ATI Career Readiness Expanded Study Guide Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering priority clinical nursing concepts, interventions, contraindications, and laboratory findings from the ATI Career Readiness Expanded Study Guide.

Isotonic normal saline enema

An enema solution that causes less movement of water across the bowel wall compared to hypotonic or hypertonic solutions, avoiding significant fluid shifts.

Serotonin syndrome

A toxic state triggered by serotonergic medications characterized by mental status changes, autonomic overactivity, fever, diaphoresis, diarrhea, tremor, hyperreflexia, and clonus.

Cyproheptadine

A serotonin antagonist that may be prescribed in moderate to severe cases of serotonin syndrome.

Posterior-approach hip arthroplasty precautions

Postoperative movement restrictions requiring the client to avoid hip flexion beyond $90$ degrees, crossing the legs, and internally rotating the operated extremity.

Heat stroke

A medical emergency resulting from environmental heat exposure manifested by dangerous hyperthermia and altered mental status, during which sweating may still be present.

Celiac disease

An immune-mediated disorder in which gluten ingestion damages the small intestine, requiring strict lifelong elimination of wheat, barley, and rye.

Mania

A psychiatric state seen in bipolar disorder characterized by very little sleep, rapid speech, impulsivity, distractibility, and impaired judgment.

Magnet Program Model

An organizational nursing framework emphasizing transformational leadership, structural empowerment, exemplary professional practice, new knowledge/innovation, and empirical outcomes.

Clear before cloudy

The procedural sequence for mixing insulins in one syringe, where air is injected into cloudy NPH first, air into clear regular second, and then clear regular insulin is drawn up prior to cloudy NPH.

Bipolar I disorder

A psychiatric condition characterized by the occurrence of at least one full manic episode; depressive episodes may occur but are not required for diagnosis.

Bipolar II disorder

A psychiatric condition characterized by hypomanic episodes and at least one major depressive episode, with no history of a full manic episode.

Primary prevention

A domain of public health nursing that aims to stop disease before it begins, exemplified by immunization administration.

Secondary prevention

A domain of public health nursing aimed at identifying and detecting disease early, exemplified by blood pressure screening.

Tertiary prevention

A domain of public health nursing directed toward reducing complications, managing long-term effects, and rehabilitation, exemplified by stroke rehabilitation.

Hiatal hernia dietary management

Lifestyle recommendations for reducing reflux, including consuming smaller meals, remaining upright without lying down for $2$ to $3$ hours after meals, elevating the head of the bed, and avoiding triggers such as high-fat foods, alcohol, and caffeine.

Ciprofloxacin and tizanidine interaction

A contraindicated drug combination in which ciprofloxacin significantly elevates serum concentrations of tizanidine, causing severe hypotension, bradycardia, profound somnolence, and impaired alertness.

Hepatic encephalopathy

A neuropsychiatric complication of impaired toxin clearance marked by confusion, sleep changes, and asterixis; managed nutritionally without routine protein elimination and pharmacologically with lactulose.

Bell's palsy

A cranial nerve condition that typically manifests as sudden, unilateral weakness involving the entire face, including the forehead, requiring corneal protection and lubrication.

Acute fentanyl toxicity

A life-threatening opioid overdose presenting with respiratory depression, pinpoint pupils, reduced consciousness, and hypoxemia, treated with the opioid antagonist naloxone.

Preterm labor

Cervical change and uterine activity occurring before $37$ weeks of gestation, manifested by regular contractions, pelvic pressure, menstrual-like cramps, low backache, or vaginal fluid leakage.

HELLP syndrome

A severe pregnancy complication characterized by hemolysis due to red blood cell fragmentation, elevated liver enzymes (AST and ALT), and low platelet counts from consumption.

Varicella zoster isolation precautions

Infection control measures requiring airborne and contact precautions in healthcare environments for chickenpox or disseminated shingles until all skin lesions have crusted.

Delirium

An acute, fluctuating disturbance in attention and awareness often precipitated by acute systemic triggers such as infection, hypoxia, medications, or metabolic imbalances.

Thyroid storm

A life-threatening hypermetabolic surge of hyperthyroidism characterized by high fever, severe tachycardia, agitation, gastrointestinal distress (vomiting/diarrhea), and potential heart failure or delirium.

Compartment syndrome in burns

A neurovascular complication caused by circumferential deep burns and tissue edema that restricts perfusion, presenting early with severe pain out of proportion or pain on passive stretch despite intact distal pulses.

Digoxin toxicity

Drug toxicity potentiated by hypokalemia that manifests with nausea, vomiting, anorexia, visual disturbances (such as yellow-tinted vision), confusion, and cardiac dysrhythmias.

Infant increased intracranial pressure

Elevated pressure within the cranial vault indicated by a bulging fontanel while calm, a high-pitched cry, vomiting, rapid enlargement of head circumference, or lethargy.

Fluid intake calculation for ice chips

The clinical intake recording standard where measured frozen ice chips are calculated and recorded as half of their total frozen volume once melted.

Quickening

The maternal perception of first fetal movements in utero, typically noted between $16$ and $20$ weeks of gestation.

Pathway to Excellence Program

An organizational credentialing program that recognizes healthcare facilities supporting a positive nursing practice environment through shared governance, leadership, and staff well-being.

Wernicke encephalopathy

An acute neurological disorder precipitated by thiamine deficiency (frequently tied to chronic alcohol use or malnutrition) presenting with the triad of encephalopathy/confusion, gait ataxia, and oculomotor dysfunction.

Histoplasmosis

A fungal pulmonary infection contracted by breathing airborne spores originating from disturbed soil contaminated with bird or bat droppings, which does not spread person to person.

Cross-sectional study

An observational epidemiological research design that assesses exposures and health outcomes simultaneously at a single point in time to determine prevalence and statistical associations without proving causality.

Continuous bubbling in the water-seal chamber

A finding in a closed chest drainage system that indicates an unintended air leak within the system or patient interface, requiring prompt assessment.

Levothyroxine administration rules

Guidelines requiring the hormone replacement medication to be taken on an empty stomach and separated from iron or calcium supplements by approximately four hours.

Desmopressin-induced hyponatremia

A dangerous side effect resulting from excessive water retention during antidiuretic hormone replacement, presenting with headache, nausea, confusion, weight gain, and risk of seizures.

Epidemiologic triangle

An infectious disease framework consisting of the agent, the host, and the environment used to identify how interventions and medications disrupt disease transmission.