DHCA Nursing Exam key terms

A set of infection-control practices applied to every patient regardless of diagnosis, including hand hygiene, gloves, gowns, masks, and safe handling of sharps and body fluids.

Extra precautions used beyond Standard Precautions for patients with known or suspected pathogens, categorized as contact, droplet, or airborne and matched to how the organism spreads.

Barrier items such as gloves, gowns, masks, respirators, and eye protection worn to prevent contact with blood, body fluids, and infectious agents during patient care.

Precautions for pathogens spread through small particles that stay suspended in air, requiring a fit-tested N95 or higher respirator and a negative-pressure room with the door closed.

Techniques that keep an area or object free of all microorganisms, used for invasive procedures, sterile dressing changes, and insertion of central lines or urinary catheters.

An infection a patient acquires while receiving care for another condition, often linked to invasive devices such as catheters or ventilators and preventable through adherence to infection-control bundles.

The ratio between a drug's toxic dose and its effective dose; a narrow index means small dosing changes can cause toxicity or treatment failure, so blood levels are often monitored.

Measuring drug levels in the blood at defined times to keep concentrations within a safe and effective range, commonly done for drugs such as vancomycin, digoxin, and aminoglycosides.

The time required for the amount of drug in the body to decrease by half, which guides dosing intervals and predicts how long effects or toxicity may persist after a drug is stopped.

An initial larger dose given to reach therapeutic drug levels quickly rather than waiting through several half-lives of repeated maintenance dosing.

Metabolism of an oral drug by the liver before it reaches systemic circulation, which reduces bioavailability and explains why some drugs are given by another route.

The proportion of an administered dose that reaches systemic circulation unchanged, highest with intravenous routes and lower with oral or topical routes.

A drug that carries a heightened risk of serious harm when used in error, requiring independent double-checks, standardized concentrations, and clear labeling, such as insulin, heparin, and opioids.

The verification steps before giving a drug, including the right patient, drug, dose, route, time, and documentation, plus the patient's right to refuse and to be educated.

An unintended, harmful response to a medication given at a normal dose, ranging from predictable side effects to serious organ injury or anaphylaxis.

A severe, rapid systemic allergic reaction with airway swelling, bronchospasm, hypotension, and rash, treated immediately with intramuscular epinephrine and airway support.

Increased urine output caused by solutes that pull water into the renal tubules, seen with hyperglycemia or with drugs such as mannitol, and a cause of fluid and electrolyte loss.

Shift of fluid from the vascular space into spaces where it is not functionally available, such as the peritoneal cavity or bowel wall, causing edema and reduced circulating volume.

Circulatory failure from loss of intravascular volume, marked by tachycardia, hypotension, cool clammy skin, decreased urine output, and rising lactate.

The average pressure in the arteries during one cardiac cycle, estimated as one-third of the pulse pressure plus diastolic pressure, and used to judge organ perfusion.

Life-threatening circulatory failure from infection with persistent hypotension requiring vasopressors and elevated lactate despite adequate fluid resuscitation.

A widespread inflammatory state identified by abnormal temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, or white blood cell count, which may occur with infection or other severe stressors.

A noninvasive estimate of arterial oxygen saturation using light absorption through tissue, which can be inaccurate with poor perfusion, motion, nail polish, or carbon monoxide exposure.

A scored assessment of eye opening, verbal response, and motor response used to quantify level of consciousness and detect neurologic deterioration over time.

Rising pressure within the skull from edema, bleeding, or mass effect, signaled by declining consciousness, unequal pupils, vomiting, and late changes in vital signs.

A pregnancy disorder of new hypertension with proteinuria or organ dysfunction after 20 weeks, requiring close monitoring because it can progress to seizures or liver and kidney injury.

New-onset seizures in a patient with preeclampsia, treated with magnesium sulfate and delivery planning while protecting the airway and monitoring for recurrent seizures.

A severe pregnancy complication marked by hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets, causing right upper quadrant pain, malaise, and risk of hemorrhage.

Adverse effects of magnesium sulfate therapy such as loss of deep tendon reflexes, respiratory depression, and hypotension, reversed with calcium gluconate and close monitoring.

Excessive blood loss after birth, most often from uterine atony, managed with uterine massage, uterotonic drugs, fluid resuscitation, and readiness for transfusion or surgery.

A drop in fetal heart rate from baseline, classified as early, variable, or late; late and some variable patterns suggest impaired fetal oxygenation and need intervention.

A rapid newborn assessment at one and five minutes scoring heart rate, respiratory effort, muscle tone, reflex irritability, and color to guide resuscitation needs.

Yellowing of a newborn's skin from elevated bilirubin, monitored with transcutaneous or serum levels and treated with phototherapy when values rise toward risky thresholds.

A fluid deficit often caused by vomiting or diarrhea, assessed by weight loss, mucous membranes, tears, skin turgor, and urine output, with oral rehydration preferred when tolerated.

Purposeful use of open questions, reflection, silence, and clarification to build trust and help patients express feelings without judgment or false reassurance.

The structured social and physical environment of a psychiatric unit that promotes safety, routine, and group interaction as part of treatment.

Safety measures for patients at risk of self-harm, including close observation, removal of ligature and sharp items, and restricted access to windows and doors.

A patient's voluntary agreement to a treatment after receiving and understanding its purpose, risks, benefits, and alternatives, documented before the procedure.

The legal and ethical right of a capable patient to accept or refuse care, including through advance directives that guide treatment when the patient cannot speak.

A written statement made while a patient is capable that names a health care decision-maker or records treatment preferences for use when the patient loses capacity.

A legal duty of nurses to report specified events such as suspected abuse, neglect, or certain communicable diseases to designated authorities, even without patient permission.