HOSA - nursing assisting

long term care ( LTC ) :

24 - hour skilled care provided in long - term care facilities for people with ongoing conditions

skilled care

medically necessary care given by a skilled nurse or therapist

chronic

long-term or long-lasting .

resident

a person living in a long - term care facility

assisted living

residences for people who do not need 24 - hour skilled care , but who do require some help with daily care .

home health care

health care that is provided in a person's home .

adult day services

care for people who need some assistance or supervision during certain hours , but who do not live in the facility where care is given .

sandwich generation

people responsible for the care of both their children and aging relatives .

intergenerational care

caring for children and the elderly in the same setting .

acute care

24 - hour skilled care given in hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers for short - term , immediate illnesses or injuries

subacute care

for an acute ( sudden onset , short - term ) illness or injury but more than for a chronic ( long - term ) illness . care given in hospitals or in long - term care facilities for people who need less care than

outpatient care

care given to people who have had treatments , procedures , or surgeries and need short term skilled care .

rehabilitation

care that is managed by professionals to restore a person to the highest possible level of functioning after an illness or injury

hospice care

holistic , compassionate care for people who have approximately six months or less to live ; care is available until the person dies .

animal assisted therapy ( AAT )

the practice of bringing pets into a facility or home to provide stimulation and companionship

Medicare

a federal health insurance program for people who are 65 or older , have certain disabilities or permanent kidney failure , or are ill and cannot work .

Medicaid

medical assistance program for people who have low incomes , as well as for people with disabilities .

length of stay

the number of days a person stays in a healthcare facility .

dementia

the serious , progressive loss of mental abilities such as thinking , remembering , reasoning , and communicating

nursing assistant ( NA )

an unlicensed healthcare worker who performs assigned nursing tasks and gives personal care

activities of daily living ( ADLs )

daily personal care tasks , such as bathing ; caring for skin , fingernails , and hair , eating ; drinking ; caring for the mouth and teeth dressing ; walking ; transferring , eliminating ; and communicating .

professionalism

the use of proper standards of behavior at work and in work - related settings .

trustworthy

deserving the trust of others

conscientious

guided by a sense of right and wrong ; principled .

courteous

polite , kind , and considerate .

empathetic

being able to identify with and understand the feelings of others .

accountable

answerable for one's actions .

first impression

a way of classifying or categorizing someone or something at the first meeting .

allergy

an immune response by the body after exposure to a substance called an allergen ; reactions may be mild or life - threatening .

care team

the group of people with different kinds of education and experience who provide resident care

registered nurse ( RN )

a licensed nurse who assesses residents , creates care plans , monitors progress , provides skilled nursing care , administers treatments and medications , and supervises the care given by nursing assistants and other members of the care team

licensed practical nurse ( LPN ) or licensed vocational nurse ( LVN )

a licensed nurse who provides skilled nursing care and gives treatments and medications .

diagnosis

the identification of disease or condition by its signs and symptoms and through test results .

assistive devices

special equipment that helps a person who is ill or disabled perform activities of daily living .

chain of command

the order of authority within a facility .

charge nurse

nurse responsible for a team of healthcare workers .

liability

the state of being legally responsible for something .

delegation

the assignment of tasks to another person that are within their scope of practice .

holistic care

care that involves the whole person ; this includes his or her physical , social , emotional , and spiritual needs .

team nursing

method of nursing care in which a nurse acts as a leader of a group of people giving care

team leader

nurse in charge of a group of residents for one shift of duty

primary nursing

method of nursing care in which the registered nurse provides much of the daily care to residents .

continuity of care

an ongoing coordination of a resident's care over time , during which the care team regularly exchanges information and works toward shared goals .

functional nursing

method of nursing care that involves assigning specific tasks to each team member .

person - centered care

type of care that places the emphasis on the person needing care and their individuality and capabilities .

policy

a course of action to be taken every time a certain situation occurs .

procedure

a method or way of doing something .

cite

in a long - term care facility , to document a problem through a survey .

