Safety, Security, and Emergency Preparedness (28)

Asphyxiation

stoppage of breathing or the lack of air reaching the lungs; synonym for suffocation

Bioterrorism

the deliberate spread of pathogenic organisms into a community to cause widespread illness, fear, and panic

Bullying

negative, often repetitive, disruptive behavior; also referred to as horizontal violence, lateral violence, and professional incivility

Chemical emergency

event caused by the release of a chemical compound that has the potential for harming people’s health

Culture of safety

organizational environment where “core values and behaviors resulting from a collective and sustained commitment by organizational leadership, management, and workers emphasize safety over competing goals”

Cyber terror

the use of high-tech means to disable or delete critical electronic infrastructure data or information

Disaster

an emergency event of greater magnitude that requires the response of people outside the involved community

Elder abuse

intentional act or failure to act by a caregiver or another person in a relationship involving an expectation of trust that causes or creates a risk of harm to an older adult; includes physical abuse, sexual abuse/contact, emotional/psychological abuse, neglect, and financial abuse/exploitation

Intersectionality

occurs when race, sex, gender, class, and other individual characteristics intersect and overlap with one another, often leading to an increased burden of discrimination on several fronts and other negative outcomes

intimate partner violence (IPV)

domestic violence or battering between two people in a close relationship

nuclear terrorism

intentional dispersal of radioactive materials into the environment for the purpose of causing injury and death

poison control centers (PCCs)

facility that handles poison exposure and provides poison prevention teaching to the general population

Restraints

device used to limit movement or immobilize a patient

Safety

freedom from danger, harm, or risk

safety event report

documentation describing any injury or potential for injury suffered by a patient in a health care facility

Sentinel event

an unexpected occurrence involving death or serious physical or psychological injury, or the risk thereof