HESI Vocabulary
The impending court ruling will have serious effects on healthcare. inauspicious ominous occurring in the near future important
Impending means occurring in the near future. If something is impending, then it is definitely going to happen and will happen soon. Inauspicious and ominous both mean "giving the impression that something bad might happen in the future."
Nurses are required to wear impervious gloves when handling bodily fluids to prevent transmission of infection. Sanitary Recyclable Impenetrable Insoluble
Impenetrable If something is insoluble, then it cannot dissolve in water.
What is another word for "open?" occluded lateral distal patent
Patent means open. Patent ductus arteriosus is a condition in which the ductus arteriosus does not close - it is stuck open. Occluded means closed or obstructed (the opposite of patent). High cholesterol led to the patient's occluded artery. Lateral refers to the sides of the body and distal means away from the body or from the joint.
Which word is not spelled correctly in the context of the sentence? The patient presents callus skin on his fingers and palms, probably because he′s a manual worker. callus palms manual probably
callus Callous is an adjective that means "hardened skin". The patient has callous skin on his fingers and palms Callus is a noun with the same meaning. The patient has a callus on his finger and some more calluses on his palms
The driver, heedless of the school zone signage, failed to decelerate to 25mph. angry careless speeding paying attention to
careless To take heed would mean to pay attention to instruction. To be heedless means to be careless, or to not pay attention to instructions. In this sentence, the driver is careless and does not pay attention to the school zone signs that instruct drivers to slow down.
The patient begged for ___________ but of course, the nurse wouldn′t give him a cigarette, no matter how much he wanted it. altruism indifference compassion selfishness
compassion Compassion is to have sympathy and want to help a person or people who are going through a difficult time. In this question, the patient is begging the nurse to show sympathy and allow him/her to have a cigarette. Altriuism refers to acting in a selfless way or to act solely for the benefit of other people. Indifference is to show a lack of interest or sympathy.
There has been a substantial change in staff morale since she was appointed as director of the hospital. unimportant invisible considerable wanted
considerable The definition of substantial is something that is real, considerable or strong. His unprecedented fine of $1,000,000 was substantial.
She was an assiduous nursing student, taking meticulous notes and studying every night. tactful cursory diligent terse
diligent Given the context clues that the student takes meticulous notes and studies every night, we could infer that assiduous means diligent, hard-working, careful. Cursory means quick, not thorough. Tactful means showing concern to not offend others. Terse means concise (For the concept of conciseness or brevity)
Select the word or phrase that will make the sentence grammatically correct. Some diseases we thought had been _________ are affecting the population again because more people are refusing to get vaccinated. eradicated complied constituted restricted
eradicated Eradicate means "to destroy completely". We called the exterminator to eradicate the cockroach infestation in our home. Comply means "to do as directed". The patient complied with the nurse's direction to cut back on coffee intake. Constitute means "to establish, create, organize". While Jordan is an excellent nurse, he does not constitute the entire staff. Restrict means "to limit". The nurse instructed the patient to restrict their intake of alcohol so their liver could repair itself.
The patient complained of multiple symptoms including feeling lethargic. stomach cramps extremely tired leg pain dizzy
extremely tired Lethargic: extremely tired or difficult to wake up.
Which word can be defined as "a feeling of general discomfort"? While taking these pills, patients may experience migraines, nausea, loss of appetite, and malaise. migraines malaise nausea loss of appetite
malaise Migraines, loss of appetite, and nausea are certainly all uncomfortable conditions. However, malaise is the best answer choice as it means "a vague/general feeling of physical discomfort or uneasiness, as early in an illness".
The patient appeared flushed. pigmented ruddy pale exhausted
ruddy Flushed means reddened or ruddy appearance. The runner's face was flushed after finishing the half marathon. Exhausted is another word for fatigue. I was exhausted after working a double shift. Pigmented means colored. More expensive makeup tends to be more pigmented than cheap makeup, which is typically diluted and devoid of color.
