- ADPIE
- The nursing process: Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation.
- CMSRN
- Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse — the credential awarded by the MSNCB (the credentialing arm of AMSN) to RNs who pass the med-surg certification exam.
- CMSRN certifying body
- MSNCB — the Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification Board, the credentialing arm of the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses (AMSN).
- CMSRN exam length
- 150 multiple-choice items (125 scored + 25 unscored pretest), with a 3-hour (180-minute) time limit.
- CMSRN passing score
- A criterion-referenced scaled score of 95, which is approximately 71% of the 125 scored items correct.
- CMSRN eligibility
- Active, unencumbered RN license plus 2,000 medical-surgical practice hours within the past 3 years.
- CMSRN certification validity
- 5 years; renew by contact hours or by re-examination (requires 1,000 med-surg hours during the 5-year period).
- CMSRN 5 domains
- Patient/Care Management (32%), Holistic Patient Care (15%), Elements of Interprofessional Care (17%), Professional Concepts (15%), Nursing Teamwork & Collaboration (21%).
- First step of the nursing process
- Assessment — collect and verify cues before acting; you cannot intervene safely without data.
- ABC prioritization
- Airway, Breathing, Circulation — the first priority framework; an airway problem outranks everything else.
- Maslow prioritization
- Meet physiologic needs before safety, then psychosocial — physical needs come before emotional ones.
- Acute vs. chronic priority
- Address acute, unstable, or unexpected problems before chronic, stable, or expected ones.
- Patient safety culture
- An organizational environment that prioritizes safety, encourages near-miss/error reporting, and treats events as system-learning opportunities.
- Just culture
- A safety culture that distinguishes honest human error and at-risk behavior from reckless behavior; encourages reporting without blame.
- High-reliability organization (HRO)
- An organization that sustains near-zero error rates through preoccupation with failure, sensitivity to operations, and deference to expertise.
- Near-miss
- An unplanned event that did NOT reach the patient but could have caused harm; it must still be reported so the system can learn.
- Sentinel event
- A patient-safety event causing death, permanent harm, or severe temporary harm; it triggers a Root Cause Analysis.
- Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
- A retrospective method to find the underlying system causes AFTER an adverse event has occurred.
- FMEA
- Failure Mode and Effects Analysis — a PROSPECTIVE method to find and reduce risk BEFORE harm occurs.
- Never event
- A serious, largely preventable error such as wrong-site surgery, a retained foreign object, or a Stage 3/4 hospital-acquired pressure injury.
- Two patient identifiers
- Verify identity with two identifiers (name plus DOB or MRN) before any med, procedure, specimen, or transfusion — never the room number.
- Morse Fall Scale
- A validated fall-risk tool scoring history of falls, secondary diagnosis, ambulatory aid, IV access, gait, and mental status.
- Restraint nursing rules
- Use the least-restrictive option; needs a provider order (not PRN), is time-limited, requires q2h checks (circulation, skin, ROM, toileting), and a quick-release knot to the bed frame.
- Suicide screening tools
- Columbia Protocol (C-SSRS) and the ASQ; ensure environmental safety and one-to-one observation for at-risk patients.
- Social determinants of health (SDOH)
- Non-medical conditions (income, housing, food security, transportation) that affect health outcomes; screen and refer to resources.
- Human trafficking red flags
- Inconsistent history, a controlling companion who answers for the patient, fearful affect, and lack of personal ID or documents.
- Standard precautions
- Applied to ALL patients all the time: hand hygiene plus gloves/PPE chosen by anticipated exposure; treat all blood and body fluids as infectious.
- Contact precautions
- Gown + gloves and dedicated equipment for organisms spread by touch — MRSA, VRE, C. difficile, RSV, scabies.
- Droplet precautions
- A surgical mask within ~6 ft for influenza, pertussis, meningococcus, mumps, and group A strep.
- Airborne precautions
- An N95 respirator and a negative-pressure (AIIR) room with the door closed for TB, measles, varicella, and disseminated zoster.
- C. difficile precautions
- Contact precautions PLUS soap-and-water handwashing and bleach cleaning — alcohol rub does not kill spores.
- Best hand-hygiene agent
- Alcohol-based rub is preferred EXCEPT when hands are visibly soiled or caring for C. difficile/spores/norovirus — then use soap and water.
