Safety and Hazards in Healthcare - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts of safety, hazards, and safety practices in healthcare based on the provided lecture notes.

Safety

The condition of being safe from undergoing or causing hurt, injury, or loss.

Patient Safety

A framework of organized activities in healthcare that lowers risks, reduces avoidable harm, and minimizes error and its impact.

Pervasiveness

The attribute of safety that affects all aspects of life; people may neglect responsibility for their own safety.

Perception and Judgment

Perception of danger influences safety practices; safety measures are effective only if hazards are accurately perceived and understood.

Management

Nursing responsibility to protect patients; implementing safety practices; lifestyle and behavior affect risk.

Hazard

A process, phenomenon, or activity that may cause loss of life, injury, health impacts, property damage, social or economic disruption, or environmental degradation.

Physical Hazards

Hazards that threaten physical safety, including unsafe conditions and hard or sharp objects like glass, metal, plastic, wood, or bone.

Biological/Microbial Hazards (Biohazards)

Biological substances that threaten health, including blood, body fluids, fungi, bacteria, viruses, and toxins.

Cross Contamination

The transfer of contaminants or pathogens between surfaces, objects, or people.

Hand Hygiene

Washing hands at appropriate times to prevent contamination and reduce spread of pathogens.

Cleaning and Sanitizing

The process of cleaning and sanitizing surfaces and equipment; ensuring proper sanitizer concentrations.

Immunizations

Keeping immunizations up to date to reduce risk of infection.

Blood Borne Pathogens

Pathogens transmitted through blood or body fluids that can cause disease.

Biohazardous Waste

Waste that contains biohazards and requires proper containment and disposal.

Environmental Hazards in Healthcare

Hazards encountered by healthcare personnel, including injuries, infections, and exposures to hazardous substances.

Hazardous Elements

Hazards present in healthcare settings, including body substances, contaminated supplies, chemicals, drugs, anesthetic gases, lasers, violence, labs, radioactive material, x-ray waste, ergonomic and repetitive tasks.

Hazardous Exposure Control Plan

A plan to minimize health hazards by identifying hazards and controlling exposure; examples include cryogenic materials and autoclaves.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Protective clothing and devices (gloves, goggles, gowns, etc.) worn to reduce exposure to hazards.

Regulated Waste Containment

Containment and safe management of regulated waste.

Fire and Safety Plan

Planned procedures for fire safety and maintenance of fire-safety equipment.

Preventing Falls in Health Care

Strategies to prevent patient falls, including orientation, mobility assessment, walking aids, supervision, call light access, grab bars, bed in low position, and wheels locked.

Falls Risk

Assessment of a patient’s risk of falling to guide safety interventions.

Risk Assessment Tools

Tools that summarize nursing history and physical exam data to identify injury or safety risks.

Skin Integrity Risk Appraisal

An assessment used to identify the risk of impaired skin integrity and guide care planning.

Inpatient vs Home Safety Risk

Inpatients are assessed for skin and fall risks; home safety focuses on falls, poisonings, fires, suffocation, and equipment hazards.

General Safety Measures in Healthcare

Measures to reduce risk, such as separating people from risk, using PPE, training staff, using lifting equipment, guarding power tools, and using safety switches.