This is the primary goal of rehabilitation, focusing on helping patients return to their highest possible level of function.
What is independence? (or "Restore to highest level of functioning")
This pharmacokinetic process is most affected by decreased intestinal motility in older adults.
What is absorption?
This critical "Universal Protocol" step occurs immediately before a procedure to verify the correct patient, site, and procedure.
What is a Time Out?
Order: Acetaminophen 500mg PO. On Hand: 250mg tablets. The nurse will administer this many tablets.
What is 2 tablets?


When a patient falls, this is the nurse's very first priority action.
What is assess the patient for injury?
A condition is generally classified as "chronic" if it requires management for at least this many months.
What is 3 months?
The concurrent use of multiple medications is often necessary for chronic conditions, but it increases the risk of adverse effects.
What is polypharmacy?
This fire safety acronym stands for Rescue, Alarm, Contain, and Extinguish.
What is RACE?
Order: Ibuprofen 400mg. On Hand: 200mg/5mL. The nurse will administer this many mLs.
What is 10 mL?

In a fire emergency, this is the "R" in RACE and the first priority for the nurse.
What is Rescue (or remove patients from immediate danger)?
These four specialized therapists often form the core of a rehabilitation team.
Who are Physiatrists, Physical Therapists (PT), Occupational Therapists (OT), and Speech-Language Pathologists (SLP)?
In older adults, this common mental status change is often the first sign of a physical issue like a UTI.
What is acute confusion (or delirium)?
This term describes an error that was caught and corrected before it actually reached the patient.
What is a "near miss"?
Order: Medication 150mg. On Hand: 50mg tablets. The nurse will administer this many tablets.
What is 3 tablets?

For an older adult with a new onset of dizziness, the nurse's priority safety intervention is this.
What are fall precautions (e.g., bed alarm, non-slip socks)?
This psychological concept is a major focus in rehab, as performing ADLs independently significantly boosts a patient's pride.
What is self-esteem (or self-image)?
When assessing medication adherence, this type of open-ended question is most effective.
What is "How many doses do you think you missed?"
These are "unexpected occurrences involving death or serious physical or psychological injury" that must be investigated.
What are sentinel events?
Order: Digoxin 0.25mg. On Hand: 0.125mg tablets. The nurse will administer this many tablets.
What is 2 tablets?

When teaching a patient with a new disability, the nurse should prioritize this to help them feel more in control.
What is giving the patient choices (promoting autonomy)?
These two respiratory and circulatory complications are common secondary problems resulting from immobility in chronic illness.
What are pneumonia and blood clots (DVT)?
Age-related declines in these two organs most significantly impact the metabolism and excretion of drugs.
What are the liver and kidneys?
After ensuring a patient is safe following a fall, the nurse must notify the provider and file this document (which does not go in the chart).
What is an incident (or occurrence) report?
Order: Medication 1g. On Hand: 500mg/10mL. This nurse will administer this many mLs.
What is 20 mLs?

Before administering a new medication to an older adult, the priority assessment is to check for this risk factor.
What is potential drug-drug or drug-food interactions?