LPN Fundamentals Study Guide Vocabulary

Fundamental Cellular Processes

  • Diffusion Definition: The movement of substances from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration (High→LowHigh \rightarrow Low).
  • Energy Requirement: Diffusion is a passive process, meaning it does not require energy.

Connective Tissue

  • Relative Abundance: Connective tissue is identified as the most abundant tissue in the human body.
  • Areolar Tissue: Responsible for holding organs together; it provides essential support and cushioning.
  • Adipose Tissue: Specializes in storing fat, providing insulation, and offering cushioning for the body.
  • Fibrous Tissue: Provides strength and support; it is the primary component of tendons and ligaments.
  • Bone: Functions include support, protection of vital organs, mineral storage, and the production of blood cells.
  • Cartilage: Provides flexible support and acts as a cushion for joints.
  • Blood: Functions as a transport medium for oxygen, nutrients, hormones, and waste products.

Nervous and Muscle Tissues

  • Nervous Tissue: Specialized to receive and transmit electrical impulses.
  • Neurons: The specific name for nerve cells.
  • Skeletal Muscle: This muscle type is voluntary, striated, and attached to bones.
  • Cardiac Muscle: This muscle type is involuntary and striated; it is found exclusively in the heart.
  • Smooth Muscle: This muscle type is involuntary and non-striated; it is located within the walls of hollow organs.

Epithelial Tissue

  • Simple Cuboidal Epithelium: Found in the kidneys, glands, and ducts; its primary functions are secretion and absorption.
  • Simple Columnar Epithelium: Consists of a single layer of tall cells and often includes goblet cells; it is used for absorption and secretion.
  • Transitional Epithelium: Found in the bladder and ureters; it is uniquely designed to stretch as the bladder fills.

Patient Safety and Restraints

  • Provider Orders: A provider order is mandatory for the use of restraints, except in emergency situations.
  • Usage Criteria: Restraints should only be utilized when necessary to ensure patient safety.
  • Least Restrictive Alternatives: Healthcare providers must always attempt the least restrictive alternatives before resorting to physical or chemical restraints.

Infection Control and Microbiology

  • Primary Prevention: Hand hygiene is the single most important action in preventing the spread of infection (#1 prevention).
  • Breaking the Chain: Infection is stopped by intentionally breaking the "chain of infection."
  • Asepsis: The state of being free from pathogens.
  • Medical Asepsis: Known as "clean technique."
  • Surgical Asepsis: Known as "sterile technique."
  • Aerobic Bacteria: Organisms that require oxygen to survive.
  • Anaerobic Bacteria: Organisms that do not require oxygen to survive.
  • Spores: Specialized structures that allow bacteria to survive in harsh environmental conditions.
  • Smallest Infectious Agents: Viruses occupy this category.
  • Antibiotic Limitation: Antibiotics are effective for treating bacterial infections, but they do not treat viruses.
  • Types of Infection:
    • Local Infection: Confined to one specific area of the body.
    • Systemic Infection: Affects the entire body.
  • Non-Self-Limiting Viruses: Viruses that the body cannot clear on its own, including HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C.

Clinical Communication and Documentation

  • Communication Techniques:
    • Open-ended: A technique that encourages the patient to discuss their situation in detail.
    • Closed: Involves questions requiring only a "yes" or "no" or a very short answer.
    • Restating: The practice of repeating the patient's own words back to them to confirm what was said.
    • Clarifying: Used to ensure the nurse fully understands the patient's message.
    • Reflecting: Directing the patient's feelings or questions back to them to promote self-exploration.
  • Communication Purpose: To build a relationship of trust and to gather necessary clinical information.
  • Record Ownership: The medical record is the legal property of the facility where care is provided.
  • Documentation Standards: Should be completed promptly, accurately, and with objectivity.
  • Correcting Paper Redords: Errors must be corrected by drawing a single line through the mistake, initialing it, and then providing the correct entry.
  • SOAP Format: An acronym representing the structure of clinical notes:
    • S: Subjective
    • O: Objective
    • A: Assessment
    • P: Plan
  • Electronic Privacy: Always log off electronic health records to maintain patient confidentiality.