What is the best description for the word "vascular"? related to the vesicle related to the heart related to vessels or ducts related to lungs
something related to vessels or ducts Vascular means "of, pertaining to, or containing vessels that conduct or circulate fluids, such as blood, lymph, or sap, through the body of an animal or plant". Cardiac would refer to something related to the heart. Pulmonary or respiratory would refer to something related to the lungs.
What is the best description for the word "inconsequential"? without importance lacking strength not harmful supernatural
without importance Inconsequential means "unimportant, something that doesn′t matter".
What word meaning "rule; morally correct" fits best in the sentence? Accepting a bribe was not only against the law but also against the nurse′s _________. principles religion prescription hypothesis
*A principle is a rule or standard, especially of good behavior. One of our company's principles is to provide excellent customer service. A hypothesis is an educated guess. A religion is a set of beliefs about a god or the supernatural. A prescription is an authorization from a medical practitioner for the use of certain medications to treat an illness.
Which word can be defined as control or protection? Panacea Aegis Lysis Milieu
*Aegis: control or protection. "The staffing changes were made under the aegis of the hospital staffing coordinator." Panacea: cure, solution, or remedy. Panacea is typically used to describe a "cure-all" or "magic bullet." "The new parameters put in place were the panacea for all protocol infractions." Lysis refers to the gradual decline of disease symptoms or the disintegration of a cell by rupture of the cell wall or cell membrane. Milieu refers to the environmental condition or setting. "The milieu of the hospital waiting room was full of anxiety and anticipation."
The effects of the treatment were ephemeral, and the patient had to be hospitalized two days after. more than what is needed lasting only for a short period of time obvious unable to work or be together
*Ephemeral is something that lasts for a short period of time. The ephemeral nature of the public's interest meant that the scandal would eventually be forgotten about. Excess is "more than what is needed or usual". The billionaire lived a life of excess, having 27 boats and 18 houses. Incompatible means "unable to work or be together". The two teammates are incompatible. All they do is argue when they have to work together. Overt means "obvious or easily observed". The man was overtly grateful for being invited to the party and brought a gift for the hosts as a thank you.
Select the word that means "diminished". The nursing care regiment for impaired skin integrity calls for the assessment of high-risk areas like bony prominences, skin staging, and proper hydration. prominence integrity impaired regiment
*Impaired means "diminished or lacking some usual quality or level." Impaired skin integrity is a nursing diagnosis referring to skin damage. Regiment means plan. Integrity means strong, together, undivided. Bony prominences refers to areas of the body that stick out more (elbows, knees).
The patient was preparing to undergo invasive surgery. Occurring in the near future Rapid Controlled Entering a body part
Entering a body part
Identical twins come from a single fertilized zygote that splits into two separate individuals. an extremely young child or animal the cell that forms by the union of an egg cell and a sperm cell an animal in the earliest stages of its development in the uterus or the egg an unborn offspring of a vertebrate animal that is still in the uterus or egg
A zygote is a cell that forms by the union of an egg cell and a sperm cell. An embryo is an animal in the earliest stages of its development in the uterus or the egg. A fetus is an unborn offspring of a vertebrate animal that is still in the uterus or egg. A baby is an extremely young child or animal.
The nutritionist instructed the patient to abstain from eating processed foods. continue limit refrain diet
Abstain means to voluntarily refrain from doing something.
Which word is not spelled correctly in the context of the sentence? The hospital's protocol forbids members not in a currently administered patient's immediate family from accesing the Intensive Care Unit. accesing immediate protocol administered
Accesing should be spelled "accessing". Access refers to a means to obtain entry.
The nurse made sure that the tape was ______ to the patient's skin, keeping the bandage intact. initiated adhered suppressed superficial
Adhered Adhere means to stick together. In this example, the tape needs to be stuck to the patient's skin to keep the bandage secured. The boy had a patch of his favorite band's logo adhered to his backpack. Suppress means to stop or subdue. The mother closed her eyes and counted to ten to suppress her urge to yell at her misbehaving children. Superficial means on the surface. Although the tape is on the surface of the patient's skin, adhere is still the best answer choice since we know we must "stick" the tape to the skin. A superficial person is only concerned with how someone looks on the outside and not about that individual's personality or character. Initiated means started.
