Patient Safety, Fall Prevention, and Restraints Lecture

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering equipment safety, fire protocols (RACE and PASS), hazardous materials, risk management, fall prevention, and restraint regulations.

Electrical Shock

An event that occurs when electrical current passes through the body, which can burn skin, muscles, nerves, and tissues, affect the heart, and cause death.

Ground (Three-Pronged Plug)

The third prong on an electrical plug that safely conducts leaking electricity to the earth and away from an electrical item.

Safe Medical Device Act

A law requiring healthcare agencies to report equipment-related illnesses, injuries, and deaths.

Bariatric Equipment

Specialized equipment labeled EC (expanded capacity) or bariatric, designed with weight capacities accommodating patients weighing from 250 pounds to over 1,000 pounds.

Hazardous Chemical

Any chemical that presents a physical hazard (such as causing fires or explosions) or a health hazard (such as causing cancer, organ damage, or birth defects).

Hazard Communication Standard

An OSHA policy requiring container warning labels, safety data sheets (SDS), employee training, and eyewash/body wash stations where hazardous chemicals are handled.

Safety Data Sheet (SDS)

A document providing detailed safety information for a hazardous chemical, including ingredients, hazards, emergency measures, accidental release measures, and personal protective equipment requirements.

Elopement

An event in which a patient or resident leaves a healthcare facility without staff knowledge.

Hoarding

A disorder in which a person has persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, resulting in piles of clutter that create severe fire and evacuation hazards.

RACE

The fire safety acronym defining the order of action during a fire: Rescue persons in immediate danger, Alarm (sound alarms or call 911), Confine the fire by closing doors and windows, and Extinguish the fire if it is small.

PASS

The operational acronym for discharging a fire extinguisher: Pull the safety pin, Aim low at the base of the fire, Squeeze the lever, and Sweep the stream from side to side.

Workplace Violence

Violent acts, including assault, weapon use, threats, harassment, or verbal abuse, directed toward persons at work or while on duty.

Risk Management

The process of identifying and controlling safety hazards and risks within an agency to protect patients, staff, visitors, and property from harm.

Red Wristband

A color-coded alert band used to warn healthcare staff that a patient has an allergy.

Yellow Wristband

A color-coded alert band used to communicate caution and warn staff that a person is at risk for falling.

Purple Wristband

A color-coded wristband signifying that a patient or resident has a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order.

Pink Wristband

A color-coded limb alert band warning that an arm or leg must not be used for blood pressure measurements, blood draws, or intravenous infusions.

Incident

Any unexpected event that has harmed or could potentially harm a patient, resident, visitor, or staff member.

Fall

Under CMS guidelines, unintentionally coming to rest on the ground, floor, or other lower level without the involvement of overwhelming external force.

Position Change Alarm

A physical or electronic device, such as a sensor pad or motion detector, that monitors a person's movements and sounds an alert to notify staff that the person is attempting to rise.

Bed Rail

A device serving as a guard along the side of a bed, which is classified as a restraint if it prevents the individual from freely getting out of bed.

Transfer Belt (Gait Belt)

A supportive device applied around a person's waist over clothing to assist and steady them during transfers or ambulation.

Physical Restraint

Any manual method, mechanical device, or material attached or adjacent to a person's body that cannot be easily removed and restricts freedom of movement or normal access to one's body.

Chemical Restraint

Any drug used to manage behavior or restrict movement for convenience or discipline that is not a standard treatment for the person's medical condition.

Enabler

A device that limits movement but is used to promote independence, comfort, or safety, and can be easily removed by the person (such as an unlatched laptop tray).

Strangulation

The most serious and potentially fatal risk associated with the use of restraints, occurring when straps catch or compress the neck and restrict breathing.

Limb Holder

A cloth or leather restraint applied to the wrists or ankles to restrict limb movement and prevent a person from pulling out tubes or devices.

Mitt Restraint

A padded device applied over the hands that prevents finger use and scratching while permitting wrist and arm movement.