LRA 212: Patient Care Final Review

Assault

An intentional act that causes another person to reasonably fear immediate harmful or offensive contact. No physical contact is required.

Battery

An intentional and unauthorized physical contact with another person that is harmful or offensive.

Chart

The patient's legal medical record containing information about assessment, treatment, procedures, and care.

Charting

The process of documenting patient information, care, observations, treatments, and responses in the medical record.

Plaintiff

The person who brings a lawsuit against another person or organization.

Defendant

The person or organization being sued or accused in a civil or criminal case.

E-chart

An electronic patient chart used to document and store patient healthcare information.

Empathy

The ability to understand and acknowledge another person's feelings or perspective.

EMR

Electronic Medical Record; a digital version of a patient's medical record used by healthcare providers.

Ethical analysis

A systematic process of identifying an ethical problem, considering possible actions and consequences, applying ethical principles, and choosing an appropriate action.

Ethics

Principles and standards used to determine what is right, wrong, appropriate, or inappropriate behavior.

False imprisonment

An intentional act that unlawfully restricts or prevents a person from leaving or moving freely.

Felony

A serious criminal offense that is generally punishable by imprisonment for more than one year.

Gross negligence

Very serious negligence involving a significant lack of care or reckless disregard for another person's safety.

HIPAA

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act; U.S. law that establishes protections for individually identifiable health information and sets privacy and security requirements.

Informed consent

A patient's voluntary agreement to a procedure or treatment after receiving enough information about its purpose, risks, benefits, and alternatives.

Human Genome Project

A major international scientific project that mapped and studied the human genome and was completed in 2003.

Libel

A false or defamatory statement about someone that is communicated in written or recorded form.

Slander

A false or defamatory spoken statement about another person.

Malpractice

Professional negligence by a healthcare professional that results in harm to a patient.

Negligence

Failure to provide the level of care that a reasonably prudent person would provide under similar circumstances.

Malpractice vs negligence

Negligence is a general failure to use reasonable care; malpractice is professional negligence involving a professional's duties and standards of practice.

Misdemeanor

A less serious criminal offense than a felony, generally punishable by a fine, probation, or a shorter period of incarceration.

Moral agent

A person capable of making ethical decisions and taking responsibility for those decisions.

RIMS

A system or process used in healthcare to report and manage incidents, risks, or safety concerns.

Res ipsa loquitur

Latin for 'the thing speaks for itself'; a legal doctrine in which the circumstances of an injury can support an inference of negligence.

Respondeat superior

A legal doctrine under which an employer may be held responsible for certain wrongful acts committed by an employee while acting within the scope of employment.

Intentional tort

A wrongful act committed deliberately, such as assault, battery, or false imprisonment.

Unintentional tort

A wrongful act that occurs without intent to cause harm, such as negligence.

Vicarious liability

Legal responsibility placed on one person or organization for the actions of another, such as an employer being responsible for an employee's actions within the scope of employment.

Ageism

Prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination against people based on their age.

Aggressiveness

Communication or behavior that attempts to dominate, threaten, or violate the rights of others.

Aphasia

A disorder that affects a person's ability to understand or produce language, often caused by brain injury or stroke.

Assertiveness

Communicating thoughts, needs, and feelings clearly and respectfully while also respecting the rights of others.

Autonomy

A patient's right to make informed decisions about their own healthcare.

Valid choice

A choice made voluntarily by a person who has the capacity and adequate information needed to make the decision.

Electrolarynx

A handheld device that produces an artificial voice for a person who has lost their natural voice, often after removal of the larynx.

Ethnic

Relating to a group of people who share cultural traditions, ancestry, language, history, or other characteristics.

Hospice

Care focused on comfort and quality of life for patients who are approaching the end of life rather than attempting to cure the underlying terminal condition.

Oncology

The branch of medicine concerned with cancer, including its diagnosis, treatment, and management.

Therapeutic communication

Communication techniques used by healthcare professionals to support patients, obtain information, build trust, and promote effective care.

Scope of diversity

The range of differences among people, including culture, ethnicity, age, language, beliefs, abilities, socioeconomic background, and other characteristics.

Draw sheet

A sheet placed under a patient that can help healthcare workers reposition or move the patient safely.

Gait belt

A belt placed around a patient's waist to provide a secure handhold when assisting with standing, walking, or transferring.

Orthostatic hypotension

A drop in blood pressure that occurs when a person changes position, especially from lying or sitting to standing, potentially causing dizziness or fainting.

Slider board

A rigid board used to help transfer a patient horizontally between surfaces, such as from a bed to a stretcher.

Sliding mat

A low-friction device used to help move or reposition patients while reducing friction and the physical effort required by healthcare workers.

Stretcher

A wheeled patient transport device used to move patients, especially those who cannot safely walk.

Decubitus ulcer

A pressure injury caused by prolonged pressure that reduces blood flow to an area of tissue; also called a pressure ulcer.

Elder abuse

Intentional or negligent acts that cause harm or risk of harm to an older adult, including physical, emotional, sexual, or financial abuse and neglect.

Emesis

Vomiting; the expulsion of stomach contents through the mouth.

Fowler position

A position in which the patient's upper body is elevated, commonly used to improve comfort, breathing, and access for certain procedures.

Immobilization

Restricting movement of a body part or patient when necessary for safety, treatment, or prevention of further injury.

Nonaccidental trauma (NAT)

Injury that is intentionally inflicted, including physical abuse; it is especially important to recognize suspicious injury patterns in children and vulnerable patients.

Nothing by mouth (NPO)

An order meaning the patient should not eat or drink anything by mouth.

Orthopnea

Difficulty breathing when lying flat that is relieved by sitting or standing upright.

Prone

Lying face down with the abdomen against the surface.

Recumbent

Lying down or reclining; the exact position may be further described as supine, prone, or lateral.

Restraints

Devices or methods used to limit a patient's movement when necessary to protect the patient or others and when less restrictive methods are ineffective.

Reverse isolation

A protective isolation approach used for patients with severely weakened immune systems, such as neutropenic patients, to protect the patient from microorganisms.

Neutropenic patient

A patient with an abnormally low number of neutrophils, making them more vulnerable to infection.

Clean vs dirty technique in reverse isolation

The goal is to keep microorganisms away from the immunocompromised patient; healthcare workers generally perform hand hygiene and use appropriate protective measures before patient contact and avoid bringing contaminants into the patient's environment.

Isolation precautions

Procedures used to prevent the spread of infectious organisms between patients, healthcare workers, and visitors.

Airborne precautions

Precautions used for infections transmitted by very small particles that can remain suspended in the air; appropriate respiratory protection and special room requirements may be necessary.

Contact precautions

Precautions used for organisms spread through direct patient contact or contact with contaminated objects or surfaces.

Direct contact

Transmission that occurs when microorganisms pass directly from an infected or colonized person to another person without an intermediate object.

Fomite

An inanimate object or surface capable of carrying and transmitting infectious microorganisms.

Vector

An organism, such as a mosquito or tick, that can transmit an infectious microorganism from one host to another.

Vehicle

An inanimate substance or medium, such as food, water, or blood, that can transmit microorganisms.

Droplet transmission

The spread of infectious organisms through respiratory droplets produced by coughing, sneezing, talking, or certain procedures.

Nosocomial infection

An infection acquired in a healthcare facility that was not present at the time of admission.