Nursing Glossary

20 terms

My glossary is about nursing terms that we hear a lot.I want to be a nurse since I was a kid and this list will help me with a lot of difficult terms that we need to know. This could be helpful with people that want to be a nurse and ad to know a lot of specific words about the profession.

analgesia

The inability to feel pain.

analyse

Examine methodically, and in detail the constitution or structure of typically for purpose of explanation and interpretation.

antibiotic

A medicine that inhibits the growth of or destroys microorganisms.

blood pressure

The pressure of blood on the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps blood around your body.

cannula

A thin tube inserted into a vein or body cavity to administer medication, drain of fluid or insert a surgical instrument.

catheter

Any flexible hollow tube used in medical procedures.

chart

Medical documentation usually kept in digital form that follows the patient at one hospital.

chronic care

Medical care witch addresses preexisting or long- term illness.

code blue

Medical emergency, often cardiac arrest.

diagnose

Identify the nature of the problem by examination of the symptoms.

dual role

Situation when a nurse may be required to provide professional care to a client who is also a family member.

iileus

Blockage in a patient’s intestines.

iv

Intravenous therapy.

nicu

Neonatal intensives care unit. It’s where the newborn are taking care of.

pulse oximeter

A small device that clips to a patient finger or toe to measure the amount of oxygen in their blood.

sharps container

A hand plastic container used as a trash receptacle for any type of biomedical waste.

tachy

Abbreviation of tachycardia. Patient’s heart is beating irregularly fast.

tourniquet

A tight band used to control bleeding after an injury surgery or other medical procedure.

tracheostomy

An incision in the windpipe made to relieve an obstruction to breathing.

vital signs

Basic indicators of a patient’s health.