Fundamentals Vocabulary Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering chronic illness trajectory, gerontologic nursing care, pain management, fluid and electrolyte balance, inflammation, wound healing, and perioperative nursing process.

Chronic Illness

A long-term, progressive health condition that requires ongoing medical management and impacts function, independence, safety, and quality of life.

Wellness

An active, multidimensional process and lifestyle of holistic health aiming toward optimal physical, mental, social, and spiritual well-being.

Health Literacy

The degree to which an individual has the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.

Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)

Non-medical conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, and age—such as income, education, and access to care—that influence health outcomes.

Acute Illness

A condition characterized by rapid onset and short duration, from which the patient usually returns to their previous baseline level of functioning after treatment.

Primordial Prevention

Social and economic policies that target population-level conditions to prevent the emergence of environmental and lifestyle risk factors before they develop.

Primary Prevention

Health promotion and disease prevention measures aimed at reducing risk factors to prevent an injury or illness before it occurs (e.g., immunizations, diet teaching).

Secondary Prevention

Early detection interventions and health screenings performed after exposure or disease onset but before clinical manifestations appear (e.g., mammograms, blood pressure checks).

Tertiary Prevention

Interventions aimed at managing established chronic illness to prevent further complications, minimize disability, and maximize function (e.g., cardiac rehab, stroke rehabilitation).

Young-Old

A demographic category of older adults ranging in age from 65 to 74 years who are generally active and managing early chronic illnesses.

Middle-Old

A demographic category of older adults ranging in age from 75 to 84 years.

Old-Old

A demographic category of older adults aged 85 years and older, often experiencing higher care needs and functional decline.

Frail Old

Older adults of any age who experience severe functional decline and require full assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs).

Ageism

Discrimination, prejudice, or stereotyping directed against individuals based solely on their advanced age.

PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly)

A needs-based community care model providing continuous 24/7 comprehensive skilled care in the home as an alternative to long-term care facility admission.

Self-Neglect

A situation in which an individual living alone is unable or unwilling to meet their basic personal needs, leading to compromised health and safety.

IDEAL Discharge Planning

An evidence-based discharge framework consisting of: Include client/caregiver, Discuss key areas, Educate on condition, Assess education effectiveness, and Listen to client preferences.

Andragogy

Malcolm Knowles' theory of adult learning principles, asserting that adult learners are self-directed, task-centered, internally motivated, and rely on life experience.

Self-Efficacy

An individual's confidence in their own capability to perform actions and achieve specific goals or behavioral changes.

Nociceptive Pain

Pain resulting from tissue damage to somatic or visceral structures, usually responding well to conventional nonopioid and opioid analgesics.

Somatic Pain

Nociceptive pain arising from skin, mucous membranes, muscle, bone, or connective tissue; characterized as sharp, burning, prickly, aching, or throbbing.

Visceral Pain

Nociceptive pain originating from internal organs or body cavity linings, typically triggered by stretching, ischemia, or inflammation.

Neuropathic Pain

Pain caused by damage or dysfunction of peripheral nerves or the central nervous system, described as burning, shooting, stabbing, or electric shock-like.

Titration

The careful adjustment of analgesic dosage based on regular assessment of pain relief relative to unacceptable side effects.

Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA)

A drug delivery system that allows the patient to self-administer predetermined doses of IV analgesics by pressing a activation button.

Homeostasis

A state of physiological balance and equilibrium maintained by adaptive body responses to ensure internal stability.

First Spacing

The normal, healthy distribution of body water between intracellular fluid (ICF) and extracellular fluid (ECF) compartments.

Second Spacing

An abnormal accumulation of fluid within interstitial spaces, clinically manifested as edema.

Third Spacing

The sequestration of fluid in body cavities or spaces where it is functionally trapped and unable to shift back into blood vessels or cells without intervention.

IV Solution Tonicity

The relative solute concentration of an intravenous fluid compared to intracellular fluid, determining whether water shifts into cells, out of cells, or remains stable.

Isotonic Solution

An intravenous fluid with the same osmolality as cell fluid (e.g., $0.9\%$ NaCl, Lactated Ringer's), expanding vascular volume without causing cellular fluid shifts.

Hypotonic Solution

An intravenous solution with a lower solute concentration than body cells (e.g., $0.45\%$ NaCl), causing fluid to move out of the vascular space into tissue cells.

