Tamil Nadu HSE Second Year Nursing (General) flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Normal adult respiratory rate

The normal resting respiratory rate in adults is 12 to 20 breaths per minute; count for a full minute and note depth, rhythm and effort.

Six rights of medication

Right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, right time and right documentation; checking all six prevents most administration errors.

Cardiac output formula

Cardiac output equals heart rate multiplied by stroke volume; normal resting output is about 5 litres per minute in adults.

Normal blood pH

Arterial blood pH normally ranges from 7.35 to 7.45; below 7.35 is acidosis and above 7.45 is alkalosis.

Gram stain steps

Crystal violet, iodine, alcohol decolouriser and safranin; Gram-positive bacteria retain purple and Gram-negative bacteria appear pink.

Autoclave settings

Standard autoclaving sterilises at 121 degrees Celsius and 15 psi for 15 to 20 minutes, killing bacteria and spores.

Energy value of nutrients

Carbohydrate and protein provide 4 kcal per gram, fat provides 9 kcal per gram and alcohol provides 7 kcal per gram.

Body mass index formula

BMI equals weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared; 18.5 to 24.9 is normal and 30 or above is obese.

Hypoglycaemia management

Blood glucose below 70 mg/dL with sweating and confusion; give 15 g fast carbohydrate and recheck after 15 minutes.

FAST stroke mnemonic

Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty and Time to call emergency; thrombolysis is considered within 4.5 hours of onset.

Naegele's rule

Estimated delivery date equals the first day of the last menstrual period plus 7 days minus 3 months plus 1 year.

Apgar score components

Heart rate, respiratory effort, muscle tone, reflex irritability and colour, each scored 0 to 2 at 1 and 5 minutes after birth.

Epidemiological triad

Disease results from interaction among agent, host and environment; breaking any link prevents or controls transmission.

Cold chain temperatures

Oral polio vaccine is stored at minus 20 degrees Celsius; most other vaccines are kept at 2 to 8 degrees and must not freeze.

Adult CPR ratio

Give 30 chest compressions to 2 breaths at 100 to 120 per minute, at least 5 cm deep, switching compressor every 2 minutes.

Rule of nines burns

Head 9%, each arm 9%, each leg 18%, front trunk 18%, back trunk 18% and perineum 1% estimate burn surface area in adults.

Four ethical principles

Autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice guide nursing decisions; veracity and fidelity are supporting professional duties.

Informed consent elements

The patient must be competent, receive information on diagnosis, risks, benefits and alternatives, and consent voluntarily without coercion.

Indian Nursing Council Act

The 1947 Act established the Indian Nursing Council to regulate nursing education and maintain a national register of nurses.

SBAR handover

Situation, Background, Assessment and Recommendation; a structured tool that transfers patient information clearly and safely.

Braden Scale

Scores sensory perception, moisture, activity, mobility, nutrition and friction or shear; a lower total score means higher pressure injury risk.

Glasgow Coma Scale

Eye 1 to 4, verbal 1 to 5 and motor 1 to 6; total 13 to 15 is mild, 9 to 12 moderate and 8 or less severe injury.

Partograph action line

Plotting cervical dilatation in active labour; crossing the action line signals obstructed labour and the need for referral or intervention.

Exclusive breastfeeding

Give only breast milk, no water or other food, for the first 6 months; start complementary foods at 6 months and continue breastfeeding to 2 years.

Primary health centre population

A primary health centre serves about 30,000 people in plains and 20,000 in hilly or tribal areas; a sub-centre serves 5,000 and 3,000.

Heimlich manoeuvre

For a conscious choking adult, give up to 5 back blows then 5 abdominal thrusts, alternating until the object is expelled.

Anaphylaxis first drug

Give intramuscular adrenaline 0.5 mg of 1:1,000 solution into the anterolateral thigh, then oxygen and urgent transport.

Negligence elements

Duty of care, breach of that duty, causation and damages; all four must be proved for a successful negligence claim.

Correction of records

Draw a single line through the error, write error, initial and date it; never erase, overwrite or alter records retrospectively.

Hypoglycaemia versus hyperglycaemia

Hypoglycaemia below 70 mg/dL causes sweating and confusion; hyperglycaemia above 250 mg/dL with ketones causes Kussmaul breathing and acidosis.

Pressure injury stages

Stage 1 non-blanchable redness, stage 2 partial-thickness loss, stage 3 full-thickness loss, stage 4 exposed bone, tendon or muscle.

Universal precautions

Treat all blood and body fluids as potentially infectious; hand hygiene is the single most effective infection-control measure.