Nursing Abbreviations
ABBREVIATIONS are the shorthand of the health professions. They are clear and efficient tools for the nurse to tell you quickly what they want you to do. As a nursing student, you will use these abbreviations when you’re on duty. They will help you to understand instructions from your clinical instructor. Abbreviations help you when you are receiving reports from your patient and in keeping your notes on your daily assignments.
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Abbreviations 
|
Meaning
|
|
aa |
Of each, equal parts |
|
ABR |
Absolute bed rest |
|
Abd. |
Abdomen |
|
ac |
Before meals |
|
AD |
Admitting diagnosis |
|
A&D |
Admission and discharge |
|
Ad lib |
As desired, if the patient so desired |
|
ADL |
Activities of daily living |
|
Adm. |
Admission |
|
Ad. Spec. |
Admission urine specimen |
|
A.M. or a.m., AM or am |
Morning |
|
amb |
Ambulation, walking, ambulatory, |
|
|
able to walk |
|
amt. |
Amount |
|
AP or A.P. |
Appendectomy |
|
aqua |
Water or H2O |
|
@ |
At |
|
Approx. |
Approximately |
|
B&B or b&b |
Bowel and bladder training |
|
bid or B.I.D. or b.i.d. |
Twice a day |
|
b.m. or B.M. |
Bowel movement, feces |
|
B.P. or BP |
Blood pressure |
|
BR or br or B.R. or b.r. |
Bedrest |
|
BRP or B.R.P. or brp |
Bathroom priviledges |
|
BSC or bsc |
Bedside commode |
|
°C |
Celsius degree (or centigrade) |
|
? |
With |
|
Ca |
Cancer |
|
Cath. |
Catheter |
|
CBC or C.B.C. |
Complete blood count |
|
cc or c.c |
Cubic centimeter |
|
CCU or C.C.U |
Cardiac care unit/ coronary care unit |
|
CBR or C.B.R. or cbr |
Complete bed rest |
|
C/O or c/o |
Complaint of |
|
CO2 |
Carbon dioxide |
|
CS or C.S. or c.s |
Central supply |
|
CSD or csd or C.S.D |
Central service department |
|
CSR or csr and C.S.R |
Central supply room |
|
CVA or C.V.A |
Cerebrovascular accident or stroke |
|
CPR or C.P.R |
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation |
|
dc or d/c |
Discontinue |
|
del. M. Or d.r., or DR |
Delivery room |
|
Disch or dish or D/C |
Discharge |
|
D. % C. or D&C |
Dilatation and curettage |
|
drsg. |
Dressing |
|
DOA or D.O.A |
Dead on arrival |
|
Dr. or Dr |
Doctor |
|
DX |
Diagnosis |
|
ECG or EKG |
Electrocardiogram |
|
ED or E.D. |
Emergency department |
|
EEG or E.E.G. |
Electroencephalogram |
|
EENT or E.E.N.T. |
Eye, ears, nose and throat |
|
E. or E |
Enema |
|
ER or E.R. |
Emergency room |
|
°F |
Fahrenheit degree |
|
F. or Fe. or F or Fe |
Female |
|
FBS or F.B.S |
Fasting blood sugar |
|
FF or F.F. |
Forced feeding or forced fluids |
|
ft |
Foot |
|
Fx |
Fracture |
|
Fx urine |
Fractional urine |
|
gal |
Gallon |
|
GI or G.I. |
Gastrointestinal |
|
gt |
One drop |
|
gtt |
Two or more drops |
|
Gtt or G.T.T. |
Glucose tolerance test |
|
GU or G.U |
Genitourinary |
|
Gyn. or G.Y.N. |
Gynecology |
|
H2O |
Water or aqua |
|
HOB |
Head of bed |
|
hr |
Hour |
|
HS or hs |
Bedtime or hour of sleep |
|
ht |
Height |
|
hyper |
Above or high |
|
hypo |
Below or low |
|
H.W.B. or hwb or HWB |
Hot water bottle |
|
ICU or I.C.U. |
Intensive care unit |
