OSSSC Staff Nurse key terms

A sterile isotonic solution containing 0.9% sodium chloride in water, matching blood osmolarity; used for fluid resuscitation, IV drug dilution, and wound or eye irrigation.

An IV fluid whose solute concentration equals that of blood plasma, so it neither swells nor shrinks cells; examples are 0.9% saline and Ringer's lactate.

An IV fluid with lower osmolarity than plasma, causing water to move into cells and expand them; used cautiously because it can cause cellular swelling and cerebral edema.

An IV fluid with higher osmolarity than plasma that draws water out of cells into the bloodstream; used to reduce edema but requires close monitoring for fluid overload.

Injection of a small volume of drug into the dermis, just below the epidermis, using a fine needle at a shallow angle; used for tuberculin and allergy skin testing.

Injection of medication deep into muscle tissue, such as the deltoid or gluteal site, allowing faster absorption than subcutaneous routes; needle length depends on the patient's size.

Injection of medication into the fatty layer beneath the skin, commonly used for insulin and heparin; sites include the abdomen, thigh, and upper arm.

An injection method in which skin is pulled sideways before the needle is inserted and released after withdrawal, sealing the tract and preventing leakage of irritating or staining drugs.

The core physiological measurements of temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure, and often oxygen saturation, used to detect changes in a patient's condition and guide nursing action.

A non-invasive method of estimating arterial oxygen saturation by measuring light absorption through a finger or earlobe probe; values below normal prompt assessment for hypoxia.

A condition in which body tissues receive insufficient oxygen, causing restlessness, confusion, tachycardia, and cyanosis; requires prompt assessment of airway and breathing.

The set of practices that prevent microorganisms from entering a sterile area or wound, including hand hygiene, sterile gloves, and sterile field maintenance.

A designated work area kept free of all microorganisms, maintained by using only sterile items and avoiding contact with non-sterile objects or the nurse's body.

The routine cleaning of hands with soap and water or alcohol-based rub at defined moments of patient care, the single most effective measure for preventing healthcare-associated infection.

An infection acquired by a patient during a hospital stay that was not present or incubating at admission; often linked to invasive devices and poor hand hygiene.

Localized damage to skin and underlying tissue caused by prolonged pressure, friction, or shear, usually over bony prominences; prevented by repositioning and pressure-relieving surfaces.

A validated risk-assessment tool scoring six factors, including mobility, moisture, and nutrition, to predict a patient's likelihood of developing pressure ulcers and guide prevention.

The comparison of a patient's fluid intake and output over time, recorded to detect dehydration or overload and to guide intravenous therapy and diuretic decisions.

Administration of fluids, electrolytes, or drugs directly into a vein through a cannula, allowing rapid delivery and precise control of the infusion rate.

Persistently elevated arterial blood pressure, commonly defined as 140/90 mmHg or higher on repeated measurement; a major risk factor for stroke, heart disease, and kidney damage.

The process of sorting patients by the urgency of their condition so that limited resources are directed first to those needing immediate life-saving care.

The eleven obligations listed in Article 51A of the Indian Constitution, added by the 42nd Amendment, which ask citizens to respect the Constitution, protect the environment, and safeguard public property.

Guidelines in Part IV of the Indian Constitution that direct the State toward social and economic welfare; they are not enforceable in courts but are fundamental to governance.

The opening statement of the Indian Constitution declaring the source of authority as the people and describing the State as sovereign, socialist, secular, and democratic republic.

An eastern Indian state on the Bay of Bengal whose capital is Bhubaneswar; it is known for temples at Puri and Konark, the Chilika lagoon, and its large tribal population.

A large brackish-water lagoon on the Odisha coast and Asia's largest, famous for migratory birds and Irrawaddy dolphins; it supports fishing and tourism in the region.

An Indian government programme, formerly the National Rural Health Mission, that strengthens primary health care, maternal and child health, and disease control, especially in rural areas.

A government health facility covering a defined rural population, providing basic outpatient care, maternal and child health services, and referral to higher-level hospitals.

A form of reasoning in which a conclusion is drawn from two premises assumed true, such as 'All A are B; all B are C; therefore all A are C'.

The test of whether a conclusion must follow from the given statements under every possible arrangement of the terms, rather than merely being possible.

A diagram using overlapping circles to represent sets and their relationships, often used to check quickly whether a syllogistic conclusion is definitely true, possible, or false.

Reasoning that moves from general statements to a specific, logically certain conclusion; if the premises are true and the form valid, the conclusion cannot be false.

Reasoning that moves from specific observations to a broader generalization; the conclusion is probable rather than certain and may be overturned by new evidence.

A reasoning problem that describes family relationships through statements or symbols, requiring the candidate to trace generations and identify how two people are related.

A reasoning topic in which words, letters, or numbers are converted using a rule or pattern, and the candidate must apply the same rule to decode or encode a new item.

A reasoning task requiring identification of the pattern governing a sequence of numbers, letters, or figures so that the next or missing element can be supplied.

Words that share a closely similar meaning, such as 'rapid' and 'swift'; synonym questions test vocabulary breadth and sensitivity to slight differences in usage.

Words with opposite meanings, such as 'expand' and 'contract'; antonym questions test whether a candidate can identify contrast in meaning accurately.

A vocabulary item in which a single word replaces a descriptive phrase, for example 'philanthropist' for a person who donates generously to good causes.

A fixed expression whose meaning cannot be worked out from its individual words, such as 'to bite the bullet' meaning to endure something difficult bravely.

A verb combined with a preposition or adverb that creates a new meaning, such as 'put off' meaning postpone; the particle changes the sense of the base verb.

Two ways of presenting the same action: active voice makes the doer the subject, while passive voice makes the receiver the subject and often omits the doer.

Two ways of reporting speech: direct speech quotes the speaker's exact words, while indirect speech reports them with shifted tense and pronouns and no quotation marks.