Dictionary

Procedures and skills

The procedures nurses assist with and the skills they perform themselves.

fluid resuscitationGiving large amounts of IV fluid quickly to restore blood volume and blood flow to the organs.

flushTo push a small amount of fluid, usually saline, through an IV line or tube to clear it; as a noun, also a sudden reddening of the skin.

forcepsA hand instrument with two blades or arms used to grasp, hold or pull tissue or objects.

Fowler positionA sitting-up position in bed, with the head of the bed raised between 45 and 90 degrees.

frictionThe rubbing of one surface against another, such as skin against bed sheets.

fundal heightThe distance in centimeters from the top of the pubic bone to the top of the uterus, measured during pregnancy.

gait beltA wide belt fastened around a client's waist that a caregiver holds to steady them while they walk or move.

gastrostomy tubeA feeding tube placed through the belly wall directly into the stomach.

gauzeA thin, loosely woven fabric, usually cotton, used to make dressings, pads and wraps for wounds.

Glasgow Coma ScaleA scoring tool that rates a person's level of consciousness by their eye opening, verbal response and movement, from 3 to 15.

gloveA covering for the hand worn to protect the wearer and the client from germs, body fluids and chemicals.

graftTissue or a man-made material moved into place in surgery to replace or repair a damaged part.

granulation tissueNew, moist, red tissue that fills a healing wound from the bottom up.

haloA ring shape: either a ring of light seen around lights, or a metal ring fixed to the skull to hold the neck still.

head of the bedThe top end of a hospital bed, where the client's head rests; orders often say how many degrees to raise it.

health historyThe information about a client's past and present health that a nurse or provider gathers by asking questions.

heart rateHow many times the heart beats per minute.

HEENTHead, eyes, ears, nose and throat: a section of a physical exam or health history.

Heimlich maneuverQuick, upward thrusts into the upper abdomen to push out an object that is blocking a choking person's airway.

high Fowler positionA sitting position in bed with the head of the bed raised to about 60 to 90 degrees.

hygieneCare of the body to keep it clean and healthy, such as bathing, mouth care, hair and nail care.

I&DIncision and drainage: cutting open an abscess or collection so pus or fluid can drain out.

ileostomyA surgical opening that brings the end of the ileum through the belly wall, so stool leaves the body there.

implantA device or material placed inside the body, such as an artificial joint, pacemaker or birth control rod.

in vitro fertilizationA fertility treatment in which eggs are joined with sperm in a lab and an embryo is then placed in the uterus.

incentive spirometerA hand-held device that helps a person take slow, deep breaths and shows how much air they breathe in.

incisionA clean cut made through the skin and tissue during surgery.

inductionThe starting of a process on purpose, such as bringing on labor or putting a client under anesthesia.

indwellingPlaced inside the body and left there for a period of time.

indwelling urinary catheterA tube passed through the urethra into the bladder and left in place to drain urine into a bag.

infiltrationThe leaking of IV fluid or a drug that is not harmful to tissue out of the vein into the tissue around the IV site.

infusionThe slow delivery of a fluid or drug into the body, usually into a vein, over a period of time.

infusion pumpA machine that delivers IV fluid or medicine into the body at a set rate and amount.

infusion rateHow fast an IV fluid or drug flows into the client, usually written in milliliters per hour or drops per minute.

inhalerA hand-held device that delivers a measured dose of drug for a person to breathe into the lungs.

injectorA device that delivers a medicine or fluid into the body by injection, such as an auto-injector pen.

insertionThe act of putting a device such as a tube, catheter or needle into the body, or the place where it goes in.

instrumental activities of daily livingThe more complex tasks a person needs to live on their own, such as managing money, medicines, shopping and cooking.

insufflationBlowing a gas into a body cavity, such as carbon dioxide into the abdomen during laparoscopic surgery.

insulin pumpA small, worn device that gives insulin all the time through a thin tube placed under the skin.

intake and outputThe measured record of all fluids a client takes in and all fluids that leave the body over a set time.

intermittent auscultationChecking the baby's heart rate during labor at set times with a hand-held Doppler or fetoscope, instead of continuous monitoring.

internal jugular veinA large vein deep on each side of the neck that carries blood from the brain, face and neck back toward the heart.

intradermalWithin or into the dermis, the layer of skin just below the surface.

intradermal injectionAn injection of a tiny amount of fluid into the dermis, the layer just under the top layer of skin.

intramuscularInto a muscle; used for a drug given by injection into muscle tissue.

intramuscular injectionAn injection that puts medicine deep into a muscle.

invasiveEntering the body through the skin or a body opening; for a cancer or infection, spreading into nearby tissue.

irrigationWashing out a wound, body cavity, tube or eye with a steady flow of liquid.

IVIntravenous: into a vein, or the tube placed in a vein to give fluids and drugs.