Nursing English Vocabulary: Words for the Ward

aspirate verbC2

To draw back stomach contents through a feeding tube to check its position or measure residual volume.

Aspirate the tube and check the pH is below five point five before you start the feed.

death rattle phraseC1

Noisy breathing caused by secretions in the throat of a person who is close to death and can no longer clear them.

The nurse gently explained to the daughter that the death rattle was not distressing her father, who was deeply unconscious.

deprivation of liberty phraseC1

Confinement of a person who lacks capacity under continuous supervision and control without their valid consent, requiring legal authorisation.

Because the confused patient was constantly supervised and not free to leave, the ward applied for authorisation of the deprivation of liberty.

duty of candour phraseC1

The professional and legal obligation to be open and honest with patients when something goes wrong with their care.

Under the duty of candour, the ward sister met the family to explain and apologise for the missed medication.

enhanced observation phraseC1

A heightened level of patient supervision, up to continuous one-to-one presence, for those at risk of harm.

After two falls in one night, the patient with delirium was placed on enhanced observation within arm's reach.

hydrogel nounC1

A water-rich gel dressing that donates moisture to dry wounds and softens necrotic tissue.

The district nurse applied a hydrogel to the dry black eschar on the heel to help it soften.

intentional rounding nounC1

The regular, structured checking of patients to address comfort, pain, position, and personal needs.

During intentional rounding I check the four Ps: pain, position, personal needs, and placement.

last offices phraseC1

The care given to a person's body after death, respecting their dignity and any religious or cultural wishes.

Two nurses performed last offices quietly, asking the family whether they wished to help wash their mother.

moisture lesion phraseC1

Skin damage caused by prolonged exposure to urine, faeces, sweat or wound exudate, as opposed to pressure.

The diffuse, superficial redness in the natal cleft was classified as a moisture lesion rather than a pressure ulcer.

person-centred adjectiveC1

Organised around the individual's preferences, values and needs rather than around routines or the system.

A person-centred care plan meant that the man with dementia was washed in the evening, when he was calmest.

pressure injury phraseC1

Localised damage to the skin and underlying tissue caused by sustained pressure or shear, usually over a bony prominence.

The skin check on admission identified a category two pressure injury on the patient's sacrum.

prn adverbC2

Describing medication that is given as required rather than at fixed times.

Paracetamol is prescribed PRN for pain, up to four times a day.

scope of practice phraseC1

The range of activities a health professional is trained, competent and authorised to perform.

The healthcare assistant declined to remove the central line, recognising it was outside her scope of practice.

skill mix phraseC1

The balance of grades, qualifications and experience among the staff on duty.

Although numbers were adequate, the night's skill mix was poor, with only one nurse able to manage the tracheostomy patients.

skin integrity nounC1

The state of the skin being intact and healthy without breaks, breakdown, or damage.

On assessment his skin integrity is intact with no signs of redness over the heels.

slide sheet phraseC1

A low-friction fabric sheet placed under a patient to help staff move them in bed safely.

Two nurses used a slide sheet to move the frail woman up the bed without dragging her skin.

slough nounC1

Dead, yellowish tissue in a wound bed that needs to be removed for healing to progress.

The wound bed is about fifty per cent slough, so we've applied a debriding dressing.

strict input and output phraseC1

The careful measurement and recording of everything a patient takes in and passes out.

The doctor wants strict input and output on this patient while we assess her kidneys.

syringe driver phraseC1

A small portable pump that delivers medication continuously under the skin over a set period, often in palliative care.

The community nurse checked the syringe driver line and site when she visited the patient at home.

terminal agitation phraseC1

Restlessness and distress that can occur in the last days of life.

The hospice nurse recognised the patient's plucking at the sheets and calling out as terminal agitation and informed the doctor.

tissue viability phraseC1

The nursing specialty concerned with maintaining skin integrity and managing wounds and pressure damage.

The complex leg ulcer was referred to the tissue viability team for specialist assessment.

undermining nounC2

Tissue destruction extending under intact skin at the edge of a wound.

Probing the pressure ulcer revealed two centimetres of undermining at the twelve o'clock position.

wound bed phraseC1

The base of an open wound, whose tissue type and condition guide assessment and dressing choice.

The wound bed was now eighty per cent granulation tissue, a clear sign that the ulcer was healing.

absconding nounC1

Leaving a ward or place of care without permission when subject to observation or detention.

Following an earlier absconding, staff agreed a plan to reduce his risk of leaving unescorted.

blunted adjectiveC1

Describing an emotional response that is noticeably reduced in intensity or range.

The patient's emotional reactions appeared blunted, with only minimal response to good or bad news.

congruence nounC1

Genuineness in a therapeutic relationship, where a clinician's outward manner matches their inner feelings.

Her congruence made the interaction feel authentic, and the patient sensed she was being sincere.

dysphoria nounC2

A pervasive state of unease, dissatisfaction or low mood.

She reported persistent dysphoria that lifted only briefly during visits from her sister.

ideation nounC2

The forming of ideas or thoughts, often used when documenting thoughts of harm to self or others.

She disclosed passive suicidal ideation but denied any plan or intent to act on it.

concordance nounC1

Agreement between records, findings or between clinician and patient on a plan.

Check the concordance between the chart and the electronic record before you sign off.

equivocal adjectiveC2

Uncertain or open to more than one interpretation; not clearly one thing or another.

The findings were equivocal, so I've asked for the scan to be repeated in the morning.

multidisciplinary adjectiveC1

Drawing on several professional disciplines working together on a patient's care.

Her plan was agreed at the multidisciplinary meeting and handed over to the ward team.

redundancy nounC1

Deliberate repetition or overlap built into communication to catch errors.

Read-back adds useful redundancy so a mishearing is caught before it reaches the patient.

contemporaneous adjectiveC1

Of record-keeping, made at the time of, or as soon as possible after, the events described.

Nursing notes must be contemporaneous, so I documented the incident immediately.

hypoxia nounC1

A deficiency in the amount of oxygen reaching the body's tissues.

Signs of hypoxia such as restlessness and confusion should always be taken seriously.

indwelling adjectiveC2

Of a catheter or device, left in place within the body for a period of time.

The indwelling catheter was documented and its insertion date recorded to guide removal.

bedside handover nounC1

A handover conducted at the patient's bedside so the patient can be seen and involved in the transfer of care.

We've moved to bedside handover so the incoming nurse can lay eyes on each patient.

dyspnea nounC1

Difficult or laboured breathing that is perceived as uncomfortable or distressing by the patient.

The patient reported worsening dyspnea on exertion, becoming breathless after walking only a few meters.

for review phraseC1

A handover instruction indicating a patient should be reassessed, usually within a stated timeframe.

Bed nine is for review at midnight if the urine output hasn't improved.

intractable adjectiveC1

Hard to control or treat; not yielding to therapy.

The team escalated care for his intractable pain.

NPO phraseC2

An abbreviation of the Latin nil per os, meaning the patient is to have nothing by mouth.

The patient was kept NPO from midnight in preparation for the morning endoscopy.