Bones, Joints, & Muscles
This skeletal system function involves red marrow producing red and white blood cells and platelets.
What is blood cell production?
This is one of the five key components of a physical mobility assessment - observing a patient's smoothness, coordination, and pace while moving.
What is gait?
This joint movement term describes moving a body part away from the midline.
What is abduction?
This semi-upright position, elevated 45 to 90 degrees, helps promote easier breathing and comfort.
What is Fowler's position?
This assistive device provides maximum stability and full weight support, ideal for patients with significant weakness or balance deficits.
What is a walker?
This type of joint, found at the hip and shoulder, allows the widest range of motion.
What is a ball-and-socket joint?
When assessing muscle mass, tone, and strength, the nurse compares findings on both sides of the body to check for this.
What is bilateral symmetry?
This type of muscle contraction shortens the muscle as it moves, such as when walking or lifting.
What is isotonic exercise (contraction)?
In this position, the patient lies flat on their back with a pillow placed under the knees to reduce lower back pressure.
What is (protective) supine position?
This assistive device offers less support than a walker but allows greater freedom in movement, and works well in tight or crowded spaces.
What is a cane?
This type of muscle is involuntary, found only in the heart, and contracts rhythmically without conscious control.
What is cardiac muscle?
Impaired mobility increases a patient's risk for this vascular complication, in addition to pressure injuries and muscle atrophy.
What is deep vein thrombosis?
This term describes the downward movement of the foot, as when pointing the toes.
What is plantar flexion?
This position uses a pillow placed between the patient's knees to keep the hips aligned and reduce pressure.
What is side-lying (lateral) position?
This assistive device helps minimize skin shear by allowing a patient to move horizontally during a transfer.
What is a friction-reducing sheet (lateral-assist device)?
This joint type, found at the elbow and knee, allows only flexion and extension.
What is a hinge joint?
Chronic morning knee stiffness that improves with movement is classified as this type of finding, unlike a sudden onset of new weakness.
What is an expected (normal age-related) finding?
This type of exercise involves a muscle contracting against resistance without any change in muscle length, such as pushing against a wall.
What is isometric exercise?
This face-down position relieves sacral pressure but requires the head turned to one side and frequent airway monitoring.
What is prone position?
This is the first step of the nursing process, during which the nurse collects mobility data such as gait, range of motion, strength, and fall risk.
What is assessment?
This bone classification includes the vertebrae and mandible - bones with complex shapes that do not fit neatly into the other categories.
What are irregular bones?
For a patient with sudden, asymmetric weakness and inability to bear weight, this nursing diagnosis takes priority over a chronic impaired physical mobility diagnosis.
What is risk for falls (or risk for injury)?
This forearm movement turns the palm downward; its opposite turns the palm upward.
What is pronation? (opposite: supination)
In this semi-prone position with a left lateral tilt, often used after certain procedures, pillows support the head, arm, abdomen, and legs.
What is Sim's position?
According to the nursing process, if a patient's mobility has not improved after 48 hours, this is what the nurse should do with the plan of care.
What is reassess and revise the plan (evaluation)?