Nursing Foundations: Communication, Integumentary Care, and Elimination

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering basic communication styles, clinical documentation formats, wound care, pressure injury staging, and urinary and bowel elimination terminology.

Intrapersonal Communication

Communication that takes place internally within oneself.

Interpersonal Communication

Communication that occurs directly between one person and another person or among a small group of individuals.

Public Communication

Communication directed toward an interaction with a large audience or group.

Assertive Communication

A style of communication preferred in nursing that conveys thoughts clearly, confidently, and respectfully while advocating for patient safety and needs.

Restating

A therapeutic communication technique in which the nurse repeats the patient's main thought or statement to confirm understanding (e.g., "You mentioned feeling dizzy every morning").

Clarifying

A therapeutic communication technique used to ensure mutual understanding of vague or ambiguous statements (e.g., "When you say you are tired, what do you mean?").

Exploring

A therapeutic communication technique used to examine a specific topic, issue, or emotion in greater depth (e.g., "Can you tell me more about what happened?").

SBAR

A standardized clinical communication framework standing for Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendations, widely utilized for delivering concise patient reports and handoffs.

SOAPIE

A structured format for nursing documentation organized by Subjective data, Objective data, Assessment, Plan, Interventions, and Evaluation.

DAR (Focus Charting)

A client-centered documentation system that organizes patient record entries into Data, Action, and Response (also known as F-DAR).

Pressure Ulcer

Any localized skin and tissue injury resulting from unrelieved pressure, friction, or shear forces that leads to tissue ischemia and necrosis.

Friction

A mechanical force acting parallel to the skin surface, occurring when sheets or surfaces rub against the epidermis, such as when dragging a patient across bed linens.

Shearing Force

The combination of friction and gravity-induced pressure occurring when skin adheres to a surface while underlying skeletal structures slide, such as a patient in Fowler's position sliding downward.

Stage I Pressure Ulcer

An area of intact skin exhibiting localized, non-blanchable erythema (redness), typically over a bony prominence.

Stage II Pressure Ulcer

Partial-thickness loss of dermis presenting clinically as a shallow open ulcer with a red-pink wound bed, or an intact or ruptured serum-filled blister, without slough.

Stage III Pressure Ulcer

Full-thickness tissue loss in which subcutaneous fat may be visible, forming a deep crater that may feature undermining or tunneling, without exposed bone, tendon, or muscle.

Stage IV Pressure Ulcer

Full-thickness skin and tissue loss with extensive destruction, tissue necrosis, or directly exposed bone, tendon, or muscle; often accompanied by undermining and sinus tracts.

Unstageable Pressure Ulcer

A full-thickness wound where the actual depth and stage cannot be determined because the base of the wound bed is obscured by slough or eschar.

Eschar

Thick, leathery, devitalized necrotic tissue that is black or brown in color covering a wound bed.

Slough

Moist, stringy, devitalized necrotic tissue adhering to a wound bed that is yellow, tan, green, or grayish in appearance.

Granulation Tissue

Pink-to-red, moist, highly vascularized new connective tissue composed of microscopic blood vessels and collagen that fills a wound bed during the proliferative healing phase.

Debridement

The clinical or surgical removal of dead, damaged, or infected tissue to promote a clean wound base for healthy tissue regeneration.

Serous Drainage

A clear, thin, watery wound exudate produced by the serum of the blood.

Sanguineous Exudate

Bright red or dark red bloody drainage indicating active capillary damage and bleeding.

Serosanguineous Exudate

Thin, pale red or pink watery drainage composed of a mixture of clear serum and red blood cells.

Purulent Exudate

Thick, opaque drainage containing white blood cells, liquified dead tissue, and bacteria ("pus"), usually yellow, green, or brown, indicating infection.

Primary Intention Healing

Wound closure involving closely approximated surgical or clean laceration edges closed by sutures, staples, or adhesive tape, resulting in minimal tissue loss and scar formation.

