Nurse Aide Legal and Ethical Responsibilities Key Terms

Vocabulary flashcards defining legal, ethical, and professional terms for nurse aides based on course lecture notes.

AM Care

personal activities done in the morning that include toileting, face/hand wash, and mouth care before/after breakfast

Activities of Daily Living (ADL)

term used in health care to describe everyday things that a resident routinely does, such as hygiene and grooming, dressing, eating, toileting, and transferring.

Basic Nursing Skills

essential skills required of nurse aides to deliver competent care to residents in health care settings.

Cognition

the way messages from the five senses are collected, stored in memory, recovered from memory, and later used to answer questions, respond to requests, and perform tasks: the ability to think logically and clearly

Delegation

the process of assigning part of one's responsibility to another qualified person in a specific situation; transferring responsibility for the performance of an activity or task while retaining accountability for the outcome

Delegatee

One who is delegated nursing responsibility by either an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) or a registered nurse; one must accept responsibility and display competency in performing a task. A delegatee may be Unlicensed Assistive Personnel (UAP)

Health Care Personnel Registry

listing of unlicensed health care personnel who are being investigated for or have a substantiated findings of neglect or abuse, misappropriation of property of the resident or facility, diversion of drugs belonging to a resident or facility, or fraud against a resident or health care facility

Interpersonal Skills

in a health care setting, generally refers to a health care provider's ability to get along with others while getting the job done.

Privacy

personal responsibility and activities done to prevent the intrusion of one person onto another.

Protected Health Information (PHI)

information that can be used to identify a person and relates to the person's condition, including any health care the person has had, and payment for that health care.

Resident's Rights

rights that have been written into Federal law (OBRA) that identify how a resident must be treated while living in a long-term care facility.

Sexual abuse

non-consensual sexual contact of any type with a resident.

Vulnerable Adults

adults who are at risk of abuse or mistreatment because they are not able to protect selves from harm due to mental, emotional, developmental disability; or brain damage; or changes from aging.

Person-Centered Care

a method to provide care by recognizing the value of a person and self-worth.

Defamation

false statement made to a third person that causes a person shame or ridicule or ruins their reputation; written is called libel; verbal is called slander.

Disclosure

making known to the public.

Diversion of Drugs

unauthorized taking or use of any drug.

Ethics

The knowledge of what is right and wrong, helps to guide conduct.

Exploitation

Exploitation means taking advantage of a resident for personal gain using manipulation, intimidation, threats, or coercion.

False Imprisonment

unlawful restraining or restricting a person's movement.

Fraud

an intentional deception or misrepresentation made by a person with knowledge that deception could result in some unauthorized benefit to self or some other person.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

a federal law that sets standards for protecting the privacy of patients' health information.

Invasion of Privacy

violation of the right to control personal information or the right to be left alone.

Laws

rules made by government to help protect public.

Malpractice

Giving care for which you are not allowed legally to perform.

Misappropriation of Property

deliberate misplacement, exploitation, wrongful, temporary, or permanent use of a resident's belongings or money without the resident's consent.

Neglect

a failure to provide goods and services to a resident that are necessary to avoid physical harm, pain, mental anguish, or emotional distress.

Negligence

actions or failure to act or give proper care resulting in injury.

Nondisclosure

not making known to the public.

Restraint

a physical or chemical way to restrict voluntary movement or behavior

Team

a group of people with a common purpose, assigned tasks, and coordinated effort to get a job done.

Work Ethic

behavior in the workplace that includes appearance, communication skills, treatment of others, choices, judgment, and teamwork

Abuse

willful infliction of injury, unreasonable confinement, intimidation or punishment with resulting physical harm, pain, or mental anguish.

Assault

act of threatening to touch, or attempting to touch a person, without proper consent.

Basic Human Rights

protected by the Constitution of the United States and state that a person has the right to be treated with respect, live in dignity, pursue a meaningful life and be free of fear.

Battery

touching a person without consent

Civil Law

law that deals with relationships between people.

Code of Ethics

rules of conduct for groups, may differ from one facility to another, but revolves around the idea that residents are valuable person who deserves ethical care.

Confidentiality

not disclosing or telling information that is personal or private about a resident, except to authorized people.

Consent

the right to decide what will be done to the body and who can touch the body, maybe written consent, verbal consent, or implied consent.

Criminal Law

offenses against the public and society.

North Carolina Board of Nursing (NCBON)

regulatory body that provides list of tasks that fall within the range of function for nurse aides in North Carolina

The North Carolina Board of Nursing Administrative Code

defines range of function for nurse aides in North Carolina.

North Carolina Health Care Personnel Education and Credentialing Section

section of the State of North Carolina provides services for unlicensed health care workers, their employers, and their instructors and maintains the NC Nurse Aide I Registry.

North Carolina Nurse Aide I Registry

a registry of all people who meet state and federal training and testing requirements to perform Nurse Aide I tasks in the State of North Carolina.

Nurse Aide I in the State of North Carolina

a valued, unlicensed member of the health care team, responsible for providing delegated nursing tasks, within a defined range of function, for residents (patients/clients), in a variety of settings, and who is listed on the NC Nurse Aide I Registry

OBRA (Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act) of 1987

Federal Law, enacted by Congress, in 1987, to improve quality of life of residents living in a nursing home environment; comprehensive review/update of regulations, effective November 28, 2016.

Ombudsman

a legal advocate (person who publicly supports a certain cause) for residents in long-term care facilities.

PM Care

personal activities done in the evening that include toileting, face/hand wash, snack, mouth care, and backrub.

Personal Care Skills

tasks that deal with a person's body, appearance, and hygiene, typically done daily.

Unlicensed Assistive Personnel (UAP)

any unlicensed personnel who may participate in resident care activities through the delegation process. The UAP is trained to function in a supportive role, regardless of title, to whom a nursing responsibility may be delegated. This included but is not limited to a nursing aide (NAs) patient care technicians, medication aids (MAs), and home health aides (formerly referred to as "unlicensed" assistive personnel/UAP).