Nursing Practice: Clinical Skills, Infection Control, and Patient Care

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering nursing fundamentals including infection control, stages of infection, transmission modes, body mechanics, vital signs, alterations in respiration and blood pressure, pain types and assessment tools, postural abnormalities, joint range-of-motion, hazards of immobility, and bed-positioning devices.

Chain of Infection

A six-link cycle necessary for an infection to develop, consisting of an infectious agent (pathogen), a reservoir, a portal of exit, a mode of transmission, a portal of entry, and a susceptible host.

Health Care–Associated Infection (HAI)

An infection (also known as a nosocomial or iatrogenic infection) acquired following admission to a health care facility that was not present or incubating at the time of admission.

Endogenous Infection

An infection that arises from microorganisms that already reside inside the individual's body as part of their normal microbiota.

Exogenous Infection

An infection caused by pathogens that enter the body from the external environment.

Incubation Period

The interval between the entrance of a pathogen into the body and the appearance of the first symptoms; the patient is not contagious at this point.

Prodromal Stage

The interval from the onset of nonspecific signs and symptoms (such as malaise, low-grade fever, and fatigue) to more specific symptoms; microorganisms grow and multiply, and the patient is contagious.

Illness Stage

The period during which the patient manifests signs and symptoms specific to the type of infection; the patient remains contagious.

Convalescence

The interval when acute symptoms of infection disappear and the body attempts to replenish its resources and return to a state of homeostasis, lasting from several days to months.

Direct Contact Transmission

The transfer of microbes via physical skin-to-skin contact between an infected or colonized individual and a susceptible host (e.g., via touching a patient).

Indirect Contact Transmission

The transfer of pathogens between a susceptible host and a contaminated intermediate object, such as soiled linen, equipment, dressings, or unwashed healthcare provider hands.

Droplet Transmission

The transmission of large respiratory particles propelled up to $2\,\text{m}$ through the air by coughing, sneezing, or talking and deposited onto a susceptible host.

Airborne Transmission

The spread of small airborne particles (droplet nuclei) containing microbes that remain suspended in air currents over long periods and travel distances greater than $2\,\text{m}$ to be inhaled by a host.

Vehicle Transmission

Transmission wherein a single contaminated source (such as water, medications, intravenous fluid, food, or equipment) infects multiple hosts, potentially leading to an outbreak.

Vectorborne Transmission

The transmission of microbes to humans through insects (such as fleas, mites, ticks, or mosquitoes) or pests (such as mice).

Airborne Precautions

Tier Two isolation measures requiring a private room with negative-pressure airflow (at least six air exchanges per hour), a closed door, and the use of an N95 respirator.

Droplet Precautions

Tier Two isolation measures requiring a private room or patient cohorting, a closed door (unless the bed is $>2\,\text{m}$ from the door), and wearing a mask when within $2\,\text{m}$ of the patient.

Contact Precautions

Tier Two isolation measures requiring a private room or cohorting (door may remain open), wearing gloves and a gown upon entry, limiting patient movement, and disinfecting equipment before removal.

Coming to Know

The foundational phase of the Decision-Making Framework (DMF) wherein the student learns the client and family's story and lived experience through physical assessment, Gordon's functional health patterns, and the social determinants of health.

Salience

The deliberate phase of the DMF focusing on identifying what is critical, what stands out, and what has the most relevance for the client by integrating empirical, personal, ethical, and aesthetic knowing.

Pattern Recognition

The phase of the DMF where cues and data gained from earlier phases are synthesized to reveal connections between health issues and background factors such as surgery, illness, or medications.

Healing Initiatives

The intervention and action phase of the DMF in which the nurse implements therapeutic, preventative, and health-promotion strategies to assist the client in reaching their healing potential.

Reflection Praxis

The evaluation phase of the DMF involving critical and collaborative reflection to determine whether client-centered health goals and outcomes were achieved.

Center of Gravity

The balance point where the body's weight is equally dispersed, remaining stable when maintained over a wide base of support and enhanced through proper posture.

Base of Support

The foundation supporting the body (the feet); a wide, shoulder-width placement provides the greatest physical stability.

Stride / Lunge Stance

A foundational physical posture with feet shoulder-width apart, one foot forward, used to safely push, pull, or transfer patients by smoothly shifting the center of gravity between legs.

Shear

The mechanical force exerted against tissue when the skin remains stationary against a surface while underlying skeletal structures and blood vessels move, stretch, and tear.

Fowler's Position

A semi-sitting bed position where the head of the bed is elevated to an angle of $45^\circ$ or more; used while eating, during nasogastric tube insertion, and to promote lung expansion.

Semi-Fowler's Position

A bed position where the head of the bed is raised approximately $30^\circ$; used to promote lung expansion and during gastric feedings to reduce regurgitation and aspiration risk.

