QCHP/DHP Nurse Exam key terms

Chest discomfort caused by a temporary imbalance between the heart muscle's oxygen demand and supply, usually from narrowed coronary arteries; often triggered by exertion or stress and relieved by rest or nitroglycerin.

Clinical syndrome in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body's needs, causing fatigue, shortness of breath, edema, and fluid overload; may affect the left side, right side, or both.

Chronic lung disease with persistent airflow limitation, usually caused by smoking, leading to cough, sputum, breathlessness, and exacerbations; managed with bronchodilators, smoking cessation, and oxygen when indicated.

Blood clot in a deep vein, most often in the leg, causing unilateral pain, swelling, and warmth; it can break loose and travel to the lungs, so prevention and early treatment matter.

Blockage of a pulmonary artery by a clot, fat, air, or tumor, often from a deep vein thrombosis; causes sudden breathlessness, chest pain, fast heart rate, and low oxygen; a medical emergency.

Life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated response to infection; signs include fever or low temperature, fast heart rate, fast breathing, low blood pressure, and confusion; requires urgent antibiotics and fluids.

Practices that prevent microorganisms from entering sterile areas or reduce their spread; medical asepsis limits contamination, while surgical asepsis keeps objects and fields free of germs.

The most effective single action to prevent healthcare-associated infection; use soap and water when hands are visibly soiled or after caring for a patient with Clostridioides difficile, otherwise use alcohol-based rub.

Semi-sitting position with the head of the bed raised about 45 to 60 degrees; improves breathing, reduces aspiration risk, and is used for shortness of breath, feeding, and some procedures.

Noninvasive estimate of arterial oxygen saturation using light absorption through tissue; readings can be affected by poor circulation, motion, nail polish, and carbon monoxide poisoning.

Record of fluids taken in and lost, used to assess hydration, kidney function, and fluid balance; includes oral and intravenous intake plus urine, drains, vomit, and other losses as ordered.

Pregnancy disorder after 20 weeks marked by new high blood pressure plus protein in urine or organ dysfunction; can worsen to seizures, so blood pressure, laboratory results, and fetal well-being are monitored.

Excessive bleeding after childbirth, often defined as more than 500 mL after vaginal birth or 1000 mL after cesarean, or any bleeding that causes instability; a leading cause of maternal death.

Vaginal discharge after childbirth made of blood, mucus, and uterine tissue; it changes from red to brown to white over several weeks; foul odor or large clots need evaluation.

Gentle massage of the uterus through the abdomen after birth to stimulate contraction and reduce bleeding; used when the uterus feels soft or boggy, with monitoring of tone and bleeding.

Quick newborn assessment at 1 and 5 minutes after birth scoring heart rate, breathing effort, muscle tone, reflex response, and color; it guides immediate resuscitation but does not predict long-term outcome.

Convulsion associated with fever in a young child, usually between 6 months and 5 years, without brain infection; most are brief and harmless, but the cause of fever and safety need review.

Fluid deficit with signs such as dry mouth, reduced urine output, sunken eyes, fast heart rate, and lethargy; severity guides oral or intravenous rehydration and monitoring for complications.

Planned timing of vaccines by age and risk; nurses check contraindications, educate families, give vaccines safely, and document doses; delays raise the risk of preventable disease.

Inadequate physical growth in a child, shown by weight or height below expectation or dropping across growth chart lines; causes include poor nutrition, illness, feeding problems, and psychosocial stress.

Ratio comparing a drug's toxic dose with its effective dose; a narrow index means little separation between benefit and harm, so blood levels and patient responses need close monitoring.

Metabolism of an oral drug by the liver before it reaches the general circulation, which lowers bioavailability; drugs with a large first-pass effect may need higher oral doses or another route.

Harmful or unintended response to a medication given at a normal dose; it may be predictable or unpredictable; nurses report, document, and help adjust therapy to prevent further harm.

Formal comparison of a patient's current medicines with new orders at transitions of care to find omissions, duplicates, interactions, and dose errors; improves safety and prevents adverse drug events.

Blood drug concentrations used to guide dosing for medicines with narrow safety margins; the peak shows the highest level, while the trough shows the lowest level before the next dose.

Medicine with a heightened risk of serious harm when used in error; examples include insulin, heparin, opioids, and concentrated electrolytes; requires independent checks, clear labeling, and standardized storage.

Range of duties and responsibilities a nurse may legally perform according to education, licensure, and law; working beyond it is unsafe and may be illegal.

Failure to give the care a reasonably prudent nurse would provide in similar circumstances, causing harm; proving it requires duty, breach, causation, and damages.

Patient's voluntary agreement to treatment after receiving information about purpose, risks, benefits, and alternatives; the nurse witnesses and clarifies, but the provider obtains consent.

Unexpected serious patient harm or death not related to the natural course of illness; it requires immediate investigation, disclosure, and system changes to prevent recurrence.

Structured handoff communication using Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation; it improves clarity and patient safety during transfers, reporting, and escalation of care.

Indirect protection that occurs when enough people are immune to an infection, limiting its spread to those who are not immune; the needed threshold varies by disease and vaccine effectiveness.

Conditions where people live, learn, work, and play that affect health, such as income, housing, education, food, and transportation; they guide community assessment and nursing interventions.

Disease that healthcare providers must report to public health authorities, such as tuberculosis, measles, and some sexually transmitted infections; reporting supports surveillance, outbreak control, and prevention.

Actions taken before disease occurs to reduce risk, such as immunization, healthy eating, exercise, and safety education; it differs from screening, which finds existing disease early.

Purposeful, goal-directed interaction using active listening, empathy, open questions, and clear boundaries to help patients express feelings, understand care, and make decisions.

Acute, fluctuating disturbance in attention and awareness, often caused by illness, medicines, or withdrawal; it is potentially reversible, and the nurse must identify the cause and keep the patient safe.

Thoughts of ending one's own life, with or without a plan; nurses ask directly, assess risk and protective factors, and maintain safety without leaving a high-risk patient alone.

Rare life-threatening reaction to antipsychotic medicines with fever, muscle rigidity, confusion, unstable vital signs, and raised creatine kinase; stop the drug and seek emergency treatment.

Dangerous excess of serotonin, usually from combined serotonergic medicines, causing agitation, tremor, overactive reflexes, fever, and unstable vital signs; stop the drugs and seek urgent care.