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• Blood pressure (BP)


  Blood pressure measures the amount of force placed on a patient's artery walls with each heartbeat. This is one of the standard vital signs nurses monitor for patients.
• Charge nurse


  A supervisory nurse who oversees other nurses in a particular hospital department.
• Chart


  The medical documentation that follows a patient throughout a healthcare facility. It includes medical history, diagnoses, test results, dosage and timing of medications, and other relevant information.
• Charting


  The process of adding to a patient's chart to keep it up to date and accurate. Nurses often use medical acronyms and abbreviations in their chartings.
• Clinicals


  The portion of nursing education where student nurses work with patients in a healthcare setting, under supervision from nurses and physicians, to practice their technical skills and gain experiences.
• Code blue


  A medical emergency, often cardiac arrest, that requires immediate attention from a team of healthcare providers. Healthcare workers may shorten code blue to "coding."
• Heart rate


  The number of heartbeats a patient has per minute.
• NCLEX


  Refers to the nursing exam one must pass to become either a licensed practical nurse (LPN) or a registered nurse (RN).
• Pain scale


  A numeric scale from one to ten that patients use to rate their level of pain. Some healthcare facilities use visual cues like faces to help patients rate their pain levels.
• Respiratory rate


  The number of breaths a patient takes per minute.
• Specimen


  A sample of something from a patient's body, such as urine, blood, skin or other tissue, that is taken for testing and analysis.
• Vital signs


  • Heart rate
  • Respiratory rate
  • Body temperature
  • Pain level
  • Blood pressure
• Cardiac nursing


  A nursing specialty centered around the cardiovascular system (the heart and blood circulation system).
• Dialysis nursing


  A nursing specialty that focuses on patients who have kidney disease, are experiencing kidney failure or are undergoing dialysis treatments.
• Home health nursing


  Nurses who visit patients in their own homes to provide care.
• ICU nurse


  Nurses who work in the intensive care unit (ICU), typically caring for just one or two patients with severe injuries or ailments at a time.
• Nurse anesthetist


  Nurse anesthetists who administer anesthesia and pain management medication to patients. This role requires specialized advanced training.
• Nursing informatics


  Nursing informatics who combine practical nursing skills with data analysis and technology to improve patient safety.
• Oncology nursing


  Nurses who care for cancer patients and those being screened for cancer diagnoses.
• Radiology nursing


  Nurses who care for patients who are undergoing diagnostic imaging, such as CT scans, X-rays and ultrasounds.
• ABC


  This is the simple way to remember "airway, breathing, circulation," which is the order in which nurses assess and prioritize a patient who is unresponsive or unconscious.
• CAB


  Following the CAB acronym helps nurses remember "chest compressions, airway and breathing" as the correct order for performing CPR.
• CBR


  Seeing this on a patient's chart means "complete bed rest" and refers to a patient who is not allowed out of bed at all, even to use the bathroom.
• CPR


  Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is an emergency procedure commonly used when a patient has stopped breathing.
• DNR


  Do Not Resuscitate is an end-of-life health directive given by patients who do not wish to be revived if they stop breathing or go into cardiac arrest.
• EHR


  Electronic health records (sometimes called electronic medical records, or EMR) are digital medical records that are updated each time a patient visits a healthcare facility.
• ICU


  Intensive care unit.
• IV


  Intravenous therapy.
• L&D


  Labor and delivery.
• NICU


  Neonatal intensive care unit, where critically ill newborns are cared for.
• OTC


  Medication that does not require a prescription (over the counter).
• PPE


  Specialized gear and clothing, such as gloves, masks and face shields, designed to protect both patients and nurses from bacteria and contagious illness (personal protective equipment).
• SOP


  Standard operating procedures, which describe how nursing tasks are to be performed and the outcome that should be achieved.
• WNL


  This charting acronym stands for "within normal limit." This means a patient's activity level, test results and so on are considered typical.
• ADN


  Associate's Degree in Nursing.
• APRN


  This stands for "advanced practice registered nurse" and refers to nurses who have completed a specialized graduate degree program. In addition to the usual duties of an RN, they can also diagnose and treat patients and choose to practice certain specialties, such as nurse anesthetist.
• BSN


  Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
• CNA


  Certified nursing assistants are not technically nurses, but they do help patients with basic tasks, like bathing and dressing. They may also take vital signs.
• LPN


  Stands for licensed practical nurses. They have a narrower scope of practice than registered nurses but are tasked with a wide variety of nursing duties, such as changing bandages, administering medication, monitoring vital signs and inserting catheters.
• MSN


  Master of Science in Nursing.