Cultural Concepts in Nursing

  • Culture: A set of shared beliefs and values among a group of people.
  • Subculture: A smaller cultural group existing within a larger culture.
  • Transcultural Nursing: The provision of care that is culturally appropriate and sensitive to individual needs.
  • Race: Defined by physical characteristics.
  • Ethnicity: Defined by a shared heritage and culture.
  • Cultural Competence: The ability to provide effective healthcare across various cultural boundaries.
  • Unconscious Bias: Stereotypes about certain groups that individuals form without conscious awareness.
  • Cultural Bias: The act of judging other people or cultures based on the standards and values of one's own culture.

Body Mechanics and Patient Mobility

  • Primary Goals: To prevent physical injury to the healthcare worker and to conserve energy.
  • Lifting Principles: Lift using the strength of the legs, bend at the knees, keep the load close to the body, and avoid twisting the torso.
  • Back Injury Prevention: Avoid bending at the waist when lifting.
  • Mobility Benefits: Maintaining mobility helps preserve muscle strength, circulation, lung capacity, and joint flexibility.
  • Risks of Immobility: Can lead to muscle atrophy, pressure injuries, blood clots (thrombi), pneumonia, and constipation.
  • ROM: Defined as Range of Motion.
  • Older Adult Considerations: This population typically experiences reduced balance, physical strength, and flexibility.
  • Skin Integrity Definitions:
    • Friction: Occurs when skin rubs against a surface.
    • Shear: Occurs when the skin remains fixed while underlying tissue moves; this is a primary cause of deep tissue injury.
  • Safe Patient Transfer: Use a gait belt for stability. When walking with a patient, the nurse should stand on the patient's weak side.

Medical Terminology and Anatomy

  • Idiopathic: A term used when the cause of a disease or condition is unknown.
  • Signs: Objective findings that can be observed or measured by an examiner.
  • Symptoms: Subjective findings reported by the patient.
  • Pathogenesis: The specific process of disease development.
  • Pathophysiology: The study of the functional effects of a disease on the body.
  • Anatomical Directional Terms:
    • Superior: Toward the head.
    • Inferior: Toward the feet.
    • Anterior: Toward the front of the body.
    • Posterior: Toward the back of the body.
    • Medial: Moving toward the midline of the body.
    • Lateral: Moving away from the midline of the body.
    • Proximal: Closer to the point of attachment or the trunk.
    • Distal: Farther away from the point of attachment or the trunk.

Homeostasis and Feedback Mechanisms

  • Homeostasis Definition: The maintenance of a stable internal environment.
  • Negative Feedback: The primary mechanism for maintaining homeostasis by reversing a change to return to a set point. Examples include:
    • Body temperature regulation.
    • Blood glucose levels.
    • Blood pressure (BP).
  • Positive Feedback: A mechanism that amplifies a change rather than reversing it. Examples include:
    • Labor (childbirth).
    • Blood clotting.
  • Effector: The specific organ or tissue that executes the body's response to a stimulus.

High-Yield Review Summary

  • Objective vs. Subjective: Objective data is observable; Subjective data is what the patient reports.
  • Muscle Control: Skeletal muscle is voluntary; Cardiac muscle is involuntary but striated.
  • Bladder Tissue: Transitional epithelium is the tissue responsible for allowing the bladder to stretch.
  • Homeostatic Loop: Negative feedback is the system that maintains internal stability.
  • Diffusion Physics: Movement occurs from high to low concentration (High→LowHigh \rightarrow Low) without the use of energy.
  • Asepsis Comparison: Medical asepsis equals clean; Surgical asepsis equals sterile.
  • Viral Treatment: Antibiotics do not work on viruses.
  • Safety Factors: Shear is the movement that leads to deep tissue injury.