CRNI key terms

A patient-education technique in which the learner explains or demonstrates information back in their own words, letting the nurse confirm understanding and correct misunderstandings before the patient self-manages therapy at home.

The degree to which a person can obtain, process, and understand basic health information needed to make treatment decisions; limited health literacy calls for plain language, pictures, and repeated reinforcement.

A central venous catheter inserted through a peripheral arm vein and advanced until the tip rests in the lower superior vena cava, suitable for prolonged therapy, vesicant drugs, and hyperosmolar solutions.

A fully subcutaneous central venous access device with a self-sealing septum that is entered with a non-coring needle; it requires little care between uses and supports intermittent long-term therapy.

The position of a central catheter's distal end, ideally at the cavoatrial junction, verified by radiograph or another approved method before the device is used for infusion.

The planned or actual length of time a vascular access device remains in place; peripheral catheters are removed promptly once therapy ends or signs of complication appear.

A flushing technique in which slight pressure is held on the syringe plunger while the catheter is clamped, preventing blood reflux into the tip and reducing occlusion risk in central devices.

An electronic infusion device with dose-error-reduction software that alerts clinicians when programmed rates or doses fall outside configured limits, adding protection when high-alert drugs are infused.

A programmable pump that lets a patient self-administer small preset bolus doses of an analgesic within lockout limits, providing rapid relief while limiting the risk of oversedation.

Filling secondary administration tubing with solution from the primary container by allowing backflow, establishing a secondary infusion without wasting drug or introducing air into the line.

Escape of a vesicant or irritant drug from the vein into surrounding tissue, causing pain, blistering, and possible necrosis; it requires stopping the infusion and following a drug-specific antidote protocol.

Leakage of non-vesicant fluid into surrounding tissue, producing swelling, coolness, and blanching at the site; the infusion is stopped, the catheter removed, and the limb elevated.

Inflammation of a vein caused by mechanical, chemical, or bacterial irritation from a catheter or infusate, marked by redness, warmth, tenderness, or a palpable cord along the vessel.

Partial or complete blockage of a catheter lumen by clot, precipitate, or mechanical pinch, preventing flush, blood return, or infusion and requiring cause-specific clearing rather than forceful flushing.

Entry of air into the vascular system, often through an open or disconnected central catheter, causing sudden dyspnea, chest pain, and cardiovascular collapse; managed by clamping the line and positioning the patient.

Excess vascular volume from overly rapid or excessive infusion, producing dyspnea, edema, weight gain, and elevated filling pressures; managed by slowing the rate, elevating the head of bed, and giving prescribed diuretics.

A laboratory-confirmed bloodstream infection in a patient whose central line was in place at least two calendar days before the event and with no other identified source; prevention relies on insertion and maintenance bundles.

A standardized approach to asepsis that protects key parts and key sites during a procedure through a defined sequence of hand hygiene, glove use, and clean or sterile technique.

The full set of barriers - cap, mask, sterile gown, sterile gloves, and full-body drape - worn during central venous catheter insertion to reduce contamination and subsequent bloodstream infection.

Cleaning the catheter hub or connector with an approved antiseptic using friction and the manufacturer's specified drying time before every access, which reduces organisms entering the lumen.

A drug that carries a heightened risk of significant harm when used in error, such as insulin, heparin, opioids, and concentrated electrolytes; these require standardized concentrations, labeling, and independent double checks.

A device that mechanically prevents transfer of hazardous drug vapor or aerosol between vial, syringe, and catheter, protecting staff during preparation and administration of antineoplastic agents.

Pre-transfusion testing that determines ABO/Rh type and screens serum for unexpected antibodies; a negative screen permits rapid provision of compatible units when transfusion becomes urgent.

The compatibility test that mixes donor red cells with the recipient's serum to detect clinically significant antigen-antibody reactions before the unit is transfused.

Destruction of transfused red cells by recipient antibodies, producing fever, chills, flank pain, dark urine, and possible renal failure; the transfusion is stopped at once and the line kept open with saline.

Noncardiogenic pulmonary edema with hypoxemia developing within six hours of transfusion, often caused by donor antibodies; treatment is supportive, with oxygen and ventilatory assistance as needed.

Hypervolemia with dyspnea, hypertension, and pulmonary edema caused by transfusion that is too rapid or too large, especially in cardiac or renal patients; managed with diuretics and slower rates.

Intravenous nutrition containing carbohydrate, amino acids, lipid, electrolytes, vitamins, and trace elements, given through a central catheter because the final solution is highly concentrated.

A potentially fatal shift of electrolytes, most notably hypophosphatemia, that occurs when nutrition is reintroduced too rapidly to a malnourished patient; prevention requires gradual advancement and close electrolyte monitoring.

The concentration of dissolved particles in a solution; values above roughly 900 mOsm/L generally require central venous delivery to avoid vein irritation and phlebitis.

The volume of fluid delivered per unit of time, usually expressed as milliliters per hour, calculated from the ordered volume and duration and set on a manual or electronic device.

A calculation method that uses unit cancellation within a single equation to convert among doses, concentrations, and volumes, reducing setup errors in dosage and infusion rate problems.

The documented ability of two solutions or drugs to be infused simultaneously through the same connector without physical or chemical interaction such as precipitation, clouding, or inactivation.

Deliberate organization of patient care activities and sharing of information among all participants to achieve safer, more effective, and more efficient care across settings and providers.

A structured communication format - Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation - used when transferring patient information between clinicians to reduce omissions and handoff errors.

The extent to which a person's behavior - taking medication, following a regimen, keeping appointments - matches agreed recommendations from the care team; supported by education and simplified regimens.

Consensus practice standards from the Infusion Nurses Society that define requirements for vascular access, administration, and related nursing care, and that underpin organizational policy and competency validation.

Clinical decision-making that integrates the best available research, clinician expertise, and patient preferences; used to select and update infusion policies, products, and procedures.

A structured team review of a serious event that traces causal and contributing factors in order to redesign systems and prevent recurrence rather than assign individual blame.