What is the best description for the word symptom? Reddened, swollen, sore Identification of an injury or disease Extremely harmful and severe An indication of a problem
An indication of a problem A symptom is an indication of a problem. A runny nose is a symptom of the common cold. Symptoms can be extremely harmful and severe, but not necessarily. Reddened, swollen, sore are examples of symptoms as they are all things that indicate a problem. However, this is not the definition of 'symptom.' Identification of an injury or disease is a diagnosis.
The RN administered a transdermal medication to the young patient. Injected directly into the muscle Applied directly to the skin to be absorbed Oral Injected below the epidermis and dermis layers into the subcutaneous tissue.
Applied directly to the skin to be absorbed Transdermal means "crossing through the skin." A transdermal medication would be anything applied to the skin to be absorbed to cross through the skin. Something that is injected directly into the muscle is known as an intramuscular injection. Something that is injected below the epidermis (the outer layer of skin) and dermis (the thick layer of living tissue below the epidermis) and into the subcutaneous tissue (the layer of tissue that underlies the skin) is known as a subcutaneous injection. Oral refers to anything taken through the mouth.
Which word can be defined as "reducing or offsetting the unwelcome effects of something"? sustainable compensatory sterile aseptic
Compensatory: reducing or offsetting the unwelcome effects of something The lawyer was seeking compensatory damages on behalf of the plaintiff. She wanted to make sure her client received money for the pain they experienced due to the defendant's negligence. Aseptic means "free of pathogenic microorganisms". In other words, free of any kind of microorganism that could cause an infection. Sterile means "free of any microorganisms". This includes microorganisms that cause an infection as well as microorganisms that are completely harmless or even 'good'. Sustainable means "able to be continued for a long time". Something is sustainable if you can sustain it for a long time.
The patient became frustrated by the doctor's convoluted prognosis. Gradual Complex Uncertain Inaudible
Complex Convoluted means "complex" or "confusing." In this context, the patient is growing frustrated with the doctor's prognosis (expected outcome for the patient) as it is confusing and difficult to follow or understand.
Although healing, the patient's wound was so deep that it appeared concave. inflamed rounded outward rounded inward infected
Concave means rounded inward. Inflamed means red and sore or swollen. Convex means rounded outward. Infected means that the wound has been contaminated with pathogenic organisms.
What is another word for "constitute"? refuse neglect exclude compose
Constitute means "to compose; form". You can usually replace "constitute" with the phrase "make up" or "account for." The results of this particular study constitute only 33% of the data we have compiled over the past year. Exclude means "to shut or keep out". We will exclude the bad data we collected from the study. Refuse means "to decline to accept". The bouncer refused to let my already intoxicated friend from entering the club. Neglect means "to pay no attention or too little attention" The dog was adopted by a loving family after having been neglected by his previous owners. The previous owners never even played with the dog and had hardly fed him enough.
In extreme cold, the blood vessels of the skin will constrict. deteriorate shut down shrink expand
Constrict means to shrink, become smaller, or tighten. A boa constrictor is a large snake that wraps around its prey and tightens. Deteriorate means to get worse. If someone's health is deteriorating, their health condition is worsening. Expand means to increase the size or amount of something.
To make sure the invasive gastrointestinal surgery went well, the medical staff waited for the patient to defecate normally before discharging him from the hospital. swallow eat solid foods drink clear fluids expel feces
Defecate means to expel feces.
Which word can be defined as "deterioration of cells, tissues, or organs"? declination evolution deviation degeneration
Degeneration is deterioration in structure or function of cells, tissues, or organs, as in disease or aging. The degeneration of his vision came with old age. Evolution is the process of growth and development or the theory that organisms have grown and developed from past organisms. Deviation is the act of departing from the accepted practice or the norm. The deviation from our original plan of following the GPS led us down a strange road. Declination is a bending or sloping downward. It can also mean deterioration. There has been a declination in the team's morale after having lost 10 games in a row.