Trendelenburg's Position

A bed position in which the entire frame is tilted with the head of the bed angled downward; used for postural drainage and to facilitate venous return in hypoperfused patients.

Reverse Trendelenburg's Position

A bed position in which the entire frame is tilted with the foot of the bed angled downward; used to promote gastric emptying and prevent esophageal reflux.

Point of Maximal Impulse (PMI)

The anatomical landmark of the apical pulse, located at the fourth to fifth intercostal space along the left midclavicular line, reflecting light taps from the apex of the heart.

Tachycardia

An abnormally rapid heart rate in adults exceeding $100\,\text{beats per minute}$; underlying pathology may be suspected if resting rate exceeds $120\,\text{beats per minute}$.

Bradycardia

A slow heart rate in adults of less than $60\,\text{beats per minute}$, which may occur normally in athletes or abnormally from heart block or beta-blocker medications.

Pulse Deficit

A condition where inefficient cardiac contractions fail to transmit a pulse wave to peripheral arteries, calculated as the difference between simultaneous apical and radial pulse counts.

Dysrhythmia

An abnormal heart rhythm indicated by early, late, or missed heartbeats, detected through palpation of pulse wave interruptions or auscultation of irregular heart sounds.

Bradypnea

A regular respiratory rhythm that is abnormally slow, defined as less than $12\,\text{breaths per minute}$ in adults.

Tachypnea

A regular respiratory rhythm that is abnormally rapid, defined as greater than $20\,\text{breaths per minute}$ in adults.

Hyperpnea

Labored respirations that are increased in depth and rate ($>20\,\text{breaths per minute}$), which occurs normally during physical exercise.

Apnea

The cessation of breathing for several seconds; persistent cessation results in full respiratory arrest.

Hyperventilation

An increase in both the rate and depth of respirations, which can lead to hypocarbia.

Hypoventilation

An abnormally low respiratory rate accompanied by depressed ventilatory depth, which can result in hypercarbia.

Cheyne-Stokes Respiration

An irregular breathing pattern of alternating apnea and hyperventilation, beginning with slow, shallow breaths that increase in rate and depth, then reverse and end in an apneic phase.

Kussmaul Respirations

A regular breathing pattern characterized by abnormally deep respirations and an increased respiratory rate.

Biot's Respiration

A respiratory alteration characterized by abnormally shallow breaths for two to three cycles, followed by irregular periods of apnea.

Dyspnea

Subjective clinical sensation of difficult, painful, or labored breathing.

White-Coat Hypertension

Elevated blood pressure that occurs selectively within clinical or office settings due to patient anxiety surrounding medical visits.

Hypertension

A chronic clinical condition associated with arterial wall thickening and loss of elasticity, increasing peripheral vascular resistance and forcing the heart to continually pump against higher resistance.

Hypotension

A state marked by a systolic blood pressure reading decreasing to $90\,\text{mm Hg}$ or lower, often caused by arterial dilation, blood loss, or failing cardiac pump performance.

Orthostatic Hypotension

A sudden reduction in blood pressure occurring when moving from a lying or sitting posture to standing, defined as a drop of more than $20\,\text{mm Hg}$ systolic or $10\,\text{mm Hg}$ diastolic.

Pain

An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with, actual or potential tissue damage.

Acute Pain

Pain with an identifiable cause, predictable ending, and short duration (usually less than $3\,\text{months}$) that resolves as damaged tissues heal.

Persistent Postoperative Pain (PPP)

Pain persisting beyond $2\text{ to }3\,\text{months}$ after a surgical operation once other causes (such as pre-existing conditions or ongoing infection) have been excluded.

Chronic Pain

Pain that persists longer than $3\,\text{months}$, associated with actual or potential tissue damage, which may be intermittent or persistent ($>12\,\text{hours}$ daily).

Nociceptive Pain

Pain caused by damage to normal physical tissue, subdivided into somatic (musculoskeletal) and visceral (internal organs) pain.

Neuropathic Pain

Pain arising from abnormal or damaged pain nerves in the peripheral or central nervous system, characteristically described as burning, shooting, numbing, or electric-like.

Nociplastic Pain

Pain arising from altered nociception without clear evidence of actual or threatened tissue damage or somatosensory lesions (e.g., fibromyalgia, complex regional pain syndrome).

Breakthrough Pain

A temporary, transitory flare-up of moderate-to-severe discomfort that breaks through a patient's baseline analgesia regimen.

Incident Pain

A subtype of brief breakthrough pain that is directly precipitated by voluntary or involuntary activity such as movement, coughing, or sneezing.

Idiopathic Pain

A form of breakthrough pain with no identifiable physical cause and a longer duration than incident pain.