- CLABSI prevention bundle
- Hand hygiene, maximal barrier precautions, chlorhexidine skin prep, optimal site selection, and daily review of line necessity.
- CAUTI prevention
- Insert a urinary catheter only when necessary, use aseptic technique, keep a closed system, and remove the catheter as soon as possible.
- Neutropenic (protective) precautions
- For ANC < 500: private room, strict hand hygiene, no fresh flowers or raw produce; a fever is a medical emergency.
- Antimicrobial stewardship
- Using the right drug, dose, and duration to limit resistance; de-escalate antibiotics based on culture results.
- Rights of medication administration
- Right patient, drug, dose, route, and time — plus documentation, reason, response, education, and the right to refuse.
- High-alert medications
- Drugs with a high risk of serious harm if misused: insulin, anticoagulants (heparin/warfarin), opioids, concentrated electrolytes (esp. KCl), and neuromuscular blockers (ISMP list).
- IV potassium rule
- NEVER give IV push. Always dilute and infuse via pump (no faster than 10 mEq/hr peripheral); monitor the cardiac rhythm and the IV site.
- Polypharmacy
- The use of multiple medications, raising interaction and adverse-event risk — a special concern in older adults.
- Beers Criteria
- A published list of potentially inappropriate medications to avoid or use cautiously in older adults.
- Central venous catheter
- Tip sits in the superior vena cava; confirm placement by X-ray before first use. Risks: CLABSI, air embolism, pneumothorax.
- Implanted port access
- Access only with a non-coring (Huber) needle using sterile technique.
- Epidural catheter monitoring
- Watch for respiratory depression, hypotension, and motor block; avoid systemic opioids without an order.
- Multimodal analgesia
- Combining drugs with different mechanisms (opioid + acetaminophen/NSAID + adjuvant) to improve relief and reduce the opioid dose.
- PAINAD scale
- A pain-assessment tool for nonverbal adults with advanced dementia (breathing, vocalization, facial expression, body language, consolability).
- Opioid sedation monitoring
- Sedation precedes respiratory depression — use a sedation scale (POSS/RASS) and monitor respiratory rate and SpO2.
- Naloxone
- The opioid antidote (reversal agent); it has a short half-life, so repeat dosing may be needed — monitor for re-sedation.
- WHO analgesic ladder
- A stepwise pain-treatment framework progressing from non-opioids to weak then strong opioids as pain severity increases.
- Cold therapy
- Causes vasoconstriction; reduces acute swelling and inflammation in the first 24–48 hours after injury.
- Heat therapy
- Causes vasodilation; relieves chronic muscle stiffness — avoid over an acute injury or active bleeding.
- Informed consent (nurse role)
- The provider explains the procedure, risks, and alternatives and obtains consent; the nurse witnesses the signature and verifies understanding.
- Universal Protocol time-out
- A pre-procedure pause to verify the correct patient, correct procedure, and correct site (The Joint Commission).
- Post-op atelectasis prevention
- Incentive spirometer, early ambulation, deep breathing, and coughing to re-expand the lungs.
- Wound dehiscence
- Partial or total separation of surgical wound layers; cover with sterile saline-moistened gauze and notify the provider.
- Wound evisceration
- Protrusion of viscera through the wound; cover with sterile moist dressing, position low-Fowler's with knees flexed, keep NPO — a surgical emergency.
- Procedural (moderate) sedation
- Requires continuous monitoring of LOC, respiratory rate, SpO2, and capnography, with reversal agents (naloxone, flumazenil) available.
- Enteral nutrition
- Feeding via the GI tract (NG/PEG tube); verify placement, keep the head of the bed at 30 degrees or higher, and check residuals per policy to prevent aspiration.
- Parenteral nutrition (TPN)
- IV nutrition given through a central line; monitor glucose and electrolytes — infection and refeeding risk.
- Refeeding syndrome
- Dangerous electrolyte shifts (drops in phosphate, potassium, magnesium) when refeeding a malnourished patient; start slow and monitor labs.
- Dysphagia precautions
- High aspiration risk — obtain a swallow evaluation, position upright, and use thickened liquids as ordered.
- ACS first actions
- Aspirin, oxygen if hypoxic, nitroglycerin, and morphine (MONA-modified); obtain a 12-lead ECG and troponin.