The nurses participated in a campaign to keep high schoolers away from the _________ habit of smoking. salubrious beneficial salutary deleterious
Deleterious is something harmful or damaging. Alcohol abuse has deleterious effects on the liver. Beneficial is something that has a positive effect or achieves a good result. Practicing with realistic test questions is the most beneficial way to prepare for an upcoming exam. Salubrious is something healthy or pleasant. The vacation proved to be salubrious for the otherwise over-worked nurse. Salutary is something beneficial to your health and is very similar to the word "salubrious." The vacation proved to be salutary for the otherwise over-worked nurse.
The hospital doesn′t discriminate on people based on their race, gender, religion, or social class. the direction of a person's sexual interest the socially constructed roles and behaviors that a society typically associates with males and females being part of a nation whether by birth or naturalization the classification of people as male or female
Gender is the socially constructed roles and behaviors that society typically associates with males and females. It must not be confused with sex, which is biological. Sex is the classification of people as male or female, typically assigned at birth based on the appearance of external anatomy. Nationality means "being part of a nation whether by birth or naturalization". Sexual orientation is the direction of a person's sexual interest.
A hematologic disorder was responsible for the man's fatigue. kidney liver nerves blood
Hematologic refers to anything relating to blood. In this practice question, the man was experiencing extreme tiredness because of a problem with his blood. Neurovascular refers to anything relating to the nerves. Renal refers to anything relating to the kidneys. Hepatic refers to anything relating to the liver.
The incidence of new HIV infections has dropped in the past decade due to increased awareness of how to mitigate the transmission of the disease. symptoms occurrence ubiquity virulence
Incidence means occurrence People with obesity tend to have a high incidence of sleep apnea. Virulence refers to how harmful or severe a disease is. Although this word would seem to fit given the context clues, the word "incidence" is best defined as an occurrence, so it is still our best answer. Ubiquity means that something is very common or appearing everywhere. Smartphones have become ubiquitous because they are so common in society now. A symptom is an indication of a problem.
What is the best description for the word "innocuous"? beneficial not harmful unhealthy hazardous
Innocuous means "not harmful or not likely to offend".
Select the word that means "so gradual as to not become clearly visible for a long time". Eventually, the physical manifestations of the disease became apparent, but the insidious, virulent illness did not present physical symptoms for an extended period of time. virulent insidious apparent manifestations
Insidious means "so gradual as to not become clearly visible for a long time." The medication was insidious - it made Karen feel better at first but slowly created dangerous side effects after months of use. Manifestation means "indication or sign of an ailment." It is another word for symptom. A physical manifestation of the disease was uncontrollable coughing. Apparent means "visible." It became apparent that the patient had no intentions to follow the nurse's regimen of diet and exercise. Virulent means "extremely harmful or severe." Ebola is a virulent disease. It can take over a host with infection extremely quickly.
A woman who lived until she was 114 years old said the secret to her longevity was "not getting married". living through an event or events having a long life being new and exciting physical and mental wellness
Longevity means "having a long life span".
What word meaning "unrestrained" fits best in the sentence? Diseases associated with contaminated water are ________ in underdeveloped countries. rampant traditional typical scarce
Rampant Rampant is something that exists in large quantities or that grows and expands unrestrained. Scarce means "not sufficient to meet the demand". Typical means "a characteristic or behavior that is normal and expected for a given person or thing or in a given situation". Traditional means "something that is in keeping with long-standing tradition, style or custom".
