NLN NEX key terms

The six linked steps by which a pathogen spreads: infectious agent, reservoir, portal of exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry, and susceptible host. Breaking any one link stops transmission.

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 with a known or suspected contagious illness, grouped as contact, droplet, and airborne, and chosen according to how the organism spreads. They are added to standard precautions.

Practices that keep an area or object completely free of microorganisms, used for procedures such as dressing changes, catheter insertion, and surgery. Sterile technique requires sterile supplies and never turning away from the sterile field.

A structured handoff format: Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation. It organizes a concise report so the listener quickly grasps the problem and what is being requested.

A patient's voluntary agreement to a procedure after receiving and understanding its purpose, risks, benefits, and alternatives. The provider obtains consent; the nurse verifies it and witnesses the signature.

An unexpected occurrence involving death or serious physical or psychological harm, or the risk of either. Such events trigger a root-cause analysis rather than blame of individuals.

Transferring a task to another team member while the nurse keeps accountability for the outcome. It requires the right task, circumstance, person, direction, supervision, and evaluation.

Checks performed before giving a drug: right patient, right medication, right dose, right route, right time, and right documentation. Many facilities add right reason and right to refuse.

A formal comparison of every medication a patient is taking with newly ordered drugs at admission, transfer, and discharge, done to prevent omissions, duplications, and dangerous interactions.

Actions taken before illness occurs to reduce risk, such as immunizations, exercise, healthy diet, seat belts, and smoking prevention. The goal is to keep disease from ever starting.

Detecting disease early while it is still treatable, mainly through screening such as mammography, colonoscopy, blood pressure checks, and newborn metabolic testing.

Rehabilitative and supportive care after a disease or injury is established, aimed at limiting disability and restoring function, such as physical therapy after a stroke or cardiac rehabilitation.

A person's ability to obtain, understand, and act on basic health information, such as reading a prescription label or following discharge instructions. Low health literacy raises the risk of errors.

Asking the patient to explain or demonstrate information in their own words so the nurse can confirm understanding and re-teach anything that was misunderstood.

Proactive education about what to expect at an upcoming stage or event, such as injury-proofing before a toddler walks or discussing puberty changes before they occur.

Skills most children can perform within a certain age range, such as sitting unsupported, first words, and walking. They help screen for delay, though normal variation exists.

A personal or environmental characteristic that raises disease risk and can be changed, such as smoking, obesity, inactivity, or high salt intake, unlike fixed factors such as age or family history.

A collaborative, patient-centered counseling style that uses open questions and reflective listening to help a person voice their own reasons for change, rather than arguing or giving advice.

Purposeful, patient-focused conversation that builds trust and supports coping, using open-ended questions, reflection, silence, and clarification rather than advice or judgment.

Fully attending to a patient's words and feelings, using eye contact, nods, and brief responses, then reflecting back what was heard to confirm meaning.

Recognizing and acknowledging another person's feelings without taking them on as your own, often shown by naming the emotion observed in the patient.

Offering comfort that dismisses real concerns, such as saying "everything will be fine." It shuts down conversation and can damage trust when it proves untrue.

Unconscious mental strategies that reduce anxiety, such as denial, projection, rationalization, and regression. They are normal, but rigid use can interfere with coping or treatment.

Clear limits that keep a professional connection focused on the patient's needs, avoiding friendship, gifts, secrets, or personal disclosures that could exploit or confuse the relationship.

Short-term, goal-directed help during an acute emotional upheaval, focused on safety, immediate problem solving, and connecting the person to ongoing support.

A structured inquiry about thoughts, plans, means, intent, and prior attempts, plus protective factors, used to determine the level of observation and safety precautions needed.

A drop in blood pressure on standing, often defined as a fall of at least 20 mmHg systolic or 10 mmHg diastolic, causing dizziness or falls. Patients should rise slowly and dangle first.

Recording all fluid a patient takes in and puts out to assess balance. Intake includes oral, IV, and tube feedings; output includes urine, emesis, drainage, and loose stool.

A serum potassium level above normal, which can cause peaked T waves, muscle weakness, and life-threatening dysrhythmias. Common causes include kidney failure and potassium-sparing diuretics.

A low blood pH with a high carbon dioxide level caused by inadequate ventilation, seen in conditions such as COPD exacerbation, sedation, or airway obstruction.

A mnemonic for pain: Provocation and palliation, Quality, Region and radiation, Severity, and Timing. It gives a complete picture of the patient's pain.

A classification from stage 1 through 4 plus unstageable and deep tissue injury, describing how deeply tissue damage extends, from reddened intact skin to injury reaching muscle or bone.

Blood glucose that is too low, typically below 70 mg/dL, causing shakiness, sweating, confusion, or seizures. A conscious patient is treated with fast-acting oral carbohydrate and rechecked.

A noninvasive estimate of arterial oxygen saturation using light passed through a fingertip or earlobe. It does not measure ventilation, so a normal value does not rule out high carbon dioxide.

A scored risk assessment for pressure injury based on sensory perception, moisture, activity, mobility, nutrition, and friction or shear. Lower scores mean higher risk and greater need for prevention.

A 3-to-15 score rating eye opening, verbal response, and motor response after brain injury. A falling score signals worsening neurologic status and warrants immediate reporting.

An adverse response to blood products such as fever, chills, rash, dyspnea, or back pain. The nurse stops the transfusion at once, keeps the line open with normal saline, and notifies the provider.