Nursing Foundations and Medical Terminology Review

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering the evolution of nursing, legal and ethical concepts, and fundamental medical terminology as presented in the lecture notes.

Nurse (Verb)

To nurture, to feed, to foster, and to support.

Florence Nightingale

Known as the 'Lady of the Lamp' and credited as the first nursing theorist; established a nursing school in London and the 'Nightingale Plan'.

Mary Eliza Mahoney

Recognized as the first qualified Black nurse in the US ($1845$ – $1926$) who worked to improve acceptance of Black nurses.

Practical and Vocational Nurse (LPN/LVN)

A nurse who provides specific services under the direct supervision of a registered nurse (RN) and is educated to provide safe, responsible, and effective care for stable patients.

National Federation of Licensed Practical Nurses (NFLPN)

Founded by Lillian Kuster in $1949$; membership is limited to LPN/LVNs.

Accreditation

A voluntary review process that determines if a nursing program meets pre-established criteria.

Health Care Delivery System

A network of agencies, facilities, and providers within a specified geographic area aimed at achieving optimal levels of health care for a defined population.

Interdisciplinary Approach

A method of patient care involving the development of a comprehensive care plan, effective communication, and accurate documentation among various health care providers.

Malpractice

Refers to professional negligence; requires four key elements: duty, breach, harm, and proximate cause of harm.

Advocate

One who will defend or plead a cause or issue on behalf of another; a nurse has a legal and ethical obligation to safeguard the patient's interests.

Standards of Care

Acts that are permitted or prohibited; provides direction and defines what is required of the nurse.

Scope of Practice

Defined by individual state Nurse Practice Acts; gives direction to the practicing nurse regarding their obligations and prohibited standards.

Battery

The performance of a procedure without the patient’s permission or a signed consent; does not require 'intent to harm'.

HIPAA

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of $1996$; obligates health care institutions to uphold patient rights to privacy and confidentiality of medical records.

Ethics

Values that help an individual define right and wrong.

Autonomy

The ethical principle of freedom of personal choice.

Beneficence

The ethical principle of doing good or acting for someone’s good.

Nonmaleficence

The ethical principle to do no harm.

Justice

The ethical concept of what is fair.

Prefix

The beginning of a medical term that usually acts as an adjective to describe color, size, amount, or location.

Root (Stem)

The main or essential point of a word; all medical terms have one.

Suffix

The end of a word that explains or adds meaning, often indicating a disease, diagnosis, or type of surgery.

NPO

Nothing by mouth.

STAT

Immediately.

Rhinorrhea

Discharge from the nose.

Arteriosclerosis

Condition of hardening of the arteries.

Apnea

Without breathing.

Oophorectomy

Surgical removal of the ovary.

Febrile

Having a fever.

Antipyretic

Pertaining to working against a fever.

Stenosis

Condition of being narrow.