The nurse asked the raucous family if they could leave the room while the patient was sleeping. loud, disorderly making little or no movement or sound present everywhere at the same time done with desperation or in a hurried manner
Raucous means "loud, disorderly". Frantic means "done with desperation or in a hurried manner". The mother frantically searched for her child who wandered off in the grocery store. The child was found safe, eating the popsicles in the frozen food section. Ubiquitous means "present everywhere at the same time". Bell bottom pants were a ubiquitous fashion item in the '60s. It seemed like everyone at that time was wearing bell bottom pants.
What is another word for "hold or keep?" adhere retain suppress restrict
Retain means to hold or keep something. Salty foods make you retain water leading to bloating and weight gain. Restrict means to limit. Our friend came home from college gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and vegan. Her diet is very restricted. Suppress means to stop or subdue. People with a bad temper are coached to suppress their anger by counting to 10. Adhere means to stick together. The bandages were adhered to the patient's skin using athletic tape.
What is the best description for the word exacerbate? To make worse To increase in size To come to an end To make better
To make worse To exacerbate something is to make it worse or more severe. The nurse did not want the patient to run as that might exacerbate the patient's breathing difficulties.
Being aware all of a patient's preexisting conditions is a vital part of arriving at a proper diagnosis. true initial advanced essential
Vital means essential. In this example, a doctor or nurse needs to be aware of all of a patient's preexisting conditions (if they have any) to make an accurate diagnosis. Initial means first. Initially, I thought you had bronchitis, but it turns out you have mononucleosis.
What is another word for "empty"? void ethereal raucous restricted
Void means empty or useless or having no legal force. Her departure left a void in the team that was difficult to fill. Raucous means "loud". The raucous crowd screamed after the basketball player hit the buzzer-beating jump shot. Restricted means "limited". Access to this area of the store is restricted to employees only. Ethereal means "light, airy or heavenly". She was so beautiful to him. In his eyes, she had an angelic, ethereal glow about her.
The patient was emotionally labile, showing exaggerated changes in mood from one moment to the next. angry volatile feverish stable
Volatile Labile means "volatile or unstable." Someone who is emotionally labile will have drastic changes in mood from one moment to the next. The stock market has been labile as of late, going up and down drastically. Angry is incorrect because someone who is emotionally labile may be angry sometimes, but their emotions change dramatically. Feverish is a trap answer because it is the definition of a similar-sounding HESI vocab word, febrile. Stable would be the opposite of volatile.
The nurse explained it′s better to keep a healthy and balanced diet than to take supplements. a substance used in treating disease or illness a chemical substance that can inhibit or destroy the growth of bacteria the use of medicines, surgery, etc., in curing a person of a disorder an addition designed to make up for a deficiency
an addition designed to make up for a deficiency A supplement is something added to complete a thing, supply a deficiency, or reinforce or extend a whole. For example, some people may take vitamin D supplements in the winter to counteract vitamin D deficiency.
A lot of people don′t know you can′t fight a virus with antibiotics. A. a very common, mild viral infection of the nose and throat B. inflammation of the vermiform appendix C. microscopic infectious agent capable of replicating only in living cells, usually causing infectious disease D. any of a group of tiny infectious agents composed mainly or entirely of protein
microscopic infectious agent capable of replicating only in living cells, usually causing infectious disease The common cold is a very common, mild viral infection of the nose and throat. Appendicitis means "inflammation of the vermiform appendix". A prion is any of a group of tiny infectious agents composed mainly or entirely of protein.
The patient did not include any progeny on the emergency contact form. hereditary diseases payment information offspring pre-existing conditions
offspring Progeny means children or offspring. A clue is that it contains "gen" in the word, which should make you think "genetics". Hereditary disease is an inherited medical condition caused by DNA abnormalities. Sickle cell anemia is an example of a hereditary disease. Pre-existing conditions are diseases or disorders that are already present. An example of a pre-existing condition would be if someone went to the hospital for illness and told the doctor about how they have had epilepsy their whole life. Epilepsy would be a pre-existing condition because they had it before they came down with the illness they are seeing the doctor for.
