Nursing Fundamentals and Comprehensive Health Assessment Flashcards

These flashcards provide essential vocabulary and definitions from the lecture notes covering vital signs, health assessments, nursing practice standards, medication administration, and patient care management.

Systolic

Blood pressure reading during heart contraction.

Diastolic

Blood pressure reading during heart relaxation.

Cardiac Output

The amount of blood pumped by the heart in a minute.

Systemic Vascular Resistance

The amount of constriction or dilation of the blood vessels required to accommodate increased blood flow without increasing resistance.

Stroke Volume

The amount of blood ejected by the ventricle during a single contraction.

Preload

The amount of blood in the ventricles before contraction.

Afterload

The amount of resistance the heart must overcome to eject blood.

Hypertension (Elevated)

A blood pressure reading with a systolic of $120-129$ and a diastolic less than $80$.

Hypertension Stage 1

A blood pressure reading with a systolic of $130-139$ or a diastolic of $80-89$.

Hypertension Stage 2

A blood pressure reading with a systolic of $140$ or higher or a diastolic of $90$ or higher.

Hypertensive Crisis

A medical emergency with a systolic higher than $180$ or a diastolic higher than $120$.

Hypotension

A blood pressure reading with a systolic less than $90$ or a diastolic less than $60$.

Orthostatic Hypotension

A decrease in blood pressure that occurs when a patient changes position.

Pulse Deficit

The difference between the apical pulse and the peripheral pulse.

Tachycardia

A pulse rate over $100/ ext{min}$.

Bradycardia

A pulse rate less than $60/ ext{min}$.

Pyrexia

A fever; defined as a temperature over $100.4 ext{ }^{\circ}\text{F}$.

Hyperthermia

The inability of the hypothalamus to promote heat loss.

Hypothermia

A body temperature less than $96.8 ext{ }^{\circ}\text{F}$.

Ventilation

The movement of gases in and out of the lungs.

Diffusion

The movement of gases between the alveoli and the red blood cells.

Perfusion

The movement of red blood cells to the organs.

Eupnea

A normal respiration range.

Tachypnea

A respiratory rate over $20/ ext{min}$.

Bradypnea

A respiratory rate under $12/ ext{min}$.

Dyspnea

Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath (SOB).

Apnea

The absence of breathing.

Cheyne-Stokes

A breathing pattern characterized by rapid and shallow breaths, followed by deep breaths, and then periods of apnea.

Kussmaul

Deep and rapid respirations.

Capnography

The measurement of exhaled $CO_2$.

OLDCARTS

A mnemonic for pain assessment: Onset, Location, Duration, Characteristics, Aggravating/Alleviating factors, Radiation, Treatments, Severity.

PQRST

A mnemonic for pain assessment: Precipitating cause, Quality, Region, Severity, Timing.

Conduction

Heat loss through contact with a surface.

Convection

Heat loss through air blowing over the body.

Evaporation

Heat loss occurring when sweat evaporates.

Radiation

Heat transfer that occurs without direct contact.

Macule

A flat, nonpalpable change in skin color smaller than $1\,cm$.

Vesicle

A circumscribed elevation of the skin filled with serous fluid, smaller than $0.5\,cm$ (e.g., Herpes simplex, chickenpox).

Papule

A palpable, circumscribed, solid elevation smaller than $0.5\,cm$ (e.g., a mole/nevus).

Pustule

A circumscribed elevation of the skin filled with pus, varying in size (e.g., acne, staph).

Nodule

An elevated solid mass, deeper and firmer than a papule, measuring $0.5-2\,cm$ (e.g., a wart).

Wheal

An irregularly shaped, elevated or superficial localized edema (e.g., hives, mosquito bite).

Tumor

A solid mass, potentially deep through subcutaneous tissue, larger than $1-2\,cm$.

ABCDE (Skin Cancer)

The criteria for evaluating skin lesions: Asymmetry, Border, Color, Diameter, Evolving.

Atelectasis

The collapse of the lung, which decreases the number of alveoli available to exchange $O_2$ and $CO_2$.

Stridor

A high-pitched crowing sound occurring when the airway is blocked by a mass, inflammation, or foreign body.

Lordosis

An over-curvature of the lumbar spine.

Kyphosis

An over-curvature of the thoracic spine, also known as hunchback.

Scoliosis

A lateral deviation of the spine.

Pharmacokinetics

The study of drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion in the body.

Therapeutic Effect

The desired result of a medication.

Biotransformation

The breakdown of medication in the body, usually occurring in the kidneys or liver.

Peak and Trough

The highest (peak) and lowest (trough) concentration of a medication in the blood.

Half-life

The time it takes for a medication concentration to fall to half its strength through excretion.

First Pass Effect

The process where oral medications pass through the liver, resulting in a lower concentration of the medication.

Idiosyncratic Effect

An unpredictable medication effect that results in an opposite reaction to what was expected.

Medication Reconciliation

A process performed any time patient care is transferred to ensure continuity of care and include all current medications.

Cognitive Learning

A domain of learning involving knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.

Psychomotor Learning

A domain of learning involving physical skills, such as demonstration, return demonstration, and games.

Affective Learning

A domain of learning involving feelings and values, often addressed through discussion and role play.

ISBARR

A communication tool used for interprofessional handoffs: Introduction, Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendations, Read-back.

Informatics

The use of information and technology to communicate, manage knowledge, mitigate errors, and support decision making.

Just Culture

A philosophy promoting accountability and learning by understanding the reasons behind errors rather than focusing on punishment.

Medical Asepsis

Techniques used to reduce the presence of germs, such as isolation precautions.

Surgical Asepsis

Techniques used to ensure the sterility of items to prevent pathogen transfer to the patient.

Palliative Care

Treatment focused on decreasing pain and improving quality of life while managing illness manifestations; can be used for terminal or treatable illnesses.

Hospice Care

Care specifically for patients with terminal illnesses.