Registered Nurse Terms & Vocabulary: 15 Key Definitions

Key registered nurse vocabulary

These 15 terms come up constantly in registered nurse training, on the job and in interviews. Knowing them helps you follow instructions, document accurately and sound prepared.

Code blue: An alert for a patient in cardiac or respiratory arrest.
Delegation: Assigning tasks to LPNs or nursing assistants while remaining accountable for the outcome.
Handoff report: The transfer of patient information and responsibility between nurses, often at the bedside.
Head-to-toe assessment: A systematic physical assessment of every body system.
Intake and output (I&O): Measurement of all fluids a patient takes in and puts out.
Medication reconciliation: Comparing a patient’s medication list at transitions in care to prevent errors.
NCLEX-RN: The National Council Licensure Examination that registered nurses must pass to become licensed.
Nursing process (ADPIE): Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation and Evaluation: the framework for nursing care.
Rapid response: A team called to the bedside when a patient shows early signs of deterioration.
SBAR: Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation: a structured way to communicate with providers.
Scope of practice: The services a nurse is legally allowed to perform, defined by the state nurse practice act.
Sepsis: A life-threatening response to infection that requires rapid recognition and treatment.
Teach-back: Asking patients to explain instructions in their own words to confirm understanding.
Telemetry: Continuous remote monitoring of a patient’s heart rhythm.
Titrate: Adjusting a medication dose up or down to achieve a target effect.

Practice these terms

Test yourself with the free Registered Nurse practice test: it includes vocabulary questions built from this list. For a complete course, see Registered Nurse training.

Browse terms from every career in our career glossary.