What is the best description for the word "lateral"? present on two sides three-sided adjoining or accompanying on the side
on the side Lateral: toward the side; sideways. The left side of the diagram below is the lateral view of the human body. Bilateral: present on two sides My grandfather is recovering from bilateral hip surgery. He had surgery on both sides of his hip. Collateral: adjoining or accompanying Cindy used her car title as collateral for a business loan. Trilateral: three-sided The arbitrator, chairman of the hospital board, and president of the nurse's union met at the hotel downtown to begin trilateral negotiations.
Some of the rooms in this hospital have so little sunlight they look like ________. attics oubliettes conservatories greenhouses
oubliettes An oubliette is "a concealed dungeon having a trap door in the ceiling as its only opening". A greenhouse is "a building made of glass panes in which heat and humidity can be regulated in order to grow plants". An attic is "a room or space directly under the roof". A conservatory is "a room enclosed in glass, for growing and showing plants; noncommercial greenhouse".
What is the best description of the word "transient"? a verb that takes a direct object something temporary something that lasts for a long time public transportation
something temporary Transient means "temporary, something that lasts for a short time". The effects of the analgesic (painkiller) were transient, wearing off in just an hour. Transit means "public transportation". The subway is a substantial part of this city's rapid transtit system. Chronic refers to something that lasts for a long time. I have had recurring back pain for years now. It is a chronic condition. A transitive verb is a verb that takes a direct object. Example: I bought a car. bought is a transitive verb because it is an action verb with a direct object (a car).
The nurse initiated the new diet regiment for the patient. cancelled started analyzed planned
started Initiate means to start or begin. That was our inititial meeting. We had never met before that occasion.
Manifestations of the infection include fever and gastrointestinal inflammation. muscle kidney stomach liver
stomach Gastrointestinal refers to anything relating to the stomach or intestines. In this question, one of the manifestations (symptoms or a way an underlying illness presents itself) of the infection include swelling and soreness in the stomach and intestines. Hepatic refers to anything relating to the liver. Renal refers to anything relating to the kidneys. Muscular or musculoskeletal may refer to muscle.
What word meaning "concise" fits best in the sentence? The nurse put it in a _______ way: if James didn′t stop smoking he would never recover. terse artificial susceptible Precocious
terse The definition of terse is language that is brief and to the point, free of superfluous words. His terse, one-word responses told me he was upset. Artificial refers to something that is simulated or made by humans, not by nature. Susceptible means "likely or liable to be influenced or harmed by a particular thing". After he recovered from the accident, the patient was informed that he had scar tissue on his lung and would be susceptible to pneumonia. Precocious means "showing maturity at a young age". She was very precocious, taking graduate-level calculus as a first-year college student.
The diameter of the needle was too big and the inexperienced nurse harmed the patient′s arm. the length of a straight line through the center of a circle a line from the center to the outside of a circle or sphere the end of a sharp tool the outer face or side of something
the length of a straight line through the center of a circle Diameter is also used to refer to thickness or width. A needle with a large diameter would require more force to puncture the skin. A line from the center to the outside of a circle or sphere is the best definition for radius.
What is the best description for the word "digress"? to go off-topic when speaking or writing to think about something to an extreme extent to concentrate on something in particular to have a different opinion
to go off-topic when speaking or writing "To concentrate on something in particular" is the best description for the word focus. "To think about something to an extreme extent" is the best description for the word obsess. "To have a different opinion" is the best description for the word disagree. .
The heart attack didn′t deter him from eating deep-fried foods in all of his meals. to prevent from moving or bring to an end to keep in good condition to set free to keep someone from completing an action by giving them fear
to keep someone from completing an action by giving them fear In this example, the patient should be scared of having another heart attack and should be avoiding certain foods and habits.
The nurse reminded the patient that his medicine was incompatible with alcohol intake. something that repels or is annoying to suggest someone or something as a good match unable to work or be together appropriate or acceptable in a particular situation
unable to work or be together Incompatible means "unable to work or be together". The medicine won′t work if the patient keeps drinking alcohol, or it could have harmful consequences.