Dictionary

Abbreviations

Abbreviations nurses read and write, with the ones never to use.

RAAn abbreviation that can mean rheumatoid arthritis, right atrium or room air.

RACEA memory aid for the steps to take in a fire: Rescue, Alarm, Contain, Extinguish or Evacuate.

RCTRandomized controlled trial: a study in which people are assigned by chance to a treatment group or a comparison group.

REMSRisk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy: an FDA-required safety program for certain drugs with serious risks.

RICERest, Ice, Compression, Elevation: a memory aid for first care of a sprain, strain or bruise.

right upper quadrantThe upper right quarter of the belly, from the person's own point of view, when it is divided into four parts at the navel.

RN-BCRegistered Nurse–Board Certified: a credential showing a registered nurse has passed a specialty certification exam from the ANCC.

RNARibonucleic acid: a molecule in cells that copies genetic instructions from DNA and helps build proteins.

rRNARibosomal RNA: the RNA that forms much of the ribosome, the part of a cell that builds proteins.

RT-PCRReverse transcription polymerase chain reaction: a lab test that finds the genetic material of a virus or other germ in a sample.