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Nursing vocabulary · Patient Assessment

Baseline

Meaning in nursing, with examples

/ˈbeɪslaɪn/nounCommon term

In nursing, baseline means: A patient's usual or starting state, such as their normal blood pressure, mobility or mental state, used for comparing later changes.

In Turkish: başlangıç değeri, bazal durum, olağan durum

How it is used

Nurses take 'baseline observations' on admission or before a new treatment and ask families 'Is this his baseline?' to find out whether confusion or weakness is new. Common phrases: 'back to baseline', 'baseline bloods', 'at her baseline'.

Example sentences

  1. Before the transfusion, take a full set of baseline observations.

  2. His daughter says he's a bit forgetful, but this level of confusion isn't his baseline.

Common collocations

  • baseline observations
  • back to baseline
  • baseline bloods
  • establish a baseline
  • observationsIn nursing, the regular set of measurements taken from a patient, mainly the vital signs, and sometimes other checks such as pain or level of consciousness.
  • assessmentA careful, organised check of a patient's physical and mental condition and needs, used to plan and adjust their nursing care.
  • blood transfusionGiving a patient blood, or a part of blood such as red cells, platelets or plasma, from a donor through a drip into a vein.
  • level of consciousnessHow awake, alert and aware a patient is, from fully alert to not responding at all.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Patient Assessment

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.