- Troponin
- The most specific cardiac biomarker for myocardial injury; rises 3–6 hours after an MI.
- STEMI door-to-balloon goal
- Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) within 90 minutes of arrival.
- Left-sided heart failure
- Pulmonary congestion: dyspnea, crackles, orthopnea, and pink frothy sputum.
- Right-sided heart failure
- Systemic congestion: jugular venous distention, peripheral edema, ascites, and hepatomegaly.
- BNP
- B-type natriuretic peptide — elevated in heart failure from volume/pressure overload.
- Heart failure interventions
- Daily weights (report a gain over 2–3 lb/day or 5 lb/week), low-sodium diet, fluid limits, diuretics, and monitor for worsening dyspnea/edema.
- Digoxin toxicity
- Nausea/vomiting, yellow-green visual halos, and bradycardia; antidote is digoxin immune Fab. Hypokalemia worsens it.
- Atrial fibrillation risk
- Clot formation leading to stroke; manage rate/rhythm and provide anticoagulation.
- Heparin (unfractionated)
- Monitor aPTT; antidote is protamine sulfate; watch for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT).
- Warfarin
- Monitor INR (target ~2–3 for most indications); antidote is vitamin K; keep vitamin-K food intake consistent.
- DOAC reversal agents
- Dabigatran is reversed by idarucizumab; apixaban/rivaroxaban by andexanet alfa.
- Nitroglycerin
- A vasodilator for angina; causes headache and hypotension; hold if systolic BP < 90.
- ACE inhibitors
- Lower BP and protect kidneys; watch for a dry cough, hyperkalemia, and angioedema.
- Beta-blockers
- Lower heart rate and BP; hold for bradycardia/hypotension and never stop abruptly (rebound).
- COPD oxygen target
- Titrate oxygen to an SpO2 of about 88–92% to avoid suppressing the hypoxic drive.
- COPD interventions
- Pursed-lip and diaphragmatic breathing, low-flow oxygen (88–92%), bronchodilators, energy conservation, and infection prevention (vaccines).
- Asthma rescue
- A short-acting beta-2 agonist (albuterol) for acute bronchospasm.
- Pneumonia signs
- Fever, productive cough, crackles, consolidation on chest X-ray, and an elevated WBC count.
- ARDS
- Refractory hypoxemia with bilateral infiltrates and non-cardiac pulmonary edema; treated with low-tidal-volume ventilation.
- Chest tube care
- Drains air/fluid from the pleural space; keep the system below the chest, expect tidaling, and report continuous bubbling (an air leak).
- Tension pneumothorax
- Tracheal deviation AWAY from the affected side, absent breath sounds, and hypotension; emergency needle decompression.
- ABG normals
- pH 7.35–7.45, PaCO2 35–45 mm Hg, HCO3 22–26 mEq/L, PaO2 80–100 mm Hg.
- Respiratory acidosis
- Low pH with a high PaCO2 — from hypoventilation (e.g., COPD, opioid overdose).
- Metabolic acidosis
- Low pH with a low HCO3 — from DKA, renal failure, or severe diarrhea.
- Upper GI bleed signs
- Hematemesis and melena; monitor H/H, give fluids/blood, and prepare for possible endoscopy.
- Pancreatitis labs
- Elevated amylase and lipase (lipase is more specific); pain radiates to the back — keep NPO to rest the pancreas.
- Hepatic encephalopathy
- Elevated ammonia from liver failure; treat with lactulose to excrete ammonia.
- Acute kidney injury (AKI)
- Abrupt drop in GFR with rising BUN/creatinine and hyperkalemia; monitor I&O, manage fluids, and avoid nephrotoxins.
- Hemodialysis access (AV fistula)
- Protect the access arm: no BP or venipuncture in it; check for a thrill (palpate) and bruit (auscultate).
- DKA
- Hyperglycemia + ketones + metabolic acidosis (type 1 DM); treat with IV fluids, an insulin drip, and potassium replacement before/with insulin.
- DKA management priority
- Restore fluid volume first, then begin insulin; replace potassium because insulin drives K into cells (risking hypokalemia); monitor glucose and ketones.
- HHS
- Hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state — severe hyperglycemia with profound dehydration but NO significant ketosis (type 2 DM); aggressive fluids.
