Summer Vocabulary Health Science Practicum I

Comprehensive vocabulary list for Health Science Practicum I covering medical terms, anatomical positions, standard nursing procedures, and abbreviations.

Abduction

Movement of a body part away from the body.

Adduction

Movement of a body part toward the body.

Acute care

Care of people having an acute or short illness.

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD)

A brain disease of later life that is characterized by changes in brain tissue with gradual loss of memory and mental abilities.

ADL

Activities of Daily Living; all of the activities people do for themselves each day, like brushing teeth, bathing, dressing, toileting, and eating.

Advance Directive

In health care, identifies the resident’s wishes during an emergency regarding lifesaving efforts.

Airborne precautions

Actions taken to minimize the transmission of infectious agents that remain infectious when suspended in the air.

Ambulation

The ability to walk from place to place independently with or without an assistive device.

AMA

Against medical advice.

Anatomical Position

Body is in a standing position with arms at the sides and palms turned forward, head and feet turned forward.

Anterior

Front, in front of, ventral.

Posterior

Back, in back of, dorsal.

Anuria

Absence of urine or a very small amount of urine (under $100cc$) in a $24$ hour period.

Aphasia

Absence of speaking.

Apical pulse

Number of heartbeats heard when using a stethoscope over the heart on left side of the chest.

Apnea

Absence of breathing.

Aspiration

Person takes food, fluid, or an object into the airway and the lungs.

Assisted living

A setting for people who require a certain amount of supervised assistance in meeting basic needs, but less assistance than a long term care facility (skilled facility).

Atrophy

A wasting, weakening, or decrease in size of a muscle due to disease, injury, or lack of use.

AX

Temperature taken at the axilla (underarm area).

Bed pad

Protective covering (waterproof) used for incontinence. It is placed on top of the bottom sheet in the bed; also called linen protector, Incontinent pad, or Chux.

b.i.d.

Twice a day.

Biohazardous Waste

Items that are contaminated with blood, body fluids, feces, or other body substances that may be harmful.

Bloodborne Pathogens

Microorganisms that are present in human blood and can cause disease.

Bony prominences

Elbows, shoulder blades, tailbone, hip bones, ankles, heels.

Blood Pressure (BP)

The force of the blood against the artery walls as the heart beat.

BPM

$$Beats\,per\,minute$$

Brachial pulse

Pulse in the upper arm.

Bradycardia

Slow pulse, heartbeat, under $60\,bpm$.

Care plans

Written plans developed by the nurse that outline the steps taken by the staff to reach the goals or outcomes set.

cc/ml

Cubic centimeter, also milliliters, unit of measurement; $1\,oz = 30cc/ml$.

Charting

The act of making notes of care and observation; documenting.

Chemical restraint

A medication that reduces a person’s ability to move freely.

Cheyne Stokes Respiration

A person will have periods of apnea lasting at least $10$ seconds along with alternating periods of rapid deep breathing and slow shallow breathing.

Closed bed

Bed completely made with bedspread in place; for a resident who will be out of bed all day.

Code

When a group of specially trained staff is called to provide advanced life support to a resident/patient in respiratory and/or cardiac arrest.

Colostomy

Opening into the colon.

Commode

Chair containing a bedpan or bucket used to collect urine and feces; usually sits next to the bed.

Contact Precautions

Measures that are intended to prevent the transmission of infectious agents that are spread by direct or indirect contact with a resident.

Contractures

Abnormal shortening of a muscle resulting in the disability of limb; permanent shortening of the muscle.

CVA

Cerebrovascular accident – medical term for a stroke; blood flow to a part of your brain is stopped either by a blockage or rupture of a blood vessel.

Cyanosis

Blue, gray, or purple tinge to the skin due to lack of oxygen in the blood.

Cystitis

Inflammation of the bladder.

D.A.T.

Diet as tolerated.

Dangling

Position with the resident sitting to the side of the bed with legs over the side.

Decubitus ulcer

Pressure sore or bed sore.

Delegation

The assignment of any responsibility to another person to carry out specific tasks, such as a nurse assigning a nurse aide care skills for residents.

