N207 Nursing Foundations: Vital Signs, Safety, Functional Ability, Mobility, Tissue Integrity, Pharmacology, and Communication

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering fundamental nursing concepts including vital signs, safety science, functional ability, mobility, tissue integrity, pharmacology, and professional communication styles based on lecture notes.

Homeostasis

The body's balancing act that keeps all body systems operating in optimal conditions, dynamically adjusting to internal and external changes to maintain equilibrium.

Vital Signs

Clinical measurements that reflect an individual's ability to maintain homeostasis regarding thermoregulatory, respiratory, and cardiovascular status; includes temperature, pulse, respirations, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and pain.

Thermoregulation

The physiological balance between heat production (metabolism, exercise, digestion) and heat loss (radiation, evaporation, conduction, convection) regulated by the hypothalamus to maintain body temperature between $35.8^\text{o}\text{C}$ and $37.3^\text{o}\text{C}$.

Core Temperature

The temperature of vital organs that are highly perfused and tightly regulated, less influenced by external environmental factors (measured via rectum, tympanic membrane, temporal artery, or pulmonary artery).

Peripheral Temperature

The temperature of peripheral compartments including extremities, skin, and peripheral tissues (measured via oral cavity, axilla, or skin).

Pulse Deficit

The numerical difference between the apical and radial pulse rates, indicating a lack of peripheral perfusion; assessed simultaneously by two nurses and considered present if the difference is greater than $2\text{ bpm}$.

Tachycardia

An elevated heart rate exceeding $100\text{ beats/min}$ in an adult.

Bradycardia

A slow heart rate below $60\text{ beats/min}$ in an adult.

Tachypnea

An abnormally fast respiratory rate exceeding the normal adult baseline of $12\text{ to }20\text{ breaths/min}$.

Bradypnea

An abnormally slow respiratory rate below the normal adult baseline.

Eupnea

Normal, unlabored breathing with a regular rate and depth.

Dyspnea

Difficult or labored breathing accompanied by shortness of breath.

Pulse Pressure

The numerical difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings, normally ranging between $30\text{ and }50\text{ mm Hg}$ in adults.

Orthostatic Hypotension

A sudden drop in blood pressure (by at least $20\text{ mm Hg}$ systolic or $10\text{ mm Hg}$ diastolic) that occurs when transitioning from a lying to a standing position.

Postprandial Hypotension

A drop in systolic blood pressure of $20\text{ mm Hg}$ or more occurring within 2 hours after eating a meal, often associated with carbohydrate intake.

Adverse Event

Unintended harm caused to a patient by healthcare management (an act of commission or omission) rather than by the underlying disease process.

Near Miss

A patient safety incident involving an error of commission or omission that could have caused harm, but did not reach or injure the patient due to chance or timely intervention.

Sentinel Event

An unexpected healthcare safety occurrence involving death or serious physical or psychological injury.

Error of Commission

A healthcare error resulting from taking an incorrect action (doing the wrong thing).

Error of Omission

A healthcare error resulting from failing to take an appropriate action (not doing the right thing).

Error of Execution

A healthcare error resulting from carrying out a correct plan or action incorrectly.

Just Culture

A organizational culture that promotes safety by fairly balancing an understanding of systemic failures with professional accountability, encouraging transparent reporting of errors without fear of unjust punishment.

Crew Resource Management (CRM)

A set of instructional strategies designed in aviation and adapted for healthcare to improve teamwork, communication, and situational awareness in high-stress environments.

Functional Ability

The physical, psychological, cognitive, and social capacity of an individual to perform activities essential for daily living, self-care, and role fulfillment.

Basic Activities of Daily Living (BADL)

Fundamental self-care tasks required for basic daily functioning, including dressing, eating, bathing, toileting, ambulating, and grooming.

Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL)

Complex tasks necessary for independent living within a community, including shopping, cooking, managing finances, taking medications, and using transportation.

Sarcopenia

The progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass, strength, and function associated with aging, typically beginning around age 40.

Osteoporosis

A systemic skeletal disease characterized by low bone mineral density and structural deterioration of bone tissue, leading to bone fragility and increased risk of fractures.

Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA)

A non-invasive diagnostic imaging technique used to measure bone mineral density and diagnose osteopenia or osteoporosis.

Tissue Integrity

The state of structurally intact and physiologically functioning epithelial tissues of the integument, including skin, subcutaneous tissue, and mucous membranes.

Primary Intention Healing

Wound closure occurring when wound edges are well approximated (such as a surgical incision or clean laceration), resulting in minimal tissue loss, rapid healing, and minimal scarring.

