AIIMS M.Sc. Nursing key terms

A systematic five-step method of planning and delivering care: assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation and evaluation. Each step depends on the data gathered in earlier steps and is documented so other nurses can continue the plan.

A clinical judgement about an individual, family or community response to health conditions or life processes. It names the problem a nurse is licensed to treat, unlike a medical diagnosis, which names a disease.

A structured progress-note format recording Subjective data reported by the patient, Objective findings observed or measured, the nurse's Assessment, and the Plan of care. It keeps documentation brief and logically ordered.

Practices that prevent microorganisms from entering a susceptible site. Medical asepsis reduces organism numbers through hand hygiene and clean technique; surgical asepsis eliminates all organisms using sterile gloves, gowns, drapes and sterile fields.

Infection-control measures applied to every patient regardless of diagnosis: hand hygiene, gloves, gown, mask and eye protection as exposure requires, safe sharps handling, and safe waste disposal. They replace the older category of universal precautions.

An infection acquired in a hospital or other healthcare facility that was not present or incubating on admission. Common types include urinary catheter infection, surgical-site infection, ventilator-associated pneumonia and bloodstream infection from central lines.

Recording all fluid entering and leaving the body over 24 hours, including oral fluids, intravenous infusions, urine, vomitus, drainage and insensible loss estimates. It guides fluid replacement and detects oliguria or overload.

The state in which water and dissolved minerals are present in body compartments in the proportions needed for normal cell function. Nurses monitor intake, output, daily weight, serum electrolytes and signs such as oedema or thirst.

Localised damage to skin and underlying tissue caused by sustained pressure, shear or friction, usually over a bony prominence. Staging ranges from non-blanchable redness to full-thickness tissue loss, and prevention relies on repositioning and pressure-relieving surfaces.

A scored risk-assessment tool for pressure injury using six items: sensory perception, moisture, activity, mobility, nutrition and friction/shear. Lower total scores indicate higher risk and trigger preventive interventions.

A 3-to-15 point scale scoring eye opening, best verbal response and best motor response to assess level of consciousness. Scores of 8 or below generally indicate severe impairment and the need to protect the airway.

Elevation of pressure inside the skull above the normal range, often after head injury, haemorrhage or cerebral oedema. Signs include deteriorating consciousness, unequal pupils, vomiting and rising blood pressure with slowing pulse.

Death of heart muscle caused by prolonged interruption of coronary blood flow, usually from thrombus on a ruptured plaque. Hallmarks are crushing chest pain, sweating, nausea and characteristic ECG and cardiac-marker changes.

A traditional initial bundle for acute coronary syndrome: Morphine for pain, Oxygen if hypoxic, Nitroglycerin for ischaemic pain, and Aspirin to limit thrombosis. Current guidance individualises oxygen to patients with low saturation.

Compression of the heart by accumulated fluid in the pericardial sac, which prevents adequate ventricular filling. Signs include falling blood pressure, rising jugular venous pressure, muffled heart sounds and pulsus paradoxus.

A metabolic emergency of insulin deficiency in which fatty acids break down into ketones, producing high blood glucose, acidosis and dehydration. Management centres on intravenous fluids, insulin infusion and potassium replacement.

A pregnancy-specific disorder of raised blood pressure after 20 weeks with proteinuria or other organ dysfunction. It can progress to seizures and liver or kidney injury, so monitoring and timely delivery are central.

The occurrence of generalised seizures in a woman with preeclampsia, without another identifiable cause. It is a life-threatening emergency requiring airway protection, magnesium sulphate and delivery planning.

A severe variant of preeclampsia defined by Haemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes and Low Platelets. It causes right-upper-quadrant pain, nausea and bleeding tendency, and may appear with only mildly raised blood pressure.

Adverse effects of magnesium therapy given to prevent or treat eclamptic seizures. Early signs are loss of deep tendon reflexes, flushing and nausea; later respiratory depression and cardiac arrest occur, reversed by calcium gluconate.

