Nursing Exam 1

Units 1-7

Acute Illness

Rapid onset of symptoms which only lasts a short time

Basic human needs

Something essential that must be met for emotional and physiologic health and survival

Chronic illness

slow onset, permanent changes in anatomy and physiology, requires long period of care

Clinical judgement

the decision-making process that healthcare providers use to notice patient changes, interpret data, and take safe, effective action

Health

a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity

Health-illness continuum

a visual model showing that health is a dynamic, changing process rather than a fixed state

Health promotion

the behavior of a person who is motivated by a personal desire to increase well-being and health potential

Illness

Response of a person to a disease; process in which the person’s level of functioning is changed when compared with a previous level

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Physiologic, safety and security, love and belonging, self-esteem, self-actualization

Morbidity

How frequently a disease occurs

Mortality

The number of deaths resulting from a disease

Nursing process

Assessing, diagnosing/problem identification, planning, implementing, evaluating

Vulnerable populations

Racial and ethnic minorities, impoverished, women, children, older adults, low-income areas, disabilities and special needs

Wellness

Active state of being healthy - including physical, mental, and emotional health

Caries

Decay of teeth with the formation of cavities

Cerumen

ear wax

Gingivitis

Inflammation of the gingiva, the tissue that surrounds the teeth

Glossitis

Inflammation of the tongue

Halitosis

Strong mouth odor or persistent bad taste in mouth; first indication of peridontal disease

QSEN

Quality and safety education for nurses

Sensory deprivation

occurs when a person experiences decreased sensory input that is monotonous, unpatterned, or meaningless

Sensory overload

Excessive stimuli over which a person feels little control; the brain is unable to meaningfully respond to or ignore stimuli

Sentinel event

An unexpected occurrence involving death or serious physical or psychological injury, or the risk of death or injury

Restraint

Physical devices or chemical means used to limit a patient’s freedom and movement that cannot be easily removed (or eliminated) by the patient

Poison control center

Provide checklists for poison proofing a home and provide lists of toxic household items

ADLs

Activities of daily living; Eating, bathing, dressing, and toileting

atelectasis

Incomplete expansion or collapse of lung tissue; result of immobility

atrophy

Decreased muscle size (due to immobility)

Body alignment

Alignment of body parts that permits optimal musculoskeletal balance and operation and promotes healthy physiologic functioning

Contractures

permanent contraction of a muscle

Flaccidity

Decreased tone; results from disuse or neurologic impairments and is described as a weakness of the involved area

Gait

Manner of walking

Hypertonicity

also called spasticity; increased tone that interferes with movement; stiffness, tightness, or pulling of muscle

Hypertrophy

Increased muscle mass resulting from exercise or training

Hypostatic pneumonia

pneumonia that results from inactivity and immobility

Immobility

Lack of exercise, inactivity; can predispose to chronic health problems

Kyphosis

Increased convexity in the curvature of the thoracic spine

Osteoporosis

the process of bone demineralization

Paresis

Impaired muscle strength or weakness

Paralysis

The absence of strength caused by damage to the nervous system

Ergonomics

the practice of designing equipment and work tasks to conform to the capability of the worker and provides a means for adjusting the work environment and work practices to prevent injuries

Footdrop

Can develop as a result of extended periods of plantar flexion; foot is unable to maintain perpendicular position; difficulty walking

Plantar flexion

When the feet are unsupported in the dorsiflexion position; toes point downwards

Range of motion (ROM)

The maximum degree of movement of which a joint is normally capable)

Venous stasis

Condition where blood flow in the veins slows down, usually in the lower legs, because blood cannot easily return to the heart

Biologic clock

Internal timing mechanism in living things that controls when physical and behavioral changes happen

Circadian rhythm

Predictable fluctuations in processes that occur in repeated cycles of time, completing a full cycle every 24 hours

Dyssomnias

Broad term for sleep disorders

Hypersomnolence

Excessive daytime sleepiness

Insomnia

characterized by difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, intermittent sleep, or difficulty maintaining sleep, despite adequate opportunity and circumstances to sleep

Narcolepsy

chronic neurologic disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and frequent overwhelming urges to sleep or inadvertent daytime lapses into sleep

Nocturia

Waking up in the night to urinate

NREM (non-rapid eye movement)

Comprises 75-80% of total sleep time; consists of four stages; parasympathetic nervous system dominates; decrease in pulse, respiratory rate, BP, metabolic rate, and body temp

Parasomnias

Episodes or behaviors that occur during arousals from REM sleep or partial arousals from NREM sleep that disturb the patient or others

REM (Rapid eye movement)

20-25% of sleep time; pulse, respiratory rate, BP, metabolic rate, and temp increase

Sedative-hypnotics

Slow down CNS to calm anxiety and help you sleep

Sleep apnea

Potentially serious sleep disorder in which the throat muscles intermittently relax and block the airway during sleep, causing breathing to repeatedly stop and start

Sleep hygiene

A set of behaviors or habits that may influence sleep qualtiy