Superficial (Cutaneous) Pain

Pain arising from stimulation of the skin that is sharp, highly localized, and of short duration (e.g., small cuts or needle-sticks).

Deep (Visceral) Pain

Diffuse, aching, or crushing pain arising from internal organs, often lasting longer than superficial pain and capable of radiating in several directions.

Referred Pain

Pain perceived at a bodily site distant from the original source of tissue injury because sensory afferents converge onto common spinal segments.

Radiating Pain

Sensation of pain that extends from the initial site of injury continuously or intermittently along a nerve path or body part (e.g., sciatic nerve pain travelling down the leg).

Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale

A self-report pain assessment tool featuring drawn facial expressions ranging from 0 ('No Hurt') to 10 ('Hurts Worst'), utilized for individuals aged 3 years and older.

OPQRSTUV Mnemonic

A standardized clinical pain assessment framework: Onset/Origin, Palliation/Provocation, Quality, Region/Radiation, Severity, Timing/Treatment, Understanding, and Value.

SBAR

A structured interprofessional communication tool consisting of Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation.

Quick Priority Assessment (QPA)

A rapid systematic assessment completed at shift onset, post-op arrival, or upon acute status change, reviewing safety, airway, breathing, circulation, consciousness, lines, and pain.

Torticollis

A postural abnormality featuring head inclining toward the affected side caused by contracture of the sternocleidomastoid muscle.

Lordosis

A postural deformity characterized by an exaggerated anterior convex curvature of the lumbar spine.

Kyphosis

A postural deformity presenting as an increased thoracic spinal convexity (hunchback), linked to conditions such as rickets, osteoporosis, or aging.

Scoliosis

A structural spinal deformity presenting as a lateral 'S'- or 'C'-shaped curvature of the spinal column accompanied by vertebral rotation and uneven shoulder and hip heights.

Footdrop

A state of inability to dorsiflex and evert the foot caused by peroneal nerve injury, trauma, or prolonged improper positioning in immobilized patients.

Flexion

A normal joint movement that decreases the angle between two adjoining bones, essentially bending the joint.

Extension

A normal joint movement that increases the angle between two adjoining bones, straightening the joint.

Hyperextension

Movement of a joint or body part beyond its normal resting extended anatomical alignment.

Abduction

Movement of an extremity or body part away from the median plane or midline of the body.

Adduction

Movement of an extremity or body part inward toward the median plane or midline of the body.

Pronation

Movement of a body part (e.g., forearm or hand) such that the front or ventral surface is rotated to face downward.

Supination

Movement of a body part (e.g., forearm or hand) such that the front or ventral surface is rotated to face upward.

Inversion

A movement of the foot that directs the plantar surface (sole) medially toward the midline.

Eversion

A movement of the foot that turns the plantar surface (sole) laterally away from the midline.

Dorsiflexion

Flexion of the ankle that pulls the toes and foot upward toward the shin.

Plantar Flexion

Bending of the ankle joint that directs the toes and foot downward away from the shin.

Circumduction

A circular movement of a limb combining flexion, extension, abduction, and adduction in a cone-shaped path at a ball-and-socket joint.

Atelectasis

The collapse of alveoli in the lungs, commonly caused by hypoventilation and pooled secretions during prolonged immobility.

Hypostatic Pneumonia

Inflammation of lung tissue resulting from stasis and pooling of secretions during extended recumbency, creating an environment favorable to bacterial proliferation.

Disuse Atrophy

A reduction in the normal size and mass of muscle tissue resulting from lack of physical activity and prolonged immobility.

Disuse Osteoporosis

A reduction in skeletal bone density accompanied by elevated bone demineralization and resorption secondary to sustained physical immobilization.

Joint Contracture

A permanent or semi-permanent shortening and fixation of periarticular muscles, tendons, or ligaments that severely restricts normal range of motion.

Urinary Stasis

The slowing or cessation of normal gravitational urine flow through the renal pelvis and ureters, increasing the vulnerability to urinary tract infections and renal calculi.

Pressure Injury

Localized cellular damage occurring in cutaneous and subcutaneous tissue overlying bony prominences caused by unrelieved mechanical pressure and resultant tissue ischemia.

Trochanter Roll

A cylindrical roll formed from a folded blanket positioned along the greater trochanter of the femur to prevent external rotation of the hip while the patient is supine.

Wedge (Abductor) Pillow

A triangular foam positioning cushion placed between a patient's thighs to maintain continuous hip abduction following total hip arthroplasty.

Trapeze Bar

An overhead triangular apparatus attached securely to a hospital bed frame that allows the patient to pull with upper-body strength during repositioning or transfers.

Point of No Return

The stage during a manual patient transfer or mobilization when a sudden loss of balance cannot be corrected or halted safely, obligating the caregiver to support a controlled descent rather than attempting to lift.