Potter & Perry Fundamentals of Nursing: Mobility, Sleep, Safety & Pain Management

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering health promotion, mobility, complications of immobility, assistive devices, crutch gaits, rest and sleep regulation, fall risk, soft restraints, and pain assessment scales from Potter & Perry's Fundamentals of Nursing (12th Edition).

Proprioception

The nervous system's sensory function that enables an individual to recognize body position and limb placement in space.

Isotonic Exercise

Physical activity during which muscle fibers shorten and active joint movement takes place, promoting muscular strength, endurance, and functional mobility (e.g., walking, active range of motion).

Isometric Exercise

Physical activity in which muscle contraction occurs without visible joint movement, used to maintain or improve strength when movement is restricted.

Virchow Triad

A cluster of three pathophysiological factors associated with immobility—venous stasis, vessel wall injury, and hypercoagulability—that elevate the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism.

Foot Drop

A permanent plantar flexion contracture resulting from prolonged bed rest or neurological impairment that prevents foot dorsiflexion and inhibits safe ambulation.

Shear

Mechanical tissue trauma that occurs when skin remains fixed while deeper tissues slide beneath it, tearing capillaries and contributing to pressure injuries over the sacrum, heels, and elbows.

Braden Scale

A standardized clinical assessment instrument used to evaluate a patient's risk of developing pressure injuries.

Walker

A lightweight, waist-high metal assistive device with four wide legs that provides the widest base of support; fitted with elbows flexed 15–30 degrees, advanced forward before the patient steps in.

Single Straight-Legged Cane

A lightweight mobility aid held on the patient's stronger side approximately 6 inches to the side of the foot, advanced simultaneously with the weaker leg with the elbow flexed 15–30 degrees.

Quad Cane

An assistive mobility device featuring a four-pronged base that provides greater stability than a standard cane, can stand independently, and is indicated for partial or complete unilateral weakness.

Axillary Crutches

Crutches positioned with a 2- to 3-finger width (about 2-inch) clearance beneath the axillae, designed so that full body weight is supported by the hands to prevent brachial nerve damage.

Lofstrand (Forearm) Crutch

An adjustable single-tube crutch featuring a handgrip and a forearm cuff intended for long-term use, stabilizing the forearm while allowing the user's hands to remain free.

Platform Crutch

An assistive device featuring a horizontal trough that supports the forearm and a handgrip for steering, indicated for patients who cannot bear weight through their wrists or hands.

Four-Point Crutch Gait

A crutch gait pattern indicated when both legs can bear weight; the slowest and most stable pattern, executing the sequence: right crutch → left foot → left crutch → right foot.

Two-Point Crutch Gait

A crutch walking pattern requiring partial weight-bearing on both legs that mimics normal arm-leg swing, advancing the right crutch with the left foot together, then the left crutch with the right foot together.

Three-Point Crutch Gait

A crutch gait used when one leg is completely non-weight-bearing; both crutches and the affected leg advance together, followed by the stronger leg swinging past the crutches.

Swing-To Crutch Gait

A crutch gait used for patients with paraplegia or lower extremity weakness wearing leg braces; both crutches advance, and both legs swing forward to land just behind the crutches.

Swing-Through Crutch Gait

A fast crutch gait requiring substantial upper-body strength and balance for patients wearing leg braces; both crutches advance, and both legs swing past and land ahead of the crutches.

Active Range of Motion (Active ROM)

Independent movement of a joint through its entire available motion performed by the patient without caregiver physical assistance.

Passive Range of Motion (Passive ROM)

Joint movement performed entirely by a nurse or caregiver without active muscle contraction from the patient, aimed at preserving joint flexibility and preventing contractures.

Homeostatic Sleep Process

The biological mechanism whereby sleep pressure builds continuously across periods of wakefulness and progressively dissipates during sleep.

Circadian Sleep Process

The internal biological 24-hour cycle synchronized by environmental cues such as light, activity, and routine that regulates periods of sleepiness and wakefulness.

Insomnia

A sleep disturbance characterized by difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, early morning awakening, or nonrestorative sleep.

Sleep Apnea

A disorder characterized by recurrent pauses or cessation in breathing during sleep, disrupting sleep continuity and oxygenation.

Parasomnias

A category of sleep disorders involving abnormal, undesirable physical events, movements, or behaviors occurring during sleep onset, sleep stages, or arousal.

Morse Fall Scale

A validated fall risk screening tool evaluating six items (fall history, secondary diagnosis, ambulatory aid, IV/heparin lock, gait, mental status) yielding scores categorized into low (0–24), moderate (25–44), or high risk (45+).

Assisted Fall Technique

The emergency nursing intervention where a falling patient is safely guided to the floor by widening the nurse's base of support, sliding one leg out, bending the knees, and protecting the patient's head.

Wrist Restraint Application

The procedure of applying a soft wrist restraint to a bed frame with a quick-release knot, ensuring a snug fit verified by slipping two fingers under the cuff while maintaining bed elevation of 30 degrees or greater.

Acute Pain

Transient, protective pain directly tied to tissue trauma, surgery, or acute illness that usually resolves with tissue healing and may present with autonomic signs.

Chronic Pain

Persistent pain lasting beyond expected normal healing timeframes or recurring over months to years, with treatment prioritized around function, coping, and quality of life.

Numeric Rating Scale (NRS)

A self-report pain scale graded from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain imaginable), designed for alert adults and older children capable of assigning numerical values to pain intensity.

Wong-Baker FACES Scale

A visual pain scale displaying drawn facial expressions scored 0 to 10, best used for children aged 3 years and older and adults who struggle with numeric rating scales.

Visual Analog Scale (VAS)

A pain assessment instrument consisting of a straight 10-cm line anchored by 'no pain' and 'worst pain' where the patient indicates pain severity by drawing a mark along the line.

FLACC Behavioral Scale

An observational pain assessment tool that scores five categories—Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, and Consolability—from 0 to 2 each (total 0–10) for infants, young children, and nonverbal clients.

PAINAD Scale

A behavioral pain assessment tool tailored for patients with advanced dementia, evaluating breathing, vocalization, facial expression, body language, and consolability.

CPOT (Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool)

A behavioral pain scale designed for critically ill or mechanically ventilated adults, scoring facial expressions, body movements, muscle tension, and ventilator compliance.

Heat Therapy

A local thermal intervention causing vasodilation that enhances tissue perfusion, reduces joint stiffness, and relieves muscle spasms, applied for 15–20 minutes with skin evaluations every 5–10 minutes.

Cold Therapy

A local thermal intervention causing vasoconstriction that minimizes hemorrhage, swelling, and inflammation after an acute injury while slowing nerve transmission to numb pain.

Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA)

An intravenous drug delivery method that allows exclusively the patient to self-administer small, preset doses of analgesic medication at designated intervals by pressing a button.

Crutch Gait Patterns

Prescribed ambulation patterns (Four-point, Two-point, Three-point, Swing-to, Swing-through) determined by the patient's weight-bearing status, balance, and bilateral lower-extremity strength.