A single-sheet graphic record of labour plotting cervical dilatation, fetal head descent, contractions and maternal and fetal observations against time. It helps detect slow progress and prompts referral before obstructed labour develops.

A package to prevent postpartum haemorrhage: a prophylactic uterotonic drug, controlled cord traction and uterine massage after delivery of the placenta. It shortens the third stage and reduces blood loss.

Excessive bleeding after childbirth, conventionally more than 500 mL after vaginal birth or 1000 mL after caesarean, or any loss causing haemodynamic compromise. Uterine atony is the commonest cause.

A rapid assessment at one and five minutes after birth scoring Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity and Respiration from 0 to 2 each. It summarises the newborn's condition and response to resuscitation, not long-term prognosis.

Yellow discoloration of skin and sclera from accumulated bilirubin in the first days of life. Physiologic jaundice appears after 24 hours and resolves; onset within 24 hours, rapid rise or prolonged jaundice requires investigation.

Continuous skin-to-skin contact between a newborn and mother, with exclusive breastfeeding and early discharge supported by follow-up. It stabilises temperature, breathing and feeding, especially for low-birth-weight infants.

Treatment of dehydration from diarrhoea using a balanced glucose-electrolyte solution given by mouth or nasogastric tube in small frequent amounts. Reduced-osmolarity solution and zinc supplementation are standard in childhood diarrhoea.

Purposeful use of verbal and non-verbal interaction to build trust and help a patient express feelings and solve problems. Techniques include open questions, reflection, silence and clarification rather than advice-giving.

A structured assessment of appearance, behaviour, speech, mood and affect, thought content and form, perception, cognition, insight and judgement. It forms the descriptive basis for diagnosis and risk assessment.

Movement side-effects of dopamine-blocking antipsychotic drugs, including tremor, rigidity, akathisia, dystonia and tardive dyskinesia. They are managed by dose adjustment or anticholinergic drugs and must be distinguished from psychiatric symptoms.

A rare but fatal reaction to antipsychotic drugs marked by high fever, muscle rigidity, altered consciousness and autonomic instability with raised creatine kinase. The drug is stopped immediately and supportive cooling and hydration begun.

The first point of contact between a community and the formal health system, staffed by medical officers and multipurpose workers and serving a defined population. It provides curative, preventive and referral services close to people's homes.

The most peripheral health facility, staffed by an auxiliary nurse midwife and a male health worker, covering roughly 3000 to 5000 people. It delivers maternal and child care, immunisation and basic first aid.

A systematic process of collecting and interpreting data on a community's health status, resources and risk factors to identify priority problems. Findings guide planning of locally relevant health programmes.

A hierarchy of learning objectives from remembering and understanding through applying, analysing, evaluating and creating. Nurse educators use it to write measurable objectives and to design assessments that match intended cognitive level.

A written outline of a teaching session stating objectives, content, teaching methods, audiovisual aids, time allocation and evaluation. It keeps instruction organised and links each activity to an intended learning outcome.

Assessment carried out during a course to monitor learning and give feedback so teaching can be adjusted. It is diagnostic rather than graded, unlike summative evaluation at the end of a programme.

Voluntary permission given by a competent person after receiving and understanding information about a procedure's nature, risks, benefits and alternatives. It must be obtained before research or treatment and documented.

The ethical and legal duty to protect information disclosed by patients and research participants from unauthorised access or sharing. Breach is permitted only where law requires reporting or where serious harm is threatened.

A statement that no real difference or relationship exists between the variables being studied. Statistical tests estimate the probability of the observed data under this hypothesis, and rejection supports the alternative hypothesis.

The probability of obtaining a result at least as extreme as that observed if the null hypothesis were true. A value below the chosen significance level, commonly 0.05, is taken as statistically significant.

Selecting a subset of a population for study. Probability methods such as simple random or stratified sampling permit generalisation through known selection probabilities; non-probability methods are easier but risk bias.