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Health

answer

state of optimal functioning or well-being

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Licensure

answer

to be given a license to practice nursing in a state or province after successfully meeting requirements

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Nurse practice act

answer

law established to regulate nursing practice

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Nursing

answer

profession that focuses on the holistic person receiving health care services and provides a unique contribution to the prevention of illness and maintenance of health

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Nursing process

answer

five-step systematic method for giving patient care; involves assessing, diagnosing, planning, implementing, and evaluating

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Profession

answer

an occupation that meets specific criteria including a well-defined body of specific and unique knowledge, a code of ethics and standards, ongoing research, and autonomy

question

Reciprocity

answer

process allowing a nurse to apply for and be endorsed as a registered nurse by another state

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Standards

answer

acceptable, expected level of performance established by authority, custom, or consent

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Applied research

answer

research designed to directly influence or improve clinical practice

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Basic research

answer

research designed to generate and refine theory; the findings are often not directly useful in practice

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Concept

answer

abstract images (ideas) that are formed as impressions from the environment and organized into symbols of reality

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Conceptual framework or model

answer

set of concepts, along with the statements that arrange the concepts into an understandable pattern

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Data

answer

information

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Deductive reasoning

answer

cognitive process in which one examines a general idea and then considers specific actions or ideas

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Evidence-based practice

answer

nursing care provided that is supported by sound scientific rationale

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Evidence-based practice guideline

answer

guidelines written by a panel of experts that synthesize information from multiple studies and recommend best practices to treat patients with a disease, a symptom, or a disability

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Inductive reasoning

answer

cognitive process in which one identifies a specific idea or action and then makes conclusions about general ideas

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Informed consent

answer

knowledgeable, voluntary permission obtained from a patient to perform a specific test or procedure

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Nursing research

answer

encompasses both research to improve the care of people in the clinical setting and to study people and the nursing profession, including education, policy development, ethics, and nursing history

question

Nursing theory

answer

differentiates nursing from other disciplines and activities by serving the purposes of describing, explaining, predicting, and controlling desired outcomes of nursing care practices

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Philosophy

answer

study of wisdom, fundamental knowledge, and the processes we use to develop and construct our perceptions of life

question

Process

answer

series of actions, changes, or functions to bring about a result

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Qualitative research

answer

method of research conducted to gain insight by discovering meanings

question

Quantitative research

answer

research involving the concepts of basic and applied research

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Research

answer

process that uses observable and verifiable information (data), collected in a systematic manner, to describe, explain, or predict events

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Science

answer

a body of knowledge gained by observing, identifying, describing, investigating, and explaining events and occurrences that are perceived in the world

question

Systematic review

answer

summarized findings from multiple studies of a specific clinical practice question or topic that recommend practice changes and future directions for research; one of the strongest sources of evidence for evidence-based practice

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Theory

answer

a group of concepts that describe a pattern of reality

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Acute illness

answer

rapidly occurring illness that runs its course, allowing a person to return to one's previous level of functioning

question

Chronic illness

answer

irreversible illness that causes permanent physical impairment and requires long-term health care

question

Disease

answer

pathologic change in the structure or function of the body or mind

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Exacerbation

answer

period in chronic illness when the symptoms of the disease reappear

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Health

answer

state of optimal functioning or well-being

question

Health disparity

answer

a specific difference that is closely linked to social, economic, and/or environmental disadvantage

question

Health promotion

answer

behavior of an individual motivated by a personal desire to increase well-being and health potential

question

Holistic care

answer

health care that takes into account the whole person interacting in the environment

question

Illness

answer

abnormal process in which any aspect of the person's functioning is altered (in comparison to the previous condition of health)

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Morbidity

answer

frequency that a disease occurs

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Mortality

answer

number of deaths

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Remission

answer

period in a chronic illness when the disease is present, but the person does not experience symptoms of the disease

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Risk factor

answer

something that increases a person's chance for illness or injury

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Wellness

answer

a term often used interchangeably with health—is an active state of being healthy, including living a lifestyle that promotes good physical, mental, and emotional health

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Advanced practice registered nurse (APRN)

answer

a title that encompasses certified nurse practitioners (CNPs), clinical nurse specialists (CNSs), certified nurse-midwives (CNMs), and certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs)

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Bundle

answer

a set of three to five evidence-based practices that, when implemented appropriately, can measurably improve patients' outcomes

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Core measures

answer

benchmark standards of best practices used to gauge how well a hospital gives care to its patients who are admitted to seek treatment for a specific disease (e.g., heart failure) or who need a specific treatment (e.g., an immunization)

question

Evidence-based practice (EBP)

answer

a best practice derived from valid and reliable research studies that also considers the health care setting, patient preferences and values, and clinical judgment

question

Health

answer

according to the World Health Organization (2006), a "state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity" (p. 1); often viewed as equivalent to wellness

