Nursing Foundations · Miscellaneous
Code Reddefinition
Hospital emergency code for fire or smoke.
in simple words: Fire emergency alert.
RACE Protocol
Miscellaneous · Nursing Foundations
Braden Scaledefinition
Tool to assess risk of pressure ulcers.
in simple words: Predicts pressure sore risk.
Six factors assessed
Miscellaneous · Nursing Foundations
Advocatedefinition
Protects patient's human, legal, and ethical rights.
in simple words: Speaks up for the patient.
Educatordefinition
Teaches patients about health, treatments, and self-care.
in simple words: Empowers through teaching.
Care giverdefinition
Direct provision of physical and psychosocial care.
in simple words: Hands-on care.
Miscellaneous · Nursing Foundations
Best time
Early morning, before eating, drinking, or brushing teeth. Overnight secretions pool in lungs, increasing diagnostic yield. Avoids contamination with food and oral flora.
Methods to induce sputum
Miscellaneous · Nursing Foundations
Fidelitydefinition
Duty to keep commitments and promises.
in simple words: Keeping promises.
Veracitydefinition
Duty to tell the truth.
in simple words: Truthfulness.
Justicedefinition
Fairness and impartial distribution of benefits and burdens.
in simple words: Fairness.
Beneficencedefinition
Doing good and acting in patient's best interests.
in simple words: Doing good.
Miscellaneous · Nursing Foundations
Sims' positiondefinition
Left lateral with right knee flexed.
in simple words: Standard for enema.
Why Sims'?
Aligns with natural curve of sigmoid colon; gravity assists flow into descending and sigmoid colon. Right lateral is ineffective (gravity opposes flow).
Miscellaneous · Nursing Foundations
Bleeding dressing
If bleeding soaks through, add another layer on top and continue pressure. Do not remove original dressing—can dislodge clot.
Needlestick first aid
Wash site with soap and water immediately. Do not squeeze wound or use bleach.
Miscellaneous · Nursing Foundations
Correct sequence
Key points
Auscultate before percussion and palpation because touching alters bowel sounds. Palpate painful areas last to avoid guarding.
Miscellaneous · Nursing Foundations
Malpracticedefinition
Professional negligence: failure to meet standards causing harm. Requires duty, breach, causation, damages.
in simple words: Negligence by a professional.
Assaultdefinition
Intentional threat creating reasonable fear of harmful/offensive contact.
in simple words: Threat.
Batterydefinition
Actual offensive or harmful touching without consent.
in simple words: Unconsented touch.
Miscellaneous · Nursing Foundations
Tepid sponging
Water at 27–37°C reduces fever by conduction and evaporation. Colder water causes shivering and vasoconstriction, raising core temperature.
BCG vaccine
Given intradermally into dermis. Slow absorption produces local wheal and cell-mediated immunity. Subcutaneous/intramuscular risk abscess and lymphadenitis.
Miscellaneous · Nursing Foundations
Hospice caredefinition
Focus on symptom management and quality of life, not curative treatment. Typically prognosis ≤6 months.
in simple words: Comfort care at end of life.
Stethoscope use
Diaphragm: high-pitched sounds (lung sounds, S1, S2). Apply firmly. Bell: low-pitched sounds (S3, S4, mitral stenosis murmur, bruits). Apply lightly.
Miscellaneous · Nursing Foundations
Recapping
Most common cause of needlestick injuries. Never bend, break, or crush needles by hand; dispose intact in sharps container.
Transmission risk per needlestick
| Pathogen | Risk |
|---|---|
| Hepatitis B | up to 30% |
| Hepatitis C | ~1.8% |
| HIV | ~0.3% |