DHA Nursing Exam key terms

A systematic, cyclical method of planning and delivering care in five steps: assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation. Each step depends on data from the one before it and is revised as the patient's condition changes.

Measured indicators of core body function: temperature, pulse, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and often oxygen saturation and pain. Trends over time matter more than any single reading and guide escalation of care.

A running record of all fluid a patient takes in by mouth, vein, or feeding tube and loses through urine, vomit, drains, and stool. Comparing totals over 24 hours helps detect dehydration or fluid overload.

Localized damage to skin and underlying tissue caused by sustained pressure, shear, or friction, usually over bony prominences. Staging describes depth, from intact skin with blisters to full-thickness loss reaching muscle or bone.

A structured screen, using tools such as Morse or Hendrich, that identifies patients likely to fall based on history, mobility, medications, cognition, and continence. Results trigger targeted precautions such as bed alarms and assisted walking.

A syndrome in which the heart cannot pump or fill well enough to meet the body's needs, producing breathlessness, fatigue, edema, and fluid overload. Management targets the underlying cause, volume status, and medicines that reduce cardiac workload.

A chronic disorder of glucose regulation caused by insufficient insulin or resistance to it, producing high blood glucose. Long-term damage affects vessels, nerves, kidneys, and eyes, while severe acute hyperglycemia can cause ketoacidosis or hyperosmolar states.

Progressive airflow obstruction, most often from smoking, that causes chronic cough, sputum, and breathlessness. Care focuses on bronchodilators, smoking cessation, oxygen when indicated, and recognizing exacerbations early.

Collapse of part of a lung, common after surgery or with immobility, that reduces gas exchange and can progress to pneumonia. Prevention uses deep breathing, incentive spirometry, early walking, and adequate pain control.

A blood clot forming in a deep vein, usually in the leg, that can break loose and travel to the lungs as a pulmonary embolism. Prevention includes early mobility, compression devices, hydration, and anticoagulants when prescribed.

A shorthand obstetric history: gravida (total pregnancies), term births, preterm births, abortions, and living children. It summarizes prior pregnancies and guides risk assessment for the current pregnancy and birth.

A rapid newborn assessment done at one and five minutes after birth. It scores heart rate, respiratory effort, muscle tone, reflex response, and color from 0 to 2 each, for a maximum of 10.

A pregnancy disorder after 20 weeks marked by new high blood pressure plus protein in the urine or organ dysfunction. It can progress to seizures and HELLP syndrome, so close monitoring and timely delivery are essential.

Excessive bleeding after birth, often defined as more than 500 mL after vaginal delivery or 1000 mL after cesarean, or any bleeding that causes instability. Uterine atony is the most frequent cause.

Feeding an infant only breast milk for about the first six months, with no other liquids or solids apart from vitamin and mineral supplements or medicines. It lowers infection risk and supports growth and development.

A timed series of vaccines recommended from birth through adolescence to build protection against preventable diseases. Nurses verify timing, screen for contraindications, and teach families about expected reactions.

A rapid sorting process that ranks patients by urgency so life-threatening conditions receive care first when time or resources are limited. Categories, colors, or scores decide where each patient goes and how fast.

A life-threatening state in which oxygen delivery fails to meet tissue demand, producing low blood pressure, altered mental status, cool or warm skin, and rising lactate. Types include hypovolemic, cardiogenic, distributive, and obstructive.

A dysregulated response to infection that injures organs, recognized by suspected infection plus signs such as altered mental status, low blood pressure, or fast breathing. Early fluids, antibiotics, and source control save lives.

A score from 3 to 15 that rates eye opening, verbal response, and motor response to quantify level of consciousness after head injury or critical illness. Lower scores signal more severe impairment and prompt airway concern.

The average pressure in the arteries across the cardiac cycle, roughly one-third systolic plus two-thirds diastolic pressure. It reflects organ perfusion and is often kept above 65 mmHg in critically ill adults.

How the body handles a drug across four processes: absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. These determine how quickly a dose reaches its target and how long its effect lasts.

The loss of part of an oral dose as the drug passes through the intestinal wall and liver before reaching the bloodstream. Drugs with a large first-pass effect need higher oral doses than intravenous doses.

A ratio comparing a drug's toxic dose with its effective dose. A low index means the safe range is narrow, so the drug needs careful dosing and monitoring, often with blood levels.

An unintended, harmful response to a medicine given at a normal dose. Nurses identify, document, and report these events and distinguish them from allergic reactions and medication errors.

Drugs that carry a heightened risk of serious harm when used in error, such as insulin, heparin, opioids, and concentrated electrolytes. They require independent double checks, clear labeling, and standardized storage.

A formal process of comparing a patient's complete medication list across transitions of care to find omissions, duplications, and interactions. It prevents discrepancies that cause harm at admission, transfer, and discharge.

Six linked elements required for infection to spread: pathogen, reservoir, exit portal, mode of transmission, entry portal, and susceptible host. Breaking any one link, such as through hand hygiene, stops transmission.

Cleaning hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based rub at specified moments, including before patient contact and after contact with body fluids. It is the single most effective way to prevent healthcare-associated infection.

Basic infection-control practices applied to every patient regardless of diagnosis: hand hygiene, gloves, gown, mask, eye protection, and safe handling of sharps and body fluids. They assume all blood and body fluids are infectious.

Practices that keep an area free of all microorganisms, used for invasive procedures, sterile dressing changes, and catheter insertion. It requires sterile supplies, a sterile field, and strict technique throughout.

A patient's voluntary agreement to a procedure after receiving information about its nature, risks, benefits, and alternatives, and showing understanding. The provider obtains consent while the nurse witnesses and confirms comprehension.

A legal document prepared while a patient still has decision-making capacity that states future healthcare wishes or names a substitute decision-maker. It guides care once the patient can no longer speak for themselves.

The ethical duty to act in the patient's best interest and promote good. It is balanced against nonmaleficence, the duty to avoid causing harm, especially when a treatment carries real risk.

An unexpected occurrence involving death, serious physical or psychological harm, or the risk of either. It triggers root cause analysis and system-wide changes rather than blame of individual staff.

A structured communication format standing for situation, background, assessment, and recommendation. It delivers a concise, organized handoff or escalation and reduces omissions during urgent conversations.

Actions taken before disease occurs to reduce risk, such as immunization, safe water, regular exercise, and smoking prevention. It differs from screening for early disease and from treating established illness.

Indirect protection of a population when enough people are immune that transmission chains break and unimmunized individuals are less likely to be exposed. The threshold depends on how contagious the disease is.

Purposeful, patient-centered interaction using open questions, reflection, silence, and empathy to build trust and explore concerns. It avoids advice-giving, false reassurance, and judgmental responses that shut down discussion.

A structured inquiry into thoughts, plans, intent, available means, and protective factors to estimate a patient's danger of self-harm. Findings determine observation level, safety planning, and referral.