|
I&O or I.&O. |
Intake and output |
|
Irr |
Irregular |
|
Isol. Or isol |
Isolation |
|
IV or I.V. |
Intravenous |
|
L |
Liter |
|
Lab. or lab |
Laboratory |
|
lb |
Pound |
|
LVN or L.V.N |
Licensed vocational nurse |
|
M |
Male |
|
Mat |
Maternity |
|
MD or M.D. |
Medical doctor |
|
Meas |
Measure |
|
mec |
Meconium |
|
med |
Medicine |
|
min |
Minute |
|
ml |
Milliliter |
|
Mn or mn or M/n |
Midnight |
|
N.A. or N/A |
Nursing aide or nursing assistant |
|
n/g tube or ng. tube or N.G.T. |
Nasogastric tube |
|
noct |
At night |
|
NP |
Neuropsychiatric or nursing procedure |
|
NPO or N.P.O |
Nothing by mouth |
|
nsy |
Nursery |
|
O2 |
Oxygen |
|
OB or O.B. |
Obstetrics |
|
Obt or obt. |
Obtained |
|
OJ or O.J. |
Orange juice |
|
Orb. |
Orderly |
|
OOB or O.O.B. |
Out of bed |
|
OPD or O.P.D. |
Outpatient department |
|
OR or O.R. |
Operating room |
|
Ortho |
Orthopedics |
|
OT or O.T |
Occupational therapy or oral temperature |
|
oz. |
Ounce |
|
PAR or P.A.R. |
Postanesthesia room |
|
Pc |
After meals |
|
Ped or Peds |
Pediatrics |
|
Per |
by, through |
|
p.m. or P.M., pm or PM |
Afternoon |
|
PMC or P.M.C |
Postmortem care |
|
PN or P.N. |
Pneumonia |
|
po |
By mouth |
|
post or p |
after |
|
postop or post op |
Postoperative |
|
post op spec |
After surgery urine specimen |
|
PP |
Postpartum (after delivery) |
|
PPBS |
Postprandial blood sugar |
|
pre |
Before |
|
prn or p.r.n. |
Whenever necessary, when required |
|
preop or pre op |
Before surgery |
|
pre op spec |
Urine specimen before surgery |
|
prep |
Prepare the patient for surgery by shaving the skin. |
|
Pt or pt |
Patient; pint |
|
PT or P.T. |
Physical therapy |
|
q |
Every |
|
qd |
Every day |
|
qh |
Every hour |
|
q2h |
Every 2 hours |
|
q3h |
Every 3 hours |
|
q4h |
Every 4 hours |
|
QHS or qhs |
Every night at bed time/ hour of sleep |
|
qid or Q.I.D. |
Four times a day |
|
qam or q am or q.a.m. |
Every morning |
|
qod or Q.O.D |
Every other day |
|
qs |
Quantity sufficient, as much as required |
|
qt |
quart |
|
r or R |
rectal or Rectal |
|
Rm or rm |
Room |
|
RN or R.N. |
Registered nurse |
|
Rom or R.O.M. |
Range of motion |
|
RR or R Rm. |
Recovery room |
|
Rx |
Prescription or treatment ordered by a physician |
|
s or ? |
Without |
|
S&A |
Sugar and acetone |
|
S&A test or S.& A. test |
Sugar and acetone test |
|
S&K or S.& K. test |
Sugar and ketone test |
|
SOB |
Shortness of breath |
|
sos |
Whenever emergency arises; only if necessary |
|
SPD |
Special purchasing department |
|
Spec or spec. |
Specimen |
|
ss or ?? |
One-half |
|
SSE or S.S.E. |
Soapsuds enema |
|
Stat |
At once, immediately |
|
STD |
Sexually transmitted disease |
|
Surg |
Surgery |
|
tid or T.I.D. |
Three times a day |
|
TLC or tlc |
Tender loving care |
|
TPR |
Temperature, pulse, respiration |
|
TWE |
Tap water enema |
|
U/a or U/A or u/a |
Urinalysis |
|
Ung. |
Ointment, unguentine |
|
VDRL |
Test for syphilis |
|
V.S or VS |
Vital signs |
|
WBC or W.B.C. |
White blood count |
|
w/c |
Wheel chair |
|
wc or W.C. |
Ward clerk |
|
wt |
Weight |
