Hartman’s Nursing Assistant Care: The Basics Vocabulary List (Chapters 1-10)

Vocabulary terms and definitions from Chapters 1 through 10 of Hartman’s Nursing Assistant Care: The Basics, 6th Edition.

long-term care (LTC)

care given in long-term care facilities for people who need $24$-hour skilled care.

skilled care

medically necessary care given by a skilled nurse or therapist.

length of stay

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

terminal illness

a disease or condition that will eventually cause death.

chronic

long-term or long-lasting.

diagnoses

medical conditions determined by a doctor.

home health care

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

assisted living

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

adult day services

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

acute care

$24$-hour skilled care given in hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers for people who require short-term, immediate care for illnesses and injuries.

subacute care

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

outpatient care

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

rehabilitation

care that is given by specialists to help restore or improve function after an illness or injury.

hospice care

holistic, compassionate care given to people who have approximately $6$ months or less to live.

activities of daily living (ADLs)

daily personal care tasks such as bathing; dressing; caring for skin, nails, hair, and teeth; eating; drinking; walking; transferring; and elimination.

person-centered care

a type of care that places the emphasis on the person needing care and his or her individuality and capabilities.

trauma-informed care

an approach to patient care that recognizes that people may have experienced trauma in their lives and that their trauma, experiences, and preferences should be considered while providing care.

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

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

charting

documenting information and observations about residents.

assistive devices

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

chain of command

the line of authority within a facility.

liability

a legal term that means someone can be held responsible for harming someone else.

scope of practice

the range of tasks that healthcare providers are legally allowed to do according to state or federal law.

care plan

a plan developed for each resident to achieve certain goals; it outlines the steps and tasks that the care team must perform.

policy

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

procedure

a method or way of doing something.

professional

having to do with work or a job.

personal

relating to life outside one’s job, such as family, friends, and home life.

professionalism

the act of behaving properly when working.

compassionate

being caring, concerned, considerate, empathetic, and understanding.

empathy

identifying with the feelings of others.

sympathy

sharing in the feelings and difficulties of others.

tactful

showing sensitivity and having a sense of what is appropriate when dealing with others.

conscientious

guided by a sense of right and wrong; principled.

ethics

the knowledge of right and wrong.

laws

rules set by the government to help people live peacefully together and to ensure safety.

Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA)

law passed by the federal government that includes minimum standards for nursing assistant training, staffing requirements, resident assessment instructions, and information on rights for residents.

cite

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

Residents’ Rights

numerous rights identified in the OBRA law that relate to how residents must be treated while living in a facility.

informed consent

the process in which a person, with the help of a doctor, makes informed decisions about his health care.

abuse

purposeful mistreatment that causes physical, mental, or emotional pain or injury to someone.

physical abuse

any treatment, intentional or not, that causes harm to a person’s body.

psychological abuse

emotional harm caused by threatening, scaring, humiliating, intimidating, isolating, or insulting a person, or by treating him as a child.

verbal abuse

the use of spoken or written words, pictures, or gestures that threaten, embarrass, or insult a person.

sexual abuse

nonconsensual sexual contact of any type.

financial abuse

the improper or illegal use of a person’s money, possessions, property, or other assets.

assault

a threat to harm a person, resulting in the person feeling fearful that he or she will be harmed.

battery

the intentional touching of a person without his or her consent.

domestic violence

physical, sexual, or emotional abuse by spouses, intimate partners, or family members.

false imprisonment

the unlawful restraint of someone that affects a person’s freedom of movement.

involuntary seclusion

the separation of a person from others against the person’s will.

workplace violence

verbal, physical, or sexual abuse of staff by other staff members, residents, or visitors.

sexual harassment

any unwelcome sexual advance or behavior that creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.

substance abuse

the repeated use of legal or illegal substance in a way that is harmful to oneself or others.

neglect

the failure to provide needed care that results in physical, mental, or emotional harm to a person.

negligence

an action, or the failure to act or provide the proper care, that results in unintended injury to a person.

malpractice

injury to a person due to professional misconduct through negligence, carelessness, or lack of skill.

ombudsman

a legal advocate for residents in long-term care facilities who helps resolve disputes and settle conflicts.

confidentiality

the legal and ethical principle of keeping information private.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

a federal law that requires health information be kept private and secure.

protected health information (PHI)

a person’s private health information, which includes name, address, telephone number, social security number, email address, and medical record number.

Minimum Data Set (MDS)

a detailed form with guidelines for assessing residents in long-term care facilities.

incident

an accident, problem, or unexpected event during the course of care that is not part of the normal routine.

communication

the process of exchanging information with others by sending and receiving messages.

verbal communication

communication involving the use of spoken or written words or sounds.

nonverbal communication

communication that does not use words.

objective information

information based on what a person sees, hears, touches, or smells; also called signs.

subjective information

information that a person cannot or did not observe, but is based on something reported that may or may not be true; also called symptoms.

incontinence

the inability to control the bladder or bowels.

clichs

phrases that are used over and over again and do not really mean anything.

defense mechanisms

unconscious behaviors used to release tension or cope with stress.

culture

a system of learned beliefs and behaviors that is practiced by a group of people and often passed down.

impairment

a loss of function or ability.

mental health

the normal functioning of emotional and intellectual abilities.

mental health disorder

a disorder that affects a person’s ability to function and often causes inappropriate behavior.

combative

violent or hostile.

body mechanics

the way the parts of the body work together when a person moves.

posture

the way a person holds and positions his body.

fracture

a broken bone.

disorientation

confusion about person, place, or time.

scalds

burns caused by hot liquids.

abrasion

an injury that rubs off the surface of the skin.

Occupational safety and health administration (OSHA)

a federal government agency that makes rules to protect workers from hazards on the job.

conscious

the state of being mentally alert and having awareness of surroundings, sensations, and thoughts.

first aid

emergency care given immediately to an injured person by the first people to respond.

cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)

medical procedures used when a person’s heart or lungs have stopped working.

obstructed airway

a condition in which something is blocking the tube through which air enters the lungs.

abdominal thrusts

method of attempting to remove an object from the airway of someone who is choking.

cyanotic

blue or gray, in reference to skin color.

shock

a condition that occurs when organs and tissues in the body do not receive an adequate blood supply.

Myocardial infarction (MI)

a condition that occurs when the heart muscle does not receive enough oxygen because blood flow is blocked; also called heart attack.

syncope

loss of consciousness; also called fainting.

insulin reaction

complication of diabetes that can result from either too much insulin or too little food; also known as hypoglycemia.

diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)

a complication of diabetes that is caused by having too little insulin in the body.

cerebrovascular accident (CVA)

occurs when blood supply to the brain is blocked or a vessel ruptures; also called stroke.

transient ischemic attack (TIA)

a warning sign of a stroke resulting from a temporary lack of oxygen in the brain; symptoms may last up to $24$ hours.

hemiplegia

paralysis on one side of the body.

hemiparesis

weakness on one side of the body.

expressive aphasia

trouble communicating thoughts through speech or writing.