Secondary Intention Healing

Wound repair occurring when tissue loss prevents edge approximation, healing from the base upward through granulation, contraction, and extensive scarring (e.g., pressure ulcers, burns).

Tertiary Intention Healing

Delayed primary wound closure in which a contaminated wound is intentionally left open for drainage and observation before being surgically closed several days later.

Wound Dehiscence

The partial or total separation of previously approximated wound margins, typically occurring $4\text{ to }5\,\text{days}$ postoperatively following strain such as coughing or sneezing.

Wound Evisceration

A medical emergency characterized by the total disruption of a surgical incision with protrusion of visceral organs through the wound opening.

Hematoma

A localized collection of extravasated blood trapped beneath intact tissues or within an organ, appearing clinically as an elevated ecchymosis or swelling.

Braden Scale

An evidence-based assessment tool used to predict pressure ulcer risk based on six sensory and physical categories; a lower numerical score indicates a higher risk of ulcer development.

COCA

A clinical mnemonic used to document wound drainage characteristics: Color, Odor, Consistency, and Amount.

Micturition

The complex process of emptying the urinary bladder; urination or voiding.

Oliguria

A decreased urine output measuring $\ge 100\,\text{cc}$ but $< 500\,\text{cc/day}$, often caused by compromised renal perfusion or kidney injury.

Anuria

The near-complete or total cessation of urine production ($< 100\,\text{cc/day}$), indicating severe renal failure requiring dialysis.

Polyuria

The excessive excretion of abnormally large volumes of urine (several liters per day), associated with diabetes, chronic nephritis, or polydipsia.

Dysuria

Painful, burning, or difficult urination commonly associated with urinary tract infections or urethral inflammation.

Nocturia

The frequent awakening from sleep during the night to void two or more times.

Enuresis

Involuntary discharge of urine occurring in an individual past the developmental age when voluntary bladder control should be established.

Neurogenic Bladder

Loss of normal voluntary bladder function caused by neurological damage or spinal cord disruption, preventing perception of bladder fullness or sphincter control.

Postvoid Residual (PVR)

The volume of urine remaining inside the bladder immediately following an attempt to empty it completely, quantified via catheterization or ultrasound bladder scan.

Stress Incontinence

Involuntary leakage of urine occurring upon sudden increases in intra-abdominal pressure, such as during exertion, coughing, laughing, or sneezing.

Urge Incontinence

Involuntary leakage of urine occurring immediately following or accompanied by a sudden, intense sensation of urgency.

Functional Incontinence

Urinary leakage caused by external obstacles, physical mobility limitations, or cognitive/communication deficits that prevent a person from reaching a toilet in time.

Overflow Incontinence

Unexpected involuntary dribbling or loss of small amounts of urine caused by an overdistended, overfilled bladder unable to empty normally.

Transient Incontinence

Temporary, reversible urinary loss resulting from an acute, treatable condition or intervention (e.g., urinary tract infection, medications).

Ureterostomy

A surgical urinary diversion routing one or both ureters directly to an opening created on the abdominal wall surface.

Nephrostomy

A urinary diversion technique involving the placement of an artificial drainage catheter directly from the renal pelvis through the back into an external collection system.

Colostomy

A surgical stoma created by bringing an opening of the colon out to the abdominal wall, yielding effluent whose consistency varies depending on which colonic segment is diverted.

Ileostomy

A surgical stoma created by exteriorizing the terminal ileum through the abdominal wall, entirely bypassing the large intestine and producing continuous, liquid effluent.

Peristalsis

Coordinated involuntary smooth muscle contractions and relaxations that propel luminal contents through the digestive tract.

Meconium

The first dark green, tarry, and odorless fecal material passed by a newborn infant within the first $24\,\text{hours}$ of life.

Fecal Impaction

A solid, hardened mass of stool lodged firmly in the folds of the rectum that the patient cannot evacuate independently.

Bristol Stool Form Scale

A clinical diagnostic guide categorizing human feces into seven morphological types, ranging from Type 1 (separate hard lumps) to Type 7 (entirely watery liquid).