Nurses are highly trained medical professionals, who are responsible for providing medical care to patients of all ages. As such, nurses must be familiar with a variety of nursing terms in order to provide the best possible care. From general medical terms to more specific areas of care, nurses must be able to recognize and understand these specialized terms. With so many different terms used in nursing, it is essential that nurses become familiar with these terms and how they are used in practice. This blog post will provide an overview of some of the more commonly used nursing terms. In addition, it will offer suggestions for how nurses can best learn and retain these terms for their practice. By understanding the terminology associated with nursing, nurses will be better positioned to provide the highest level of care to their patients.
Nursing terms
If you’re thinking about becoming a nurse, you might need to be familiar with the following terms and their definitions:
Ad lib
Ad lib stands for “at liberty. In order to convey to a patient that they are free to do whatever they want, nurses will occasionally write something like this in their nursing notes or discharge reports. For instance, a nurse might advise a patient that they can eat whatever they want after surgery.
Alert
Nurses and medical staff use this term to describe patients. A conscious patient follows instructions, is aware of their surroundings, and is aware of what they need to do. Contrary to an unresponsive patient who is unconscious or confused, this phrase
Ambulate
Ambulate is another term to describe a patient. An ambulate patient can walk around and move about freely. When nurses refer to a patient in this way, they are warning their coworkers that they might not require as much monitoring as a patient who is not ambulatory.
Banana bag
A banana bag, also called a rally bag, is an IV bag that contains water, vitamins, and minerals. Patients with chemical imbalances or nutritional deficiencies can benefit from banana bags, which are frequently yellow. Banana bags are a common tool used by nurses to treat dehydration and support normal muscle and nerve function.
Bandemia
When too many of a patient’s white blood cells are released into their bloodstream, it is known as bandemia by nurses. Typically, this indicates that the person is battling an infection or inflammation. Nurses discover bandemia through unusual lab results.
Code brown
Nurses refer to an incontinence emergency as a “code brown.” Code brown is a term that nurses use during their regular shifts, but it can also refer to an outside emergency like a tornado, flood, or serious car accident. However, medical professionals can distinguish between the two because of the very different contexts in which doctors and nurses use this term.
Frequent flyer
A patient who frequently visits the hospital or clinic is known as a frequent flyer. In order for their coworkers to modify their procedures while caring for the patient, nurses use this term to describe their patients. When caring for a frequent traveler, nurses take extra care to assist the patient in managing their symptoms so they can reduce the number of visits.
Hat
A hat is a device that fits inside a bathroom toilet and is used to obtain patient samples. As a result, nurses can keep a close eye on patients, and samples can be sent to labs. When they need to keep an eye on a patient for a potential illness, nurses place hats in restrooms.
Ileus
An ileus is a blockage in a patients intestines. To ensure that the patient receives additional care and monitoring, nurses notify doctors of this and note it in their notes. Ileuses are a risk factor for blockage, so it’s critical for nurses to understand this term and its symptoms.
In vitro
In vitro refers to something from a lab. When awaiting the results of a lab test, nurses use this term to describe patient samples. This phrase is used by professionals in a variety of contexts, but it is frequently used in fertility clinics and neonatal units to refer to the conception of children achieved through IVF medical procedures.
In vivo
In vivo is the opposite term of in vitro. In vivo means refers to something within another living organism. This term is used by neonatal nurses and fertility specialists to refer to a child that was conceived within the womb.
Pre-op
Pre-op stands for pre-operation. This is a reference to any medical procedures, guidelines, or other activities that happen prior to a patient having surgery. When giving instructions to their coworkers and describing protocols to patients and their families, nurses use this phrase. An example would be a nurse telling a patient not to eat before surgery.
Post-op
Post-op stands for post-operation. All subsequent medical events involving a patient are referred to as this. This phrase is used by nurses to describe the behaviors that patients must adopt following surgery. For instance, a nurse might advise a patient to take showers after surgery rather than baths to prevent soaking a suture site.
Sundowning
When caring for patients with memory-related illnesses like dementia, nurses use this phrase. The term “sundowning” describes the time of day when a patient’s memory deteriorates. A patient may also begin acting in ways that are out of character for them at this time. Nursing staff and medical professionals refer to this as “sundowning” because it frequently occurs around sunset.
Tachy
Tachy is an abbreviation of tachycardia. This condition causes a patient’s heart to beat rapidly and irregularly. In order to save time while still being clear about the patient’s condition, nurses shorten this medical term. For instance, if a patient was experiencing a panic attack, a nurse might alert their coworkers that the patient is tachy in order to let them know that the patient needs help right away.
Total
The term “total” is used by nurses to describe a patient who requires intensive care. Patients who require IVs, feeding assistance, and other medical procedures can fall under this category. Other medical professionals can better understand their duties regarding the patient by using this term to communicate the level of care the patient needs.
Walkie-talkie
A walkie-talkie is a patient who needs minimal bedside care. These patients can communicate, feed themselves and walk without help. Often, walkie-talkie patients are near the end of the hospitalization. So that the nurse taking over the next shift is aware of how to prepare for discharge protocols, nurses communicate this to one another.
Waste
The dosage of narcotics and other medications given by nurses occasionally does not correspond to the total amount of the substance. Nursing staff dispose of the remaining medication because medical professionals cannot use it for other patients due to safety protocols. Nurses call this “waste. In accordance with protocol, nurses state that they must “waste” in order to obtain a witness for the procedure. This ensures nurses dispose of all narcotics and needles safely.
Why is it important to learn nursing terms?
To communicate effectively with one another, nurses use a specific lingo. Aspiring nurses should be aware of the vocabulary since some nursing terms are specific to the field. Knowing a lot of nursing jargon will help you communicate with your coworkers, which will help you give patients better care.
Nursing abbreviations
Nurses frequently use abbreviations to save time and alert other professionals to a patient’s prescriptions, pre-op, and post-op orders when writing nursing notes and filling out medical charts. The following is a list of some of the abbreviations that these experts frequently employ:
Medication Abbreviations Frequencies/Orders | Medical Terminology | Nursing NCLEX Review
FAQ
What are nursing terms?
Nursing terms are the words, acronyms, and expressions that medical professionals use on a daily basis. Nurses can communicate with patients and other medical professionals using this professional vocabulary.
What are the 5 stages of nursing?
- Benign: Not cancerous.
- Malignant: Cancerous.
- Anti-inflammatory drugs, like ibuprofen and naproxen, lessen swelling, pain, and soreness.
- Measurement of body fat using the Body Mass Index (BMI) and height and weight
- Biopsy: A tissue sample for testing purposes.
- Hypotension: Low blood pressure.
What are the acronyms for nurses?
With 5 sequential steps, the nursing process serves as a systematic manual for client-centered care. These are assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation. The first step is assessment, which involves gathering both subjective and objective data and using critical thinking skills.
