Nursing Practice III & IV: Physiologic and Psychosocial Alterations

Practice flashcards covering performance appraisal, triage protocols, evidence-based nursing, and care for clients with physiologic alterations like burns and spinal cord injuries.

Goals of Comprehensive Appraisal System

A process that includes determining the capability required for a job, matching nurse abilities with job requirements, and improving both nurse capability and motivation.

360 degree evaluation

A performance appraisal method used to minimize subjectivity and bias, particularly applicable for a staff position level.

Counseling

The best approach for a staff nurse who has been with a unit for two years but has recently developed substandard work performance, such as missing deadlines and becoming uncooperative.

Nursing Licensure Examination (NLE) Main Goal

To protect the public from incompetent nurse practitioners.

Nursing Code of Ethics Violation

A violation occurring when a professional nurse, such as Ms. Libby, wears a nurse's uniform to advertise a commercial beauty product on television.

Validity of Informed Consent

The time frame during which a signed consent form for a surgery like a Coronary Artery-by-pass graft (CABG) remains valid, which is 24 hours after surgery.

Declaration of death

A health status guided by the finding that all body systems are no longer functioning.

Mass Casualty Incident

A classification for emergency situations, such as a landslide with 150 people injured, requiring the department to receive a large volume of victims.

Triage Tag

A tool used by first responders to separate disaster victims for easy recognition of those in need of immediate care.

Triage: Black

A triage category for victims with severe life-threatening injuries who are most likely not to survive.

Rule of Nines Assessment (9-year-old child)

An assessment determining the extent of burns; in the case of burns to the right arm, right leg, and abdomen in a nine-year-old, the documented body surface area is $25\%$.

IV regulated flow calculation

The regulation for infusing $500\,cc$ of D5 water over 8 hours using a micro set delivering $60\,drops/ml$, which is $62\text{ drops per minute}$.

Slide Rule Method (Documentation Correction)

An accepted form for correcting errors where the nurse crosses through the erroneous word with a single line, affixes initials, the date, and time, and writes the correct information.

Benchmarking

An organizational improvement strategy that involves comparing one's own data with that of other organizations to identify opportunities.

Sentinel Event First Action

The initiation of an immediate investigation following a significant event to improve the health care delivery system.

Evidence-based nursing practice

A strategy that uses theory-derived and research-based information in making decisions about nursing care delivery, considering the patient's needs and preferences.

PDSA Model

A model for evidence-based practice improvement consisting of four elements: Plan, Do, Study, and Act.

Deep Breathing Technique (Post-lobectomy)

The action of relaxing the abdominal muscles, taking a slow deep breath through the nose, and holding it for 3 to 5 seconds.

Wedge resection

The surgical removal of a small, localized area near the surface of the lung.

Post-lobectomy cavity

The space remaining after a lobe is removed, which is eventually filled by the remaining lobe or lobes over-expanding.

Shoulder ankylosis prevention exercise

An exercise where the patient raises the arm on the affected side over the head.

Emergent Category

A triage priority rating for scenarios where the client's life, limb, or vision are threatened and treatment must occur immediately.

Glasgow Coma Scale score of 8

A total score on the Glasgow Coma Scale that indicates a severe injury.

Autonomic Dysreflexia

A condition resulting from spinal cord injury at level T5 characterized by severe headache, diaphoresis, flushing, a pulse rate of $47\text{ beats per minute}$, and a blood pressure of $220/114\,mmHg$.

Priority diagnosis for spinal cord injury

Ineffective breathing pattern.