PN 101: Environmental Safety & Emergency Preparedness

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards detailing environmental risk assessments, age-specific injury prevention, home and environmental hazards, safe body mechanics, and mass-casualty triage categories.

Safety Assessment (Nursing Role)

The initial nursing process of completing a nursing history, physical examination, and home-hazard appraisal.

Age & Development (Risk Domain)

An injury risk factor assessment domain evaluating expected abilities, judgment, and supervision needs.

Mobility & Balance (Risk Domain)

An injury risk factor assessment domain that evaluates gait, strength, transfers, and history of prior falls.

Sensory & Cognition (Risk Domain)

An injury risk factor assessment domain that examines vision, hearing, alertness, memory, and decision-making.

Knowledge & Communication (Risk Domain)

An injury risk factor assessment domain focusing on a client's understanding of hazards and ability to ask for help.

Environment (Risk Domain)

An injury risk factor assessment domain that reviews home layout, stairs, lighting, clutter, and community hazards.

Health & Medications (Risk Domain)

An injury risk factor assessment domain evaluating acute illness, chronic disease, adverse effects, and polypharmacy.

Choking & Aspiration Prevention (Infants & Toddlers)

Measures that include keeping small objects out of reach, preparing age-appropriate foods in safe sizes, and feeding infants in an appropriate position.

Suffocation & Sleep Safety

Following current safe-sleep guidance, keeping plastic bags and balloons away, and teaching caregivers age-appropriate choking response and CPR.

Firearms Safety

Injury prevention practices of keeping guns unloaded, locked, and inaccessible, and storing ammunition separately.

Environmental Home Modifications (Older Adults)

Fall-prevention interventions that include removing loose rugs and clutter, improving lighting, and keeping frequently used items within reach.

Disaster Supplies

Emergency preparedness provisions including water, food, clothing, communication devices, essential medications, and important documents.

Stop, Drop, and Roll

The emergency response procedure performed if clothing catches fire, followed by exiting the building and calling emergency services from a safe location.

Home Oxygen Safety

Safety precautions requiring adherence to equipment instructions, no smoking or open flames near oxygen, keeping oxygen away from heat and flammables, and using compatible, well-maintained electrical equipment.

Carbon Monoxide ($\text{CO}$)

A colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that reduces oxygen delivery, causing symptoms such as headache, dizziness, nausea, weakness, and confusion.

Secondhand Smoke

Passive smoke exposure that increases cardiovascular and respiratory disease risk and is associated with asthma exacerbations, bronchitis, pneumonia, and ear infections in children.

Food Poisoning Prevention

Food safety practices including washing hands and produce, cooking meats/eggs/fish to safe internal temperatures, separating raw from cooked foods, refrigerating perishables promptly, and avoiding unpasteurized dairy and unsafe water.

Ergonomics: Positioning

Body mechanics principles of keeping a stable base, maintaining neutral alignment, keeping the load close, and avoiding twisting the spine.

Ergonomics: Safe Movement

Movement principles that involve using smooth movements, pivoting with the feet, and preferring sliding, rolling, or pushing over lifting when appropriate.

RED — Immediate (Triage)

A mass-casualty triage category for clients with life-threatening conditions who require immediate intervention and have a reasonable chance of survival.

YELLOW — Delayed (Triage)

A mass-casualty triage category for clients with serious injuries whose treatment can be delayed briefly without an immediate threat to life.

GREEN — Minimal (Triage)

A mass-casualty triage category for minor injuries where treatment can generally wait while higher-priority patients are managed.

BLACK — Expectant / Deceased (Triage)

A mass-casualty triage category used for deceased patients or those unlikely to survive with available resources, directing providers to offer comfort care as indicated.