basic nursing vocabulary for assessment

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Well, I'm a basics student. I am learning how to do an assessment for an interview. I do not feel confident w/ my vocabulary to pass. In fact, my vocabulary assignment looked really weak when I handed it in. I'm not really sure if they're right but I could use a few examples

level of consciousness: Awake/ alert, unconscious,

mood: calm behavior, cooperative, enthusiastic,

memory:?

swollen glands?

Perrla?

Cardiac PMI?

veins?

Bowel Sounds:soft w/ bowel sounds present

muscle strength: strong?/weak?

circulation, movement, and sensation:?

the ? represent what I don't know.

are there certain vocabulary words on a list that are very helpful?

Thanks all!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Capacity/Bed Management.
Well, I'm a basics student. I am learning how to do an assessment for an interview. I do not feel confident w/ my vocabulary to pass. In fact, my vocabulary assignment looked really weak when I handed it in. I'm not really sure if they're right but I could use a few examples

level of consciousness: Awake/ alert, unconscious,

mood: calm behavior, cooperative, enthusiastic,

memory:?

swollen glands?

Perrla?

Cardiac PMI?

veins?

Bowel Sounds:soft w/ bowel sounds present

muscle strength: strong?/weak?

circulation, movement, and sensation:?

the ? represent what I don't know.

are there certain vocabulary words on a list that are very helpful?

Thanks all!

Memory: can be considered intact, forgetful, etc

Swollen Glands: refers to swollen lymph nodes in the pre/post oricular, sub-mandibular and cervical chain area

PERRLA: pupils equal, round, reactive to light and accommodation (PERRLA)

Cardiac PMI: point of maximal impulse is the 5th intercostal space mid-clavicular line. If nothing out of the ordinary I chart S1S2 auscultated at PMI; no abnormal heart sounds noted.

Veins: I don't know what they want here

Bowel Sounds: should be charted as what you hear so something like hypoactive bowel sounds x4, or normoactive BSx4

Muscle strength: it's not charted as strong or weak but rather graded on scale form 0 to 5+, if a patient can move their right arm completely then you chart 5+/5+ if they are flaccid on the left side then its 0/5+

Circulation/movement/sensation: this is where you discuss your pulses, 0-3+, whether they move all extremities indepedently and alterations in sensation such as tingling with diabetic neuropathy, etc

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thanks for being so helpful! the couldn't have been more clearer. "veins" are supposed to be something on the lines of...

veins: peripheral veins not distended.

That's what I assume

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Specializes in Critical Care, Capacity/Bed Management.

Not peripheral veins but rather jugular vein distention (JVD) it's a sign of fluid volume overload.

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