- Rapid-acting insulin
- Lispro/aspart/glulisine: onset ~15 min, peak ~1 hr; give with food at the start of the meal.
- Short-acting (regular) insulin
- Onset ~30 min, peak 2–3 hr; the ONLY insulin that may be given IV.
- Long-acting insulin
- Glargine/detemir: lasts ~24 hr with no pronounced peak; do not mix with other insulins.
- Hypoglycemia rule of 15
- Give 15 g of fast-acting carbohydrate, recheck glucose in 15 minutes; if unconscious, give IV dextrose or glucagon.
- Thyroid storm
- Life-threatening hyperthyroidism: high fever, tachycardia, agitation; treat with beta-blockers, antithyroid drugs, and cooling.
- Addisonian crisis
- Acute adrenal insufficiency: hypotension, hyponatremia, hyperkalemia; treat with IV hydrocortisone and fluids.
- SIADH
- Too much ADH causes water retention and dilutional hyponatremia; treat with fluid restriction.
- Diabetes insipidus
- ADH deficiency causes massive dilute urine and hypernatremia; treat with desmopressin (DDAVP).
- Ischemic stroke (tPA)
- Give within the window (3 to 4.5 hr or less) only if a CT rules out hemorrhage and there are no contraindications.
- Stroke assessment
- Use the NIH Stroke Scale; 'time is brain' — establish the last-known-well time.
- Increased ICP signs
- Decreased LOC, headache, vomiting, and Cushing's triad (rising/widening pulse pressure, bradycardia, irregular respirations).
- Autonomic dysreflexia
- In SCI at/above T6: severe hypertension, pounding headache, flushing; SIT THE PATIENT UP and remove the trigger (often a full bladder) — an emergency.
- Compartment syndrome
- The 6 P's: pain out of proportion, pallor, pulselessness, paresthesia, paralysis, poikilothermia; emergency fasciotomy.
- Fat embolism
- After a long-bone fracture: dyspnea, petechiae, and confusion; provide supportive oxygen.
- Blood transfusion reaction (first action)
- STOP the transfusion, keep the line open with normal saline (new tubing), reassess, and notify the provider/blood bank.
- Acute hemolytic reaction
- Fever, flank pain, dark urine, and hypotension within minutes — the most dangerous reaction, usually from ABO incompatibility.
- Neutropenia
- ANC < 1500 (severe < 500); high infection risk — a fever is a medical emergency.
- Tumor lysis syndrome
- Post-chemo release of cell contents: high potassium, phosphate, and uric acid with low calcium; hydrate and give allopurinol/rasburicase.
- Pressure injury Stage 1
- Intact skin with non-blanchable erythema over a bony prominence.
- Pressure injury Stage 2
- Partial-thickness skin loss with exposed dermis (a shallow open ulcer or intact/ruptured blister).
- Pressure injury Stage 3
- Full-thickness skin loss with visible subcutaneous fat.
- Pressure injury Stage 4
- Full-thickness loss with exposed bone, tendon, or muscle.
- Unstageable pressure injury
- Full-thickness loss where the wound base is obscured by slough or eschar.
- Pressure injury prevention
- Reposition every 2 hours, offload bony prominences, keep skin clean/dry, and optimize nutrition.
- Sepsis
- Life-threatening organ dysfunction from a dysregulated response to infection; recognize early and treat fast.
- Sepsis hour-1 bundle
- Measure lactate, draw blood cultures BEFORE antibiotics, give broad-spectrum antibiotics, give 30 mL/kg crystalloid for hypotension or lactate of 4 or higher, and add vasopressors for refractory hypotension.
- Hyperkalemia signs & treatment
- Peaked T waves and muscle weakness; give IV calcium gluconate (cardiac protection), insulin + D50 to shift K, then kayexalate/diuresis/dialysis to remove it.
- Hypokalemia signs & treatment
- Flat T waves with U waves, weakness, and dysrhythmias; replace potassium (oral or diluted IV — NEVER IV push).
- Hypercalcemia
- 'Bones, stones, groans, and moans'; treat with hydration and calcitonin or bisphosphonates.
- Hypocalcemia signs
- Positive Chvostek's and Trousseau's signs, tetany, and tingling; give calcium.
- Hypermagnesemia
- Decreased deep tendon reflexes, hypotension, and respiratory depression; antidote is IV calcium gluconate.
