- BID – 2 times a day;
- HS – bedtime
- NPO – nothing by mouth
- PO – by mouth
- OTC – Over the counter
- – with
- QID – four times a day
- Rectally – into the rectum
- TID – 3 times a day;
- D/C – discontinue
- – every
- mg – milligram
- gtt – drop
- – without
- Orally – by mouth
- stat – immediately
- PRN – as needed
- NKA – No Known Allergies
- tbsp/tsp – tablespoon/teaspoon
- cc (ml) -cubic centimeter(millimeter)
- QD – everyday
- Topically – on the skin
- UAP – Unlicensed Assistive Personnel – legal title of those employed to perform nursing care services under the direction and supervision of licensed nurses.
- Canthus – the angle of either end of the slit between the eyelids
- Cerumen – ear wax
- Conjunctiva – Mucous membrane lining covering inner surface of eyelids and the eyeball
- Discharge – A drainage (liquid) that may be clear, bloody, infected, or white
- Nebulizer – Electrical device that turns liquid medication into a fine mist of to be inhaled
- Metered dose oral inhaler (PMDI) – A pressurized hand-held inhaler. Delivers one dose of medication per squirt.
- Ear auricle – The outer/external ear
- Gastric tube (G-tube), PEG, Mickey Button – A flexible tube surgically placed into the stomach to administer liquid food and medicine.
- Aspirate – Drawing a foreign substance into the lungs during inhalation, to remove by suction, gas, or fluid
- Pathogen – A microorganism that causes disease, such as viral and bacterial infections
- Infection – A process cause by bacteria or a virus. May cause death
- Contamination – The act of transferring pathogens from one surface to another
- C-diff: Clostridium difficile – bacteria that causes diarrhea and colitis.
- MRSA – Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (staph infection): is a bacterium responsible for several difficulty-to-treat infections in humans.
- Standard precautions – Steps to prevent infections known and unknown from body fluids. Minimum is hand washing and gloves. May include other Personal Protective Equipment
- Vulnerable Population – Those at risk of infection from a compromised immune system, such as the elderly, those with cancer or AIDS