Nursing Fundamentals: Critical Thinking, ADPIE, Patient Safety, and Positioning

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering fundamental nursing concepts including critical thinking, ADPIE process, patient fall safety, seizure precautions, restraints, home safety, and patient positioning options.

Critical Thinking

An active, orderly, well thought out reasoning process that guides a nurse in making nursing judgments by applying knowledge, experience, problem solving, logic, reasoning, and decision making; practically described as planning ahead and connecting the dots.

ADPIE

The step-by-step framework representing the five stages of the nursing process: Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation.

Assessment

The first step of the nursing process (ADPIE) that involves collecting data, including vital signs, head-to-toe assessments, focused assessments, and patient medical history.

Nursing Diagnosis

The second step of the nursing process (ADPIE) that identifies the patient's response to what is happening with their condition or hospital stay, distinct from a medical diagnosis.

Planning

The third step of the nursing process (ADPIE) where the nurse determines goals for the patient and formulates interventions to help them reach those goals.

Implementation

The fourth step of the nursing process (ADPIE) that involves taking action and performing the specific nursing interventions identified in the planning phase.

Evaluation

The final step of the nursing process (ADPIE) that involves reassessing the patient to determine if goals were met, what needs to change, and what new goals should be set.

Bed Alarm

A fall prevention device used in acute care that detects when weight is removed from a patient's bed and triggers an alarm at the nurses' station.

Seizure Precautions

Safety measures implemented to protect a patient from injury during a seizure, including having bedside oxygen and suction, padding side rails, placing a pillow under the head, keeping the bed low, and avoiding physical restraint or placing items in the mouth.

Physical Restraint

Any physical equipment or device attached to a patient, such as wrist or mitten restraints, to restrict movement and prevent injury.

Chemical Restraint

Medications, such as benzodiazepines or antipsychotics, administered to keep a patient sedated or calm to control behavior.

Slipknot

A specific fashion of knot used to tie restraints directly to the bed frame, allowing quick untying by pulling on the long tail in an emergency.

Restraint Assessment Protocol

Guidelines requiring nurses to assess patient status, vital signs, behaviors, skin integrity, and safety needs every $15\text{ minutes}$ while restrained.

Supine Position

A patient position where the individual lies flat on their back, facing upwards.

Prone Position

A patient position where the individual lies flat on their stomach, commonly used to improve oxygenation and ease respiratory distress.

High Fowler's Position

A position where the head of the bed is elevated to an angle between $60^\text{o}$ and $90^\text{o}$, often used for patients having difficulty breathing.

Standard Fowler's Position

A position where the head of the bed is elevated to an angle between $45^\text{o}$ and $60^\text{o}$.

Semi-Fowler's Position

A position where the head of the bed is elevated to an angle between $30^\text{o}$ and $45^\text{o}$.

Lateral Position

A patient position where the individual lies directly on their side.

Trendelenburg Position

A body position where the patient's head is lowered and their feet are elevated.

Reverse Trendelenburg Position

A body position where the patient's head is elevated and their feet are lowered.