- Normal sodium
- 135–145 mEq/L.
- Normal potassium
- 3.5–5.0 mEq/L.
- Normal calcium (total)
- 8.5–10.5 mg/dL.
- Furosemide (loop diuretic)
- Causes hypokalemia, dehydration, and ototoxicity; monitor potassium and hold for hypotension.
- Shock priority
- Restore perfusion: hypovolemic = fluids/blood; cardiogenic = improve pump function; distributive/septic = fluids + vasopressors; anaphylactic = epinephrine.
- Anaphylaxis first drug
- Intramuscular epinephrine, given immediately into the vastus lateralis (mid-outer thigh).
- Patient-centered care
- Care that respects and responds to the patient's values, preferences, and expressed needs.
- Medical interpreter rule
- Use a QUALIFIED medical interpreter; do NOT use family members, friends, or minors to interpret.
- CLAS standards
- National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (HHS) for equitable, understandable, respectful care.
- Implicit bias
- Unconscious attitudes that can affect clinical decisions and the equity of care delivered.
- Teach-back method
- Have the patient restate the instructions in their own words to confirm understanding.
- Health literacy
- The capacity to obtain, process, and understand health information; teach using plain language at a ~5th–6th-grade level.
- Primary prevention
- Prevent disease before it occurs — immunizations, education, seat belts, healthy diet.
- Secondary prevention
- Early detection through screening — blood-pressure checks, mammograms, Pap tests, blood glucose.
- Tertiary prevention
- Reduce complications and disability of established disease — rehabilitation, support groups, disease management.
- Palliative care
- Symptom and comfort care that can be provided at ANY disease stage, alongside curative treatment.
- Hospice care
- Comfort-focused care for a prognosis of about 6 months or less; curative treatment is stopped.
- Advance directive
- A legal document stating care wishes if the patient cannot decide (living will and/or healthcare proxy).
- DNR / code status
- An order directing that resuscitation not be attempted; verify and honor it before a code event.
- POLST
- Provider Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment — portable medical orders that travel with the patient across settings.
- Post-mortem care
- Provide dignity, follow cultural/religious practices, allow family time, and document; prepare the body per policy.
- Organ donation (nurse role)
- Notify the Organ Procurement Organization (OPO); the nurse does not initiate the donation request — trained OPO staff do.
- Coroner's case
- A death (unexpected, violent, or within 24 hr of admission) requiring legal reporting; do not remove lines/tubes until cleared.
- Service recovery
- Restoring patient trust and satisfaction after a service failure (acknowledge, apologize, fix, follow up).
- Clinical Judgment Measurement Model (NCSBN)
- Six steps: recognize cues → analyze cues → prioritize hypotheses → generate solutions → take action → evaluate outcomes.
- ADPIE
- The five-step nursing process: Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation.
- Recognize cues (CJMM)
- Identify the relevant and important patient data from the situation — the first step of clinical judgment.
- Care coordination
- Organizing patient care across providers and settings to ensure safe, effective transitions.
- Medication reconciliation
- Comparing the patient's current medications to new orders at every transition of care to prevent errors and omissions.
- Discharge planning
- Begins on admission; ensure understanding, follow-up, equipment/resources, and a safe transition home.
- Transitions of care
- High-risk handoff points (admission, transfer, discharge) where errors and readmissions are most likely.
- Readmission risk factors
- Polypharmacy, poor health literacy, lack of follow-up, social determinants of health, and multiple comorbidities.
- Interprofessional collaboration
- Working with other disciplines (PT, pharmacy, social work, providers) toward shared patient goals via rounds and communication.
- Nursing informatics
- Integrates nursing science with information and analytical sciences to manage data, information, and knowledge.
- EHR downtime procedure
- A planned paper-backup process to keep documenting safely when the electronic record is unavailable.
- Documentation principle
- Accurate, timely, objective, and factual — 'if it wasn't documented, it wasn't done.'
- SBAR handoff
- Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation — a structured handoff communication format.
- Chain of command
- The hierarchy for escalating unresolved patient-safety or clinical concerns.
- Closed-loop communication
- The receiver repeats the message back and the sender confirms it — reduces order and handoff errors.
- Read-back / verbal order
- Read the verbal or telephone order back to the prescriber to verify accuracy before acting.
