Nursing Fundamentals: Historical Perspectives, Vital Signs, and Oxygenation

Vocabulary flashcards covering the development of nursing, nursing competencies, vital sign assessment, thermoregulation, pulse characteristics, respiratory patterns, blood pressure classification, and oxygen delivery systems.

Clara Barton

The nursing pioneer who established the American Red Cross in the United States in 1882.

Aims of Nursing

The four foundational goals of nursing care: promoting health, preventing illness, restoring health, and facilitating coping with disability or death.

Four Blended Nursing Competencies

The core skill sets required for nursing practice: cognitive (thinking), technical (skills), interpersonal (relationships), and ethical/legal (practicing safely within scope).

Compassion Fatigue

A state of emotional and physical exhaustion experienced by nurses due to prolonged exposure to patient suffering and stress.

Burnout

A state of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion caused by prolonged work-related stress.

Secondary Traumatic Stress

Stress and emotional distress resulting from indirect exposure to traumatic events experienced by patients.

Resilience

The capacity to adapt positively, recover, and maintain strength when facing practice challenges, stress, or crisis.

Normal Adult Vital Signs

Standard reference ranges for an adult: temperature $96.4^\bullet\text{F}-99.5^\bullet\text{F}$ ($35.8^\bullet\text{C}-37.5^\bullet\text{C}$), pulse $60-100\text{ beats/min}$, respirations $12-20\text{ resps/min}$, and blood pressure $<120/80\text{ mm Hg}$.

Mechanisms of Heat Loss

The four environmental processes through which the body transfers or loses heat: radiation, convection, evaporation, and conduction.

Conduction

The direct transfer of body heat to another object through physical contact, such as applying an ice bag to a sprained ankle.

Convection

The loss or dissemination of body heat caused by the movement of air, such as air blowing from an electric fan across the skin.

Radiation

The diffusion or dissemination of heat from the body by electromagnetic waves, such as heat lost from an uncovered head in cold weather.

Evaporation

The conversion of liquid into vapor, such as sweat evaporating from the skin surface to cool the body.

Intermittent Fever

A fever pattern where body temperature fluctuates at regular intervals between periods of fever and periods of normal or subnormal temperature.

Remittent Fever

A fever pattern where body temperature fluctuates several degrees above normal over 24 hours without returning to normal.

Sustained Fever

A fever pattern characterized by a continuously elevated body temperature with minimal fluctuation throughout the day.

Relapsing Fever

A fever pattern marked by short periods of fever lasting 1–2 days interspersed with 1 or more days of normal temperature.

Tachycardia

An abnormally rapid heart rate, typically exceeding $100\text{ beats/min}$ in an adult.

Bradycardia

An abnormally slow heart rate, typically defined as fewer than $60\text{ beats/min}$ in an adult.

Pulse Deficit

A significant discrepancy where the apical pulse rate is higher than the peripheral radial pulse rate, indicating inefficient heart contractions.

Peripheral Pulse Sites

Anatomical locations across the arterial system used for pulse assessment, including the temporal, carotid, brachial, radial, femoral, popliteal, posterior tibial, and dorsalis pedis arteries.

Hypoxia

A condition characterized by an inadequate amount of oxygen reaching body tissues.

Tachypnea

An abnormally rapid respiratory rate, defined as greater than $24\text{ breaths/min}$ in adults.

Bradypnea

An abnormally slow respiratory rate, defined as fewer than $10\text{ breaths/min}$ in adults.

Cheyne-Stokes Respirations

A respiratory pattern featuring alternating periods of deep, rapid breathing followed by periods of apnea, seen in brain lesions or at high altitudes.

Biot's Respirations

An irregular respiratory pattern with varying depth and rate followed by periods of apnea, commonly associated with meningitis or brain damage.

Orthopnea

Dyspnea or difficulty breathing that is relieved by assuming an upright sitting or standing position, often evaluated by asking how many pillows the patient requires to sleep.

Systolic Blood Pressure

The maximum pressure exerted against arterial walls during ventricular contraction.

Diastolic Blood Pressure

The minimal pressure present on arterial walls when the heart ventricles are at rest between contractions.

Pulse Pressure

The numerical difference between the systolic blood pressure and the diastolic blood pressure.

Hypertension Stage 1

An adult blood pressure category defined by a systolic pressure of $130-139\text{ mm Hg}$ or a diastolic pressure of $80-89\text{ mm Hg}$.

Hypertension Stage 2

An adult blood pressure category defined by a systolic pressure of $\ge 140\text{ mm Hg}$ or a diastolic pressure of $\ge 90\text{ mm Hg}$.

Hypertensive Crisis

A critical blood pressure elevation with systolic pressure $> 180\text{ mm Hg}$ and/or diastolic pressure $> 120\text{ mm Hg}$.

Orthostatic Hypotension

A drop in systolic blood pressure of $\ge 20\text{ mm Hg}$ or diastolic blood pressure of $\ge 10\text{ mm Hg}$ within 3 minutes of standing from a sitting or supine position, causing dizziness or lightheadedness.

Korotkoff Sounds

The series of five distinct vascular sounds auscultated during blood pressure cuff deflation, beginning with Phase I (systolic pressure) and ending with Phase V (diastolic pressure).

Auscultatory Gap

A temporary disappearance of Korotkoff sounds during late Phase I and Phase II of blood pressure measurement, covering ranges up to $40\text{ mm Hg}$ in hypertensive patients.

Pulse Oximetry

A noninvasive measurement of arterial oxygen saturation ($\text{SpO}_2$) of hemoglobin using a sensor placed on a peripheral digit or earlobe.

Low-Flow Nasal Cannula

An oxygen delivery system supplying $1-6\text{ L/min}$ ($\text{FiO}_2$ 24–44%), where oxygen flow in chronic lung disease is restricted to maintain target oxygen saturation of 88–92%.

Nonrebreather Mask

A low-flow oxygen mask supplying $10-15\text{ L/min}$ ($\text{FiO}_2$ 80–95%) equipped with one-way valves and a reservoir bag that should remain slightly inflated during inhalation.

Venturi Mask

A high-flow oxygen delivery mask providing precise oxygen concentrations ($\text{FiO}_2$ 24–40% at $4-6\text{ L/min}$) by mixing oxygen with room air through controlled intake valves.

Respiratory System Anatomy

The structural pathway for gas exchange, including upper structures (nasal cavity, pharynx, larynx) and lower structures (trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli, and pleura).