What is an Apical Pulse?

You’re preparing to administer a cardiac medication to Mr. Henderson, but before you do, you need to verify his heart rate. Instead of checking his...

What is AROM?

You’re cheering on Mrs. Lopez as she struggles but successfully reaches to grab her hairbrush. That movement she just performed on her own? That is...

What is an Artery?

You are getting ready to take Mr. Henderson’s vitals, and as you wrap the blood pressure cuff around his upper arm, you are positioning it...

What is Sepsis?

You walk into a room to provide morning care, and before you even touch the resident, you automatically reach for the hand sanitizer. That simple,...

What Does ‘Aspirate’ Means?

You are feeding Mr. Henderson lunch when he suddenly coughs violently after a bite of pureed peas. A few minutes later, his voice sounds raspy...

What is Axillary?

It’s 8 AM and you’re gathering vitals for the unit. You grab your thermometer and reach for a resident’s armpit—you are performing an axillary temperature...

What is a Cataract?

You’re helping Mr. Henderson get ready for the day when he mentions that the hallway looks “foggy” and he can’t quite make out the faces...

What is a Clean Catch Urine Specimen?

Mr. Henderson is feeling confused and running a slight fever, so the nurse suspects a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) and has ordered a lab test....

What is Clinitest?

You’re collecting a urine specimen from Mr. Henderson, a resident with diabetes, and the nurse asks you to perform a specific chemical test to check...

What Does Cueing Mean?

You are helping Mr. Henderson get ready for the day, but he’s just staring at his toothbrush. You know he can brush his teeth, but...