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Health-illness continuum

answer

description of a person's health status as a range with anchors that include poor health or imminent death on one end of the continuum to high-level wellness on the other end

question

Interprofessional collaborative practice

answer

employing multiple health professionals to work together with patients, families, and communities to deliver best practices, thus ensuring best patient outcomes

question

Joint Commission

answer

a nonprofit organization that accredits hospitals and health care organizations

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National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs)

answer

areas of patient safety concern identified annually by the Joint Commission that, if rectified, may have the most positive impact on improving patient care and outcomes

question

Nursing

answer

according to the American Nurses Association (2010b), "the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations" (p. 3)

question

Patient

answer

a traditional term used to identify someone who is a recipient of health care

question

Pay for performance

answer

a health insurance model that reimburses health care provider groups, hospitals, and health care agencies for either meeting or exceeding metrics that demonstrate that the care and treatments rendered are both cost-efficient and of best quality; also known as value-based purchasing

question

Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN)

answer

a project whose aim is to develop curricula that prepare future nurses with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) required to continuously improve the quality and safety of the health care system through demonstrating competency in patient-centered care, teamwork and collaboration, evidence-based practice, quality improvement, safety, and informatics

question

Auscultation

answer

listening to sounds produced within different body structures created by the movement of air or fluid

question

Inspection

answer

visual assessment of different aspects of the patient

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Palpation

answer

examination of different organs of the body using the sense of touch

question

Percussion

answer

the use of sound to examine different organs of the body

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Physical examination

answer

collection of objective data about the patient's health status

question

Self-concept

answer

a person's view of himself or herself

question

Spirituality

answer

connectedness with self, others, a life force, or God that allows people to find meaning in life

question

Activities of daily living (ADLs)

answer

the activities of daily living needed for independent living

question

Adventitious breath sounds

answer

abnormal breath sound heard over the lungs

question

Auscultation

answer

listening for sounds within the body

question

Body mass index (BMI)

answer

ratio of height to weight

question

Bronchial sounds

answer

those heard over the trachea; high in pitch and intensity, with expiration being longer than inspiration

question

Bronchovesicular sounds

answer

normal breath sounds heard over the upper anterior chest and intercostal area

question

Bruits

answer

unusual sound, usually abnormal, heard in auscultation

question

Comprehensive assessment

answer

health history and complete physical examination, usually conducted when a patient first enters a health care setting; provides a baseline for comparing later assessment

question

Cyanosis

answer

bluish coloring of the skin and mucous membranes

question

Diaphoresis

answer

an excessive amount of perspiration, such as when the entire skin is moist

question

Ecchymosis

answer

collection of blood in subcutaneous tissues that causes a purplish discoloration

question

Edema

answer

accumulation of fluid in extracellular spaces

question

Emergency assessment

answer

rapid focused assessment conducted to determine potentially fatal situations

question

Erythema

answer

redness of the skin

question

Focused assessment

answer

assessment conducted to assess a specific problem; focuses on pertinent history and body regions

question

Health history

answer

a collection of subjective information that provides information about the patient's health status

question

Inspection

answer

purposeful and systematic observation

question

Instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs)

answer

the activities of daily living needed for independent living

question

Jaundice

answer

yellow appearance of the skin

question

Ongoing partial assessment

answer

assessment that is conducted at regular intervals during care of the patient; concentrates on identified health problems to monitor positive or negative changes and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions

question

Pallor

answer

paleness of the skin

question

Palpation

answer

method of examining by feeling a part of the body with the fingers or hand

question

Percussion

answer

act of striking one object against another for the purpose of producing a sound; used to assess the location, shape, size, and density of body tissues

question

Petechiae

answer

small, purplish hemorrhagic spots on the skin that do not blanch with applied pressure

question

Physical assessment

answer

systematic examination of the patient for objective data to better define the patient's condition and to help the nurse in planning care, usually performed in a head-to-toe format; a collection of objective data about changes in the patient's body systems

question

Precordium

answer

anterior surface of the chest wall overlying the heart and its related structures

question

Review of systems

answer

physical examination of all body systems in a systematic manner as part of the nursing assessment

question

Turgor

answer

tension of the skin determined by its hydration

question

Vesicular breath sounds

answer

normal sound of respirations heard on auscultation over peripheral lung areas

question

Waist circumference

answer

a numerical measurement of the waist, used to assess an individual's abdominal fat and establish ideal body weight

question

Adverse effects

answer

Drug effects, sometimes called side effects, that are not the desired therapeutic effects; may be unpleasant or even dangerous