Joint Commission

an independent , not - for - profit organization that evaluates and accredits different types of healthcare facilities .

sanitation

maintaining clean conditions in order to help prevent the spread of disease

infection prevention

set of methods used to control and prevent the spread of disease; formerly known as "infection control"

microorganism (MO)

a tiny living thing visible only by a microscope; also called a microbe

infection

the state resulting from pathogens invading and growing within the human body

pathogen

microorganism that are capable of causing infection and disease

localized infection

infection limited to a specific part of the body. It has local symptoms, which are near the site of infection. ex: eye infection

s/s of localized infection

local symptoms of redness, swelling, pain, heat, and drainage (fluid from a wound or cavity); infection limited to a specific part of the body

systemic infection

occurs when pathogens enter the bloodstream and move throughout the body; causes general symptoms . ex: AIDS

s/s of systemic infection

fever, chills, headache, change in other vital signs, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, and/or mental confusion

healthcare-associated infection (HAI)

(nosocomial infection) infection associated with healthcare delivery in any setting, including long-term care facilities, hospitals, ambulatory settings and home care; can be mild or life-threatening & can be localized or systemic

infectious disease

a disease caused by the growth of a pathogen

resistance

the body's ability to prevent infection and disease

communicable disease

an infectious disease that is transmitted by direct contact with the infected person or his secretions, or indirectly by touching objects contaminated by the infected person

contagious disease

a type of communicable disease that spreads quickly from person to person. ex: chicken pox

non-communicable disease

a disease not capable of being spread from one person to another. ex: emphysema

cross-infection (cross-contamination)

acquiring an infection from another person, object, place, or from one of part of the body to another

reinfection

being infected again with the same pathogen

medical asepsis

refers to practices used to reduce and control the spread of microorganisms such as handwashing

surgical asepsis

to make an object or area sterile and completely free from all microorganisms

clean

a condition in which an object or thing has not been contaminated with pathogens

contaminated

soiled, unclean; having disease causing organisms or infectious material on it

dirty

a condition in which an area has been contaminated with pathogens

disinfection

a measure used to decrease the spread of pathogens and disease by destroying pathogens

autoclave

a type of special equipment that uses hot steam under pressure for a period of time to sterilize objects and kill pathogens that form spores

chain of infection

describes how disease is transmitted from one being to another

Causative Agent

Reservoir

Portal of Exit

Mode of Transmission

Portal of Entry

Susceptible Host

Links in the Chain of Infection

causative agent

a pathogenic microorganism that causes disease; includes bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites

reservoir

where the pathogen lives and grows; can be a human, an animal, a plant, soil, or a substance.

normal flora

the microorganisms that normally live in and on the body without causing harm to a health person as long as the flora remain in or at that particular area

incubation period

waiting period between the time the pathogen enters the body and the time it causes visible signs and symptoms of disease

vaccines

substances prepared from weakened or killed microorganisms

immunity

resistance to infection by a specific pathogen

direct spread

method of tansmission of disease directly from another person

carrier

a person carrying the disease

indirect spread

method of transmission of disease from an object, insect, or animal

formite

an object that is contaminated with a pathogen and can now spread the pathogen to another person; may be things like infected food, water, food utensils, bedpans, or bed linens

portal of exit

any opening on an infected person allowing the pathogens to leave; includes nose, mouth, eyes, or a cut in the skin

mode of transmission

how the pathogen travels from on host to another; main routes are contact, droplet, and airborne

contact transmission

occurs through contact with the person's blood or body fluids that are contaminated by the pathogen

body fluids

include tears, saliva, sputum (mucous coughed up), urine, feces, semen, vaginal secretions, pus or other wound drainage, and vomit; They do NOT include sweat

direct contact

happens by touching the infected person or his or her secretions

indirect contact

results from touching something contaminated by the infected person, such as a needle, instrument, or dressing.

droplet transmission

pathogen travels short distances after being expelled; normally travel less than three feet, but may travel further. Can be spread by laughing, suctioning, singing, and spitting

airborne transmission

pathogen is transmitted through the air after being expelled; pathogen is carried a distance, usually more than three feet, on air currents

portal of entry

any body opening on an uninfected person that allows pathogens to enter; includes the nose, mouth, eyes, and other mucous membranes, cuts in the skin, and cracked skin

mucous membranes

membranes that line body cavities that open to the outside of the body; include the linings of the mouth, nose, eyes, rectum, and genitals

susceptible host

an uninfected person who could become ill

catheter

tube inserted through the skin or into a body opening that is used to add or drain fluid

malnutrition

a serious condition in which a person is not getting proper nutrition

dehydration

occurs when there is an excessive loss of water from the body

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

a federal government agency that issues guidelines to protect and improve health. It promotes public safety through education and tries to control and prevent disease