Dementia

Loss of mental abilities, such as thinking, remembering, reasoning, and communicating; decline in a person’s mental ability that is severe enough to interfere with his/her daily life.

Dementia with Lewy Bodies

The third most common type of dementia that shows Lewy bodies, which are abnormal clumps of the protein alpha-synuclein that develop in the cortex of the brain.

Dermatitis

Inflammation of the skin.

Diaphoretic

Heavy sweating or perspiration.

Draw sheet

Half-sheet used for lifting and moving residents.

Droplet Precautions

Actions designed to reduce or prevent the transmission of pathogens spread through close respiratory secretions.

Dysphagia

Difficulty swallowing.

Dyspnea

Difficulty breathing.

Dysuria

Painful urination.

Edema

Swelling of body tissues due to accumulation of fluids.

Elder abuse

Includes seven types: psychological/verbal, physical abuse and neglect, sexual, domestic, involuntary seclusion, financial abuse, and exploitation.

Encephalitis

Inflammation of the brain.

Enema

Introduction of fluid into the colon through the rectum to cleanse the colon of feces.

Etiology

Factors involved in causing a disease.

Expiration

When air is removed from the lungs during breathing.

Fecal impaction

Inability to pass stool because it has formed into a large mass, usually toward the lower part of the colon.

Flexion

Bending a body part.

Extension

Straightening of a body part.

Foley catheter

Flexible tube that is passed through the urethra and into the bladder to drain urine; indwelling urinary catheter.

Fowler’s

Head of the bed is usually elevated to a $45-75$ degree angle, knees may be slightly bent.

Gait belt

Transfer belt used to assist with walking.

Gastritis

Inflammation of the stomach (not the abdomen).

Glycosuria

Glucose (sugar) in the urine.

Graduate

Measuring container with markings for ounces ($oz$) & cubic centimeters ($cc$)/ milliliters ($ml$); used for measuring body fluids.

Hand Hygiene

Washing hands with water and soap/detergent containing an antiseptic agent or applying an Alcohol Based Sanitizer.

Hat

Specimen pan, usually plastic, used to collect and measure urine and stool from the toilet.

HIPAA

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996; a law which protects the privacy of individually identifiable health information.

Hematuria

Blood in the urine.

Hemiplegia

Paralysis on one side of the body.

Hemoccult

Test performed to check for occult blood in the stool.

Hemorrhage

Excessive flow of blood, severe bleeding.

Holistic health

Care involving the entire person, including her physical, emotional, spiritual, and social needs.

Hypertension

High blood pressure.

Hypotension

Low blood pressure.

I & O

Intake and Output.

Incontinent

Lack of voluntary control of urine or bowel movements.

Ischemia

Decreased blood supply to a tissue involves the gradual death of cells and may lead to complete tissue death.

Isolation

Practices employed to reduce the spread of infectious organisms, usually including the separation of the resident with an easily transmitted disease.

-itis

Inflammation.

IV

Intravenous; into a vein.

Laparoscopy

Visualization of the abdominal cavity by means of an endoscope.

Laparotomy

Cutting into the abdomen.

OSHA

Occupational Safety and Health Administration; a government agency mandated to protect the employee by establishing workplace safety requirements.

Logrolling

Turning a resident all at once while keeping the spine straight.

Malpractice

Negligence by a professional such as a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or attorney.

Medical Asepsis

Practices used to remove or destroy pathogens and prevent their spread; also called clean technique.

mmHg

$Millimeters\,of\,mercury$; measurement used to record Blood pressure.

MRSA

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus; an infectious disease caused by a pathogen that is resistant to many antibiotics.

Nocturia

Tendency to urinate frequently in the night.

Nosocomial infection

Infection caught or acquired while in a healthcare facility.

NPO

Nothing by mouth; withhold foods & fluids from a patient for medical reasons.

OBRA

Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act; a federal law passed in 1987 that establishes regulations for nursing facilities and nurse aide training.

Occult blood

Hidden blood found in specimen using a microscope or special chemical test.