Infection Control
What is the single most important routine practice for preventing the spread of infection?
Hand hygiene.
What type of toothbrush bristles are recommended for patients at increased risk for bleeding?
Soft bristles.
How many hours of sleep per night are generally recommended for adults?
Seven to nine hours.
What is considered the gold standard for pain assessment when a patient can communicate?
The patient's self-report.
What is the term for the natural habitat where an infectious organism lives, grows, and multiplies?
Reservoir.
What are the four classic signs of inflammation?
Redness, heat, swelling, and pain
What direction should the nurse use when providing female perineal care?
Front to back.
Which stage of sleep is associated with dreaming and memory consolidation?
REM sleep.
What pain-rating scale commonly asks patients to rate their pain from zero to ten?
The numeric rating scale.
What is the term for a contaminated, inanimate object that can transfer pathogens, such as a bed rail or stethoscope?
Fomite.
What are the three types of transmission-based precautions?
Contact, droplet, and airborne precautions.
Name four areas of the body, beyond the skin, that should be included in a comprehensive hygiene assessment.
oral cavity, eyes, ears, nose, hair and scalp, nails, feet, and perineal area.
Which stage of NREM sleep is considered the deepest and most restorative, with growth hormone release?
Stages III and IV, also called deep or delta sleep in the lecture.
Name four characteristics the nurse should assess when obtaining a pain history.
onset, duration, location, quality, intensity, aggravating or alleviating factors, effect on function, and the patient's pain-management goal
What is the term for persistent bad breath?
Halitosis
Name all six links in the chain of infection.
Infectious agent, reservoir, portal of exit, means of transmission, portal of entry, and susceptible host.
What are the three main activities included in early morning care before breakfast or morning procedures?
Toileting assistance, washing the face and hands, and mouth care.
Name the three brain structures that regulate the transition between sleep and wakefulness.
Reticular activating system (RAS), bulbar synchronizing region, and hypothalamus.
Name four nonpharmacologic or complementary approaches to pain management
distraction, humor, music, guided imagery, mindfulness, heat, cold, massage, TENS, acupuncture, biofeedback, hypnosis, therapeutic touch, and animal-assisted interventions
What are the two main types of adaptive immunity discussed in the infection-control?
Humoral immunity and cell-mediated immunity.
List the five moments for hand hygiene in the correct sequence.
1. Before touching a patient. 2. Before a clean or aseptic procedure. 3. After body fluid exposure risk. 4. After touching a patient. 5. After touching patient surroundings.
What are the four things the nurse should assess when taking a skin history from a patient with a skin problem?
How long the patient has had the problem.
Whether it bothers the patient and how.
Whether it itches, burns, or causes discomfort.
What the patient has tried to relieve the symptoms, including home remedies, medications, or other treatments.
What is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and what device is commonly used to help keep the airway open during sleep?
OSA is a sleep disorder in which the upper airway repeatedly becomes obstructed during sleep, interrupting normal breathing. CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) delivers continuous air pressure to help keep the airway open.
A patient receiving opioids for persistent cancer-related pain reports that the pain repeatedly becomes severe before the next dose is due. Which change in the pain-management plan best addresses this pattern?
scheduled, around-the-clock analgesic regimen
A patient reports severe pain, but the nurse observes no grimacing, guarding, or other visible signs of discomfort. The patient’s vital signs are also within normal limits. What should the nurse do next?
The nurse should accept the patient’s self-report as the most reliable indicator of pain when the patient can communicate reliably. Pain is subjective, and the absence of behavioral signs or changes in vital signs does not mean the patient is not experiencing pain.