Hypertonic Solution

An intravenous fluid with a higher solute concentration than body cells (e.g., $D_5\frac{1}{2}\text{NS}$, $D_{10}\text{W}$), pulling fluid out of cells into the intravascular space.

Hypernatremia

An elevated serum sodium concentration above $145\,mEq/L$, causing cellular dehydration, thirst, agitation, and mental status changes.

Hyponatremia

A low serum sodium concentration below $135\,mEq/L$, resulting in cellular swelling that causes headache, confusion, seizures, and cerebral edema.

Hyperkalemia

A serum potassium level above $5.1\,mEq/L$, placing patients at severe risk for cardiac dysrhythmias, EKG changes, muscle weakness, and abdominal cramping.

Hypokalemia

A serum potassium level below $3.5\,mEq/L$, leading to cardiac dysrhythmias, extremity paralysis, hyperglycemia, and decreased GI motility.

Chvostek Sign

A clinical indicator of hypocalcemia characterized by involuntary facial muscle twitching when the facial nerve in front of the ear is tapped.

Trousseau Sign

A clinical indicator of hypocalcemia manifested as carpal spasm triggered by inflating a blood pressure cuff above systolic pressure for 3 minutes.

Serous Exudate

A clear, thin, watery inflammatory fluid seen in early or mild tissue injury, such as skin blisters or pleural effusions.

Purulent Exudate

A thick inflammatory fluid composed of leukocytes, microorganisms, and liquefied dead tissue cells, commonly referred to as pus.

Serosanguineous Exudate

A pale, pinkish, watery wound discharge containing a mixture of clear serous fluid and red blood cells.

Cellulitis

A acute bacterial infection causing deep subcutaneous tissue inflammation, characterized by localized erythema, edema, warmth, and tenderness.

qSOFA Score

A bedside screening tool for sepsis assessing respiratory rate $\ge 22\,\text{breaths/min}$, altered mental status, and SBP $\le 100\,mm\,Hg$ (a score $\ge 2$ indicates sepsis risk).

Primary Intention Healing

Wound closure occurring when edges are well-approximated with sutures or staples, healing rapidly with minimal tissue loss and scar formation.

Secondary Intention Healing

Wound healing that occurs in gaping, open wounds with significant tissue loss, healing from the bottom upward via granulation tissue formation.

Tertiary Intention Healing

Delayed primary closure of a contaminated wound left open initially and sutured closed after infection risk is resolved.

Dehiscence

The accidental partial or total separation of previously sutured or closed surgical wound margins.

Evisceration

A surgical emergency characterized by the protrusion of internal visceral organs through a dehisced surgical incision.

Wound Clock-Face Assessment

A standardized wound evaluation technique referencing a 12 o'clock (head) to 6 o'clock (toe) clock face to accurately locate and measure depth, tunneling, and undermining.

Undermining

Tissue destruction extending under intact skin along wound margins, creating an overhanging lip around the wound bed.

Tunneling

A narrow tract or passage extending from a wound bed outward in any direction through surrounding subcutaneous tissue.

Preoperative Phase

The perioperative stage beginning when the decision for surgical intervention is made and ending upon transfer to the operating suite.

Intraoperative Phase

The perioperative stage beginning when the patient is placed on the operating room table and ending upon admission to the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU).

Postoperative Phase

The perioperative stage beginning with admission to the PACU and continuing through recovery and discharge evaluation.

Surgical Suite Zoning

The environmental division of perioperative areas into Unrestricted, Semi-Restricted, and Restricted zones to control infection and maintain surgical asepsis.

Circulating Nurse

An unsterile operating room RN responsible for managing OR activities, ensuring patient safety, maintaining documentation, and coordinating the surgical team.

Scrub Nurse

A sterile operating room team member who performs surgical hand antisepsis, gowns, gloves, and directly manages the sterile field and instruments.

Surgical Time-Out

A mandatory safety pause conducted by the entire surgical team immediately before incision to verify correct patient identity, procedure, and surgical site.

Malignant Hyperthermia

A rare, life-threatening pharmacogenetic disorder triggered by volatile anesthetics or succinylcholine, characterized by severe muscle rigidity, hyperthermia, and metabolic crisis.