question

Brand name

answer

name given to a drug by the pharmaceutical company that developed it; also called a trade name or proprietary name

question

Chemical name

answer

name that reflects the chemical structure of a drug

question

Drugs

answer

chemicals that are introduced into the body to bring about some sort of change

question

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

answer

federal agency responsible for the regulation and enforcement of drug evaluation and distribution policies

question

Generic drugs

answer

drugs sold by their generic name; not brand name or trade name product

question

Generic name

answer

the original designation that a drug is given when the drug company that developed it applies for the approval process

question

Genetic engineering

answer

process of altering DNA, usually of bacteria, to produce a chemical to be used as a drug

question

Orphan drugs

answer

drugs that have been discovered but would not be profitable for a drug company to develop; usually drugs that would treat only a small number of people; these orphans can be adopted by drug companies to develop

question

Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs

answer

drugs that are available without a prescription for self-treatment of a variety of complaints; deemed to be safe when used as directed

question

Pharmacology

answer

the study of the biological effects of chemicals

question

Pharmacotherapeutics

answer

clinical pharmacology—the branch of pharmacology that deals with drugs; chemicals that are used in medicine for the treatment, prevention, and diagnosis of disease in humans

question

Phase I study

answer

a pilot study of a potential drug using a small number of selected, usually healthy human volunteers

question

Phase II study

answer

a clinical study of a proposed drug by selected physicians using actual patients who have the disorder the drug is designed to treat; patients must provide informed consent

question

Phase III study

answer

use of a proposed drug on a wide scale in the clinical setting with patients who have the disease the drug is thought to treat

question

Phase IV study

answer

continuous evaluation of a drug after it has been released for marketing

question

Preclinical trials

answer

initial trial of a chemical thought to have therapeutic potential; uses laboratory animals, not human subjects

question

Teratogenic

answer

having adverse effects on the fetus

question

Absorption

answer

what happens to a drug from the time it enters the body until it enters the circulating fluid; intravenous administration causes the drug to directly enter the circulating blood, bypassing the many complications of absorption from other routes

question

Active transport

answer

the movement of substances across a cell membrane against the concentration gradient; this process requires the use of energy

question

Chemotherapeutic agents

answer

synthetic chemicals used to interfere with the functioning of foreign cell populations, causing cell death; this term is frequently used to refer to the drug therapy of neoplasms, but it also refers to drug therapy affecting any foreign cell

question

Critical concentration

answer

the concentration a drug must reach in the tissues that respond to the particular drug to cause the desired therapeutic effect

question

Distribution

answer

movement of a drug to body tissues; the places where a drug may be distributed depend on the drug's solubility, perfusion of the area, cardiac output, and binding of the drug to plasma proteins

question

Enzyme induction

answer

process by which the presence of a chemical that is biotransformed by a particular enzyme system in the liver causes increased activity of that enzyme system

question

Excretion

answer

removal of a drug from the body; primarily occurs in the kidneys, but can also occur through the skin, lungs, bile, or feces

question

First-pass effect

answer

a phenomenon in which drugs given orally are carried directly to the liver after absorption, where they may be largely inactivated by liver enzymes before they can enter the general circulation; oral drugs frequently are given in higher doses than drugs given by other routes because of this early breakdown

question

Glomerular filtration

answer

the passage of water and water-soluble components from the plasma into the renal tubule

question

Half-life

answer

the time it takes for the amount of drug in the body to decrease to one half of the peak level it previously achieved

question

Hepatic microsomal system

answer

liver enzymes tightly packed together in the hepatic intracellular structure, responsible for the biotransformation of chemicals, including drugs

question

Loading dose

answer

use of a higher dose than what is usually used for treatment to allow the drug to reach the critical concentration sooner

question

Passive diffusion

answer

movement of substances across a semipermeable membrane with the concentration gradient; this process does not require energy

question

Pharmacodynamics

answer

the study of the interactions between the chemical components of living systems and the foreign chemicals, including drugs, that enter living organisms; the way a drug affects a body

question

Pharmacogenomics

answer

the study of genetically determined variations in the response to drugs

question

Pharmacokinetics

answer

the way the body deals with a drug, including absorption, distribution, biotransformation, and excretion

question

Placebo effect

answer

documented effect of the mind on drug therapy; if a person perceives that a drug will be effective, the drug is much more likely to actually be effective

question

Receptor sites

answer

specific areas on cell membranes that react with certain chemicals to cause an effect within the cell

question

Selective toxicity

answer

property of a chemotherapeutic agent that affects only systems found in foreign cells without affecting healthy human cells (e.g., specific antibiotics can affect certain proteins or enzyme systems used by bacteria but not by human cells)

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