Personal Care and Pressure Ulcer Management for Certified Nurse Assistants

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering person-centered personal care, hygiene procedures, bathing guidelines, and pressure ulcer staging for nursing assistant certification.

Person-Centered Care

Care focused on the resident's or patient's emotional needs and preferences consistent with their lifestyle, encouraging maximum independence and offering personal choices.

Safety Razor Protocol

The shaving technique requiring facial warming with a cloth, shaving cream applied approximately $\frac{1}{8}\text{ inch}$ thick, shaving in the direction of hair growth, never recapping the razor, and immediate disposal in a sharps container.

Diabetic Toenail Care Restriction

A mandatory rule prohibiting nursing assistants from cutting the toenails of diabetic residents; nail trimming must be performed solely by a nurse or podiatrist.

Dressing Protocol (Weak Side)

The standard procedural rule when assisting a resident with clothing: dress the weak side first, and undress the weak side last.

Bed Bath Water Temperature

The specific designated water temperature for administering a bed bath, established at $115^\circ\text{F}$.

Partial Bed Bath

A bed bath procedure limited to washing only the resident's face, hands, underarms, and genital/perineal area.

Tub Bath Water Temperature

The designated water temperature for a resident tub or whirlpool bath, specified at $105^\circ\text{F}$.

Tub Bath Duration Limit

The safety limitation restricting a resident's tub immersion to $10\text{--}15\text{ minutes}$ to avoid faintness caused by peripheral blood vessel dilation.

Bathing Environment Room Temperature

The ambient temperature required for tub and shower areas, which must be kept between $75\text{--}80^\circ\text{F}$ and free of drafts.

Pressure Ulcer

A localized injury to the skin, underlying tissue, or both, typically developing over a bony prominence due to pressure or pressure combined with shear.

Stage 1 Pressure Ulcer

A non-open skin sore displaying localized redness that does not blanch when pressed, may be warmer than adjacent skin, and can be tender or painful.

Stage 2 Pressure Ulcer

A break in the skin resulting in an abrasion, shallow crater, or clear fluid-filled blister that wears into deeper cutaneous layers and is usually tender and painful.

Stage 3 Pressure Ulcer

A full-thickness skin injury extending into underlying tissue to form a small crater where subcutaneous fat may be exposed, but bone, tendon, and muscle are not visible.

Stage 4 Pressure Ulcer

An extremely deep pressure injury extending through deep tissues into muscle and bone, presenting severe risks of osteomyelitis or systemic blood infection.

Deep Tissue Injury

Suspected internal pressure-related damage where the surface skin remains unbroken, but tissues beneath the surface have sustained significant harm.

Unstageable Pressure Injury

A pressure wound whose true depth cannot be assessed because the wound bed is covered by pus and devitalized tissue appearing yellow, grey, green, brown, or black.

Bony Prominences

Anatomical sites where bones lie close to the skin surface (such as the sacrum, heels, elbows, occiput, and ischial tuberosities), predisposing them to ulceration from concentrated pressure.

Pressure Ulcer Repositioning Schedule

The standard clinical intervention requiring caregivers to reposition dependent or immobile residents at least every $2\text{ hours}$ to prevent pressure injuries.

High-Risk Oral Care Protocol

The requirement to swab or clean the mouth every $2\text{ hours}$ with the resident's head turned to the side for comatose, NPO, tube-fed, or oxygen-dependent individuals.

Denture Care Guidelines

Cleaning dentures at least twice a day over a sink lined with a washcloth to prevent breakage, followed by storage in warm water or designated soaking solution.

Elimination

The physiological process of ridding the human body of waste products.

Incontinence

The loss of voluntary control over urination or defecation.

Perineal Care

The sanitary cleaning of the private genital and anal areas, performed at least daily and after each bowel or urinary incontinence episode using a fresh section of cloth per wipe.

Fracture Pan

A lower-profile, specialized bedpan used for elimination when a resident is unable to elevate their hips onto a regular bedpan.