NURS 290: Think Like a Nurse Midterm Study Guide

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering course foundations, clinical judgment, communication tools, nursing history, delegation principles, theorists, and professional communication for the NURS 290 Midterm Exam.

Registered Nurses (RNs)

The largest group of healthcare providers in the United States.

Nursing Theory

A conceptual framework that organizes and guides patient care, helping nurses think about the person, health, environment, and nursing actions.

Critical Thinking

A learned skill that supports clinical reasoning, problem-solving, and decision-making by examining evidence, recognizing changes from expected patterns, combining new and existing information, and reflecting.

Cognitive Dissonance

The mental discomfort experienced when new evidence conflicts with an existing belief, acting as a barrier to critical thinking.

Clinical Decision-Making Sequence

The three-step process consisting of: process information → act/apply clinical knowledge → reflect.

Nursing Process

A systematic framework that organizes nursing thought and interventions through assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation.

Noticing (Tanner Model)

The phase of the Tanner Clinical Judgment Model where the nurse gathers cues and identifies what stands out, such as recognizing a new symptom, abnormal vital sign, or behavior change.

Interpreting (Tanner Model)

The phase of the Tanner Clinical Judgment Model where the nurse connects cues and considers what they mean by looking for patterns using the patient's history and findings.

Responding (Tanner Model)

The phase of the Tanner Clinical Judgment Model where the nurse chooses and carries out an action, communicating concerns and implementing appropriate care.

Reflecting (Tanner Model)

The phase of the Tanner Clinical Judgment Model where the nurse evaluates the action and outcome, asking whether the action worked and what could improve.

SBAR

A standardized framework for communicating critical patient information, consisting of Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation.

Situation (SBAR)

The SBAR component detailing who you are, which patient is being discussed, and the immediate reason for calling.

Background (SBAR)

The SBAR component providing relevant medical history, reason for admission, and prior treatments.

Assessment (SBAR)

The SBAR component summarizing current clinical findings and specific clinical concerns.

Recommendation (SBAR)

The SBAR component stating what the nurse needs or suggests next; omitting this element renders a handoff report incomplete.

I-PASS

A standardized handoff framework structured as: Illness severity, Patient summary, Action list, Situation awareness and contingency planning, and Synthesis by receiver.

Action List (I-PASS)

The section of the I-PASS handoff tool that specifies to-do items, timelines, and task ownership.

CUS

An assertive communication safety tool using escalating statements: "I am Concerned," "I am Uncomfortable," and "This is a Safety issue."

TeamSTEPPS

An evidence-based teamwork framework that emphasizes teamwork, communication, leadership, situation monitoring, and mutual support.

Florence Nightingale

Historical pioneer who wrote Notes on Nursing, advanced nurse training schools, and emphasized hygiene, cleanliness, environment, observation, and organized data.

Clara Barton

Historical figure renowned for battlefield nursing during the Civil War and founding the American Red Cross.

Mary Seacole

Historical nurse recognized for caring for wounded soldiers during the Crimean War.

Universal Precautions

Infection-prevention practices and safer equipment introduced in the 1980s as a direct response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Delegation

The process of assigning a clinical task to a qualified individual while the RN retains ultimate accountability for appropriate delegation, direction, supervision, and evaluation.

Five Rights of Delegation

The safety criteria for delegation consisting of Right task, Right circumstance, Right person, Right direction/communication, and Right supervision/evaluation.

Right Task

The right of delegation confirming that a task is appropriate and safe to delegate under established policies and regulations.

Right Circumstance

The right of delegation ensuring that the patient's current condition, setting, and available resources make delegation appropriate and safe.

Right Person

The right of delegation ensuring that the delegatee possesses the proper role, training, and verified competency for the task.

Right Direction and Communication

The right of delegation requiring clear instructions, limits, expected observations, and precise timelines for reporting back.

Right Supervision and Evaluation

The right of delegation requiring the nurse to monitor the task, provide follow-up, and evaluate patient outcomes.

Non-Delegable RN Judgment

Core nursing responsibilities requiring professional judgment—including establishing nursing goals, evaluating patient progress, and individualized teaching—that cannot be assigned to assistive personnel.

Martha Rogers

Nursing theorist who emphasized human wholeness and interaction with the environment through open systems and energy fields.

Jean Watson

Nursing theorist who developed the Theory of Human Caring, centering on holistic, person-centered caring relationships.

Callista Roy

Nursing theorist who created the Adaptation Model, assessing adaptation across physiological, self-concept, role function, and interdependence modes.

Dorothea Orem

Nursing theorist who established the Self-Care Deficit Theory, stating that nursing interventions support unmet patient self-care needs.

Hildegard Peplau

Nursing theorist who formulated the Interpersonal Relations Theory, focusing on the therapeutic nurse–patient relationship and psychiatric nursing.

Madeleine Leininger

Nursing theorist who established Culturally Congruent Care, advocating to individualize care rather than relying on cultural stereotyping.

Dorothy E. Johnson

Nursing theorist who developed the Behavioral System Model, conceptualizing human behavior as an organized, integrated system.

Virginia Henderson

Nursing theorist who proposed the Need Theory, focusing on assisting patients with 14 basic needs to support independence.

Betty Neuman

Nursing theorist who developed the Systems Model, focusing on patient stressors, levels of prevention, and lines of defense/resistance.

Patricia Benner

Nursing theorist who introduced the Novice to Expert model, explaining that clinical competence and clinical judgment develop progressively through experience.

Constructive Conflict Resolution

A professional dispute technique involving the use of "I" statements, describing concerns without blame, listening to other perspectives, negotiating solutions, and summarizing agreed next steps.