Health-care vocabulary · Topic 6 of 14

Nursing Actions & Care Words

Nursing Actions & Care Words — Set 1

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Vocabulary · nursing actions

Nursing Actions & Care Words — Set 1

Care words: assess means gather facts and judge, triage sorts by urgency, a priority comes first, vital means essential, cursory means hasty.

01 · Most testedAssess = gather facts and judge

02 · Most testedTriage = sort patients by urgency

03 · Most testedCursory = quick, not thorough

Most-tested words

assess (verb) — to gather information and judge

triage (noun) — sorting patients by urgency

cursory (adjective) — quick and not thorough

vital (adjective) — essential to life; extremely important

priority (noun) — what matters most and comes first

More words

monitor (verb) — to check regularly over time

palpate (verb) — to examine by touch

diagnosis (noun) — identifying an illness

apply (verb) — to put on (a cream, a bandage)

depress (verb) — to press down

elevate (verb) — to raise or lift

parameter (noun) — a limit or set range

hygiene (noun) — keeping clean to stay healthy

intubate (verb) — to insert a tube (into the windpipe)

document (verb) — to record in writing

observe (verb) — to watch carefully

intervene (verb) — to step in and act

evaluate (verb) — to judge the value or result

compress (noun) — a pad pressed on the body

suture (noun) — a stitch that closes a wound

isolate (verb) — to keep apart from others

In a sentence

Show 21 example sentences

assess: The nurse assessed the patient's pain before and after the walk.

triage: At triage, the nurse sent the patient with chest pain straight to a room.

cursory: A cursory glance at the chart missed the patient's allergy.

vital: The heart and lungs are vital organs.

priority: Keeping the airway open is the first priority.

monitor: Staff will monitor the patient's heart rate overnight.

palpate: The provider palpated the abdomen to check for tenderness.

diagnosis: The blood test confirmed the diagnosis of anemia.

apply: Apply firm pressure to the cut with a clean cloth.

depress: The provider depressed the patient's tongue to look at the throat.

elevate: Elevate the sprained ankle on two pillows.

parameter: Call the provider if the blood pressure falls outside the ordered parameters.

hygiene: Hand hygiene is the best way to stop germs from spreading.

intubate: The team had to intubate the patient who stopped breathing.

document: Document the time each medicine was given.

observe: The nurse observed the patient's breathing pattern for one minute.

intervene: The nurse intervened when the patient started to fall.

evaluate: Evaluate the patient's pain thirty minutes after the medicine.

compress: A warm compress helped soothe the patient's sore eye.

suture: The provider closed the cut with four sutures.

isolate: The hospital isolated the patient with the flu in a private room.

Pearl

Triage sets the priority: the patient who most urgently needs care is seen first.

Nursing Actions & Care Words — Set 2

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Vocabulary · nursing actions

Nursing Actions & Care Words — Set 2

More care actions: auscultate means listen with a stethoscope, staunch means stop bleeding, quarantine separates the exposed, plus the cleaning words.

01 · Most testedAuscultate = listen with a stethoscope

02 · Most testedStaunch = stop the bleeding

03 · Most testedQuarantine = keep the exposed apart

Most-tested words

auscultate (verb) — to listen to body sounds (stethoscope)

staunch (verb) — to stop the flow of blood

quarantine (noun) — separating the exposed to stop spread

More words

insert (verb) — to put in

cast (noun) — a hard shell that holds a broken bone still

baseline (noun) — a starting value for later comparison

restrain (verb) — to hold back from moving or acting

rehabilitate (verb) — to restore health or skills after illness

immobilize (verb) — to keep from moving

irrigate (verb) — to wash out with liquid

reposition (verb) — to move into a new position

sanitize (verb) — to clean so germs are reduced

splint (noun) — a rigid support that keeps a limb still

sterilize (verb) — to make free of all germs

stabilize (verb) — to make or become steady

resuscitate (verb) — to revive (restart breathing or heartbeat)

disinfect (verb) — to kill most germs (usually with a chemical)

drain (verb) — to let liquid flow out

verify (verb) — to check that something is correct

screen (verb) — to test for a disease before signs appear

Disinfect vs sterilize

Commonly confused

	Disinfect	Sterilize
Germs killed	Most harmful germs	All living germs
How	Usually a germ-killing chemical	Heat, steam, or chemicals
Typical use	Surfaces such as a bedside table	Surgical tools

In a sentence

Show 20 example sentences

auscultate: The nurse auscultated the lungs front and back.

staunch: Firm pressure with gauze helped staunch the bleeding.

quarantine: The travelers stayed in quarantine for two weeks after the outbreak.

insert: The nurse inserted a thermometer under the patient's tongue.

cast: The child's arm will stay in a cast for several weeks.

baseline: The nurse recorded the patient's baseline weight on admission.

restrain: The nurse gently restrained the toddler's arm during the blood draw.

rehabilitate: Physical therapy helped rehabilitate the patient's knee after surgery.

immobilize: A sling immobilizes the arm after a shoulder injury.

irrigate: The nurse irrigated the wound with saline before dressing it.

reposition: Reposition the bedbound patient often to protect the skin.

sanitize: Sanitize your hands before and after touching the patient.

splint: The paramedic placed a splint on the injured leg.

sterilize: Surgical tools are sterilized before every operation.

stabilize: After fluids, the patient's blood pressure began to stabilize.

resuscitate: The team worked for twenty minutes to resuscitate the patient.

disinfect: Disinfect the bedside table after the patient goes home.

drain: A small tube drained fluid from the surgical site.

verify: Verify the patient's name and birth date before giving any medicine.

screen: The clinic screens all adults for high blood pressure.

Pearl

Sterilize kills all germs; disinfect kills most.

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