- De-escalation
- Calm, verbal techniques (low voice, personal space, choices, limits) to reduce agitation and prevent violence.
- Rapid response team (RRT)
- A bedside team called for a deteriorating, non-arrest patient to prevent a code.
- Early warning system (MEWS)
- A vital-sign scoring tool that flags clinical deterioration early.
- Moral distress
- Knowing the ethically right action but being constrained from taking it.
- Compassion fatigue / burnout
- Emotional exhaustion from caregiving stress; affects patient safety and nurse retention.
- AACN Healthy Work Environment
- Six standards: skilled communication, true collaboration, effective decision-making, appropriate staffing, meaningful recognition, and authentic leadership.
- ANA Code of Ethics
- The profession's foundational ethical standards and obligations for nurses, with Interpretive Statements (currently 9 provisions).
- Autonomy
- Respecting the patient's right to self-determination and to make their own decisions.
- Beneficence
- Acting in the patient's best interest — doing good.
- Nonmaleficence
- 'Do no harm' — avoiding actions that injure the patient.
- Justice
- Fair, equitable treatment and distribution of resources.
- Fidelity
- Keeping commitments and promises made to patients.
- Veracity
- Truth-telling — being honest with patients.
- HIPAA
- The federal law protecting the privacy and security of patient health information.
- EMTALA
- Requires emergency medical screening and stabilization regardless of the patient's ability to pay.
- Nursing-sensitive indicators (NDNQI)
- Outcomes reflecting nursing care quality: falls, pressure injuries, CAUTI, and CLABSI rates.
- PDSA cycle
- Plan-Do-Study-Act — an iterative quality-improvement method.
- HCAHPS
- A standardized patient-experience survey tied to value-based purchasing reimbursement.
- PICO(T)
- Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome (and Time) — the framework for an answerable EBP question.
- Levels of evidence
- A hierarchy from systematic reviews and RCTs (strongest) down to expert opinion (weakest).
- EBP vs. research vs. QI
- EBP applies the best existing evidence; research generates new knowledge; quality improvement refines local processes.
- Time management / prioritization
- Use ABCs, then Maslow, then acute-before-chronic; cluster care and delegate appropriately to manage a heavy assignment.
- Five Rights of Delegation
- Right task, right circumstance, right person, right direction/communication, right supervision/evaluation (NCSBN).
- RN cannot delegate
- Assessment, nursing judgment, the initial teaching, evaluation, and the care of an unstable patient.
- What UAP can do
- Stable vital signs, ADLs, ambulation, hygiene, intake & output, and routine specimen collection — no assessment or judgment.
- LPN/LVN scope
- Care of stable patients, medication administration (varies by state), and data collection — not the initial assessment, teaching plan, or care of the unstable.
- Accountability in delegation
- The RN who delegates retains accountability for the outcome even though the task is performed by someone else.
- Andragogy
- Adult learning theory — adults are self-directed, draw on experience, and learn best from problem-centered, relevant content.
- Preceptor
- An experienced nurse who guides the orientation and competency development of a new nurse.
- Reflective practice
- Learning by deliberately analyzing one's own clinical experiences to improve future practice.
- Peer review
- Evaluation of a nurse's practice by colleagues to improve quality and competency.
- Shared governance
- A decision-making structure that gives bedside nurses formal input into practice and policy.
- Transformational leadership
- Inspires and motivates change through a shared vision — the leadership style behind the Magnet model.
- Transactional leadership
- A reward-and-punishment style focused on tasks, structure, and supervision.
- Servant leadership
- A style in which the leader prioritizes the growth and needs of the team.
- Situational leadership
- Adapting the leadership style to the follower's readiness and competence.
- ADKAR change model
- Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, Reinforcement — an individual-focused change-management model.
- Lewin's change theory
- Three stages: Unfreeze → Change (move) → Refreeze.
- Magnet Recognition
- An ANCC designation honoring nursing excellence and superior patient outcomes.
- Staff advocacy
- A leader supporting nurses' needs, safety, and professional voice.
- Care-delivery models
- Ways to organize patient care: team nursing, primary nursing, and total patient care.
- Mentoring
- A longer-term developmental relationship in which an experienced nurse supports a colleague's professional growth.
- Just-in-time orientation
- Best-practice onboarding that pairs new hires with preceptors and competency validation before independent practice.