Secondary Intention Healing

Wound healing occurring in extensive wounds with unapproximated margins, requiring granulation tissue formation from the bottom up to fill the defect, leading to longer healing times and larger scars.

Tertiary Intention Healing

Delayed primary wound closure where a wound is deliberately left open initially to allow infection or edema to resolve before surgical suturing.

Cellulitis

A deep bacterial infection of the subcutaneous tissue layer, commonly caused by streptococci or staphylococci, presenting with localized pain, warmth, swelling, and erythema.

Guidelines for Staging of Pressure Ulcers

A standardized clinical system for categorizing tissue damage from pressure/shear, ranging from Stage I (non-blanchable erythema) through Stage IV (exposed bone, tendon, or muscle) and unstageable injuries.

Pharmacology

The study or science of drugs, encompassing their administration, biochemical effects, mechanisms of action, movement within the body, and therapeutic uses.

Generic Name

The official, nonproprietary name assigned to a drug by Health Canada that is universally recognized and written in lower case (e.g., furosemide).

Trade Name

The proprietary name given to a drug by its pharmaceutical manufacturer, protected by trademark/patent, and usually capitalized (e.g., Lasix).

Bioavailability

The proportion or percentage of an administered drug dose that reaches the systemic circulation in active form to produce a therapeutic effect.

First-Pass Effect

The initial hepatic metabolism of an orally administered drug absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract before it reaches the systemic circulation, reducing its overall bioavailability.

Half-Life ($t_{1/2}$)

The time required for the body's elimination processes to reduce the plasma concentration of a drug by exactly 50%.

Pharmacokinetics

The study of what the body does to a drug, comprising the four processes of absorption, distribution, metabolism (biotransformation), and excretion.

Pharmacodynamics

The study of what a drug does to the body, including its biological mechanisms of action, receptor interactions, and therapeutic or toxic responses.

Agonist

A drug that binds to a specific receptor site and triggers a biological response, mimicking the action of endogenous hormones or neurotransmitters.

Antagonist

A drug that binds to a specific receptor site and blocks or inhibits a response by preventing endogenous substances or other drugs from binding.

Anaphylaxis

A severe, immediate, life-threatening allergic reaction characterized by massive systemic release of histamine, respiratory distress, and cardiovascular collapse.

Metered-Dose Inhaler (MDI)

A handheld device that delivers a pre-measured, aerosolized dose of medication directly to the tracheobronchial tree upon inhalation.

Z-track Method

An intramuscular injection technique where the skin and subcutaneous tissue are pulled laterally before needle insertion to seal the medication track and prevent tissue irritation.

Natural Health Products (NHPs)

An umbrella term regulated by Health Canada covering vitamins, minerals, herbal remedies, homeopathic medicines, probiotics, and amino acids.

Linear Model of Communication

A basic, non-reciprocal model of communication depicting message flow in one direction from sender to channel to receiver, commonly used in high-acuity emergency health situations.

Transactional Model of Communication

A dynamic, reciprocal communication model where senders and receivers simultaneously influence each other and co-create shared meaning through continuous feedback and nonverbal cues.

Metacommunication

A broad term encompassing all verbal and nonverbal factors (such as vocal pitch, tone, facial expression, and body language) that influence how a message is interpreted.

Professional Presence

The demonstration of respect, confidence, integrity, optimism, passion, and empathy by a nurse in accordance with professional standards and ethical codes.

Relational Practice

A nursing competency and approach guided by conscious, authentic participation with clients using skills like active listening, empathy, mutuality, and self-reflection.

Empathy

A multidimensional professional attribute (affective, cognitive, and behavioral) enabling a nurse to understand and emotionally connect with a patient's perspective without judgment.

Boundary Crossing

A deviation from an established professional boundary in the nurse-client relationship that may be acceptable depending on context if meeting therapeutic patient needs.

Boundary Violation

An unacceptable action or behavior where a healthcare professional uses the nurse-client relationship to meet personal needs at the expense of the client.

Proxemics

The study and spatial perception of proper interpersonal physical distance maintained between individuals during communication.

Motivational Interviewing

A person-centered, directive communication framework designed to elicit and strengthen an individual's intrinsic motivation to change health behaviors by resolving ambivalence.

Denotation

The direct, explicit, generalized dictionary definition or literal meaning of a word.

Connotation

The personalized, emotional, social, or cultural associations and overtones attached to a word or phrase beyond its literal definition.