Leadership Chapter 4 - Maintaining a Safe Environment

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the Maintaining a Safe Environment notes.

Culture of Safety

A workplace culture that promotes openness, error reporting, and learning from mistakes to reduce adverse events.

Risk Management

A department or team that identifies, prevents, tracks hazards, and manages negative client incidents.

Sentinel Event

An unexpected death or major injury that requires a comprehensive investigation.

Near Miss

An event that could have caused harm but did not reach the patient.

Serious Incident

An event causing injury, loss of equipment, or significant service interruption.

Service Occurrence

An event related to client services, such as delays or unsatisfactory service.

Failure to Rescue

When a clinician misses or delays recognizing a complication, leading to death or serious harm.

QSEN

Quality and Safety Education for Nurses; six competencies to improve patient safety and care quality.

Patient-Centered Care

Care that is compassionate, culturally sensitive, and tailored to the patient’s values and needs.

Teamwork and Collaboration

Delivery of care with multidisciplinary team members to achieve positive outcomes.

Evidence-Based Practice

Clinical decisions grounded in credible research and best available evidence.

Quality Improvement

Systematic efforts to improve care processes and outcomes.

Safety

Minimization of risk factors and protection from harm for patients, staff, and others.

Informatics

Use of information technology to support clinical decision-making and nursing practice.

Infection Control

Practices to prevent cross-contamination and health care–associated infections.

Standard Precautions

Base level precautions applied to all patients to prevent transmission of infections.

Airborne Precautions

Measures for diseases that can be transmitted through the air, often requiring isolation and respiratory protection.

Droplet Precautions

Measures for diseases spread by larger respiratory droplets, usually involving masks for close contact.

Contact Precautions

Measures for diseases spread by direct or indirect contact, including gloves and gowns.

Isolation

Separating infected or contagious patients to prevent spread of disease.

Nosocomial Infection

A health care–associated infection acquired in the hospital.

Latex-Free Environment

An environment free of latex to protect clients with latex allergies.

Hand Hygiene

Washing hands or using alcohol-based sanitizer to reduce infection risk.

Sharps Container

Puncture-resistant container for disposing of needles and other sharps.

Needlestick Injury

Injury from a needle that must be reported and managed per policy.

Incident Report

Documentation of any accident, error, or near miss for risk management.

Falls Prevention

Strategies to assess risk and prevent client falls.

Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT)

Materials that pose risk to health; requires proper handling and response.

OSHA

Occupational Safety and Health Administration; sets safety standards in the workplace.

Safety Data Sheet (SDS)

Document containing hazard information, handling guidelines, and first aid measures.

Four Levels of Precautions

Standard, Airborne, Droplet, and Contact precautions used to prevent transmission.

Mechanical Lift

Equipment that assists with lifting and transferring patients to reduce injury risk.

Gait Belt (Transfer Belt)

A belt used to assist and stabilize a patient during transfers.

Restraint

A device or method that limits a patient’s movement for safety.

Seclusion

Confinement of a patient in a safe, controlled environment to prevent harm.

False Imprisonment

Unlawful confinement of a person without consent.

Restraint Prescription

Provider order specifying reason, type, location, duration, and behaviors for restraint use.

RACE

Rescue, Alarm, Confine, Extinguish—steps to follow in a fire.

PASS

Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep—steps to operate a fire extinguisher.

Class A/B/C Fire Extinguishers

Extinguishers designed for different fire types: A (ordinary combustibles), B (flammable liquids), C (electrical fires).