CNA-Unit 1

Acute illness

an illness of rapid onset and short duration; the person is expected to recover

chronic illness

a long-term health condition that may not have a cure; it can be controlled and complications prevented with proper treatment

hospice

A health care agency or program that promotes comfort and quality of life for the dying person and his or her family

Primary nursing

a nursing care pattern; an RN is responsible for the person's total care

Team nursing

a nursing care pattern; an RN leads a team of nursing staff; the RN decides the amount and kind of care each person needs

terminal illness

An illness or injury from which the person will not likely recover

involuntary Seclusion

separating a person from others against his or her will, keeping the person to a certain area, or keeping the person away from his or her room without consent

Ombudsman

someone who supports or promotes the needs and interests of other people

Certification

official recognition by a state that standards or requirements have been met

Endorsement

a state recognizes the certificate, license, or registration issued by another stat; reciprocity or equivalency

Nursing task

nursing care or a nursing function, procedure, skill, or activity

Accountable

to answer to one's self and others about his or her choices, decisions, and actions

Delegate

to authorize or direct a nursing assistant to perform a nursing task

Abuse

the willful infliction, unreasonable confinement, intimidation, or punishment that results in physical harm, pain, or mental anguish

Assault

intentionally attempting or threatening to touch a person's body without the person's consent

Battery

touching a person's body without his or her consent

Civil Law

laws concerned with relationships between people

Criminal law

laws concerned with offenses against the public and society in general

Ethics

knowledge of what is right conduct and wrong conduct

False imprisonment

unlawful restraint or restriction of a person's freedom of movement

Fraud

saying or doing something to trick, fool, or deceive a person

Malpractice

negligence by a professional person

Negligence

an unintentional wrong in which a person did not act in a responsible and careful manner and a person or the person's property was harmed

standard of care

the skills, care, and judgments required by a health team member under similar conditions

Vulnerable Adult

a person 18 years old or older who has a disability or conditions that makes him or her at risk to be wounded, attacked, or damaged.

Confidentiality

trusting others with personal and private information

Harassment

to trouble, torment, offend, or worry a person by one's behavior or comments

Professionalism

following laws, being ethical, having good work ethics, and having the skills to do your work

Stress

the response or change in the body caused by any emotional, psychological, physical, social, or economic factor

Work Ethics

behavior in the workplace

Bariatrics

the field of medicine focused on the treatment and control of obesity

Body language

messages sent through facial expressions, gestures, posture, hand and body movements, gait, eye contact, and appearance

Comatose

being unable to respond to stimuli

Culture

the characteristics of a group of people-- language, values, beliefs, habits, likes, dislikes, customs-- passed from one generation to the next

Disability

any lost, absent, or impaired physical or mental function

Holism

a concept that considers the whole person; the whole person had physical, social, psychological, and spiritual parts that are woven together and cannot be separated

Nonverbal Communication

communication that does not use words

Obesity

having an excess amount of total body fat; body weight is 20% or more above what is normal for the person's height and age

Obstetrics

the field of medicine concerned with the care of women during pregnancy, labor, and childbirth and for 6 to 8 weeks after birth

Paraphrasing

re-stating the person's message on your own words

Pediatrics

the field of medicine concerned with the growth, development, and care of children--newborns to teenagers

Self-actualization

experiencing ones potential

Self-Esteem

thinking well of oneself and seeing oneself as useful and having value

Verbal Communication

communication that uses written or spoken words

Assessment

collecting info about the person

Evaluation

to measure if goals in the planning step were met

Implementation

to perform or carry out nursing interventions

Medical Record

the legal account of a person's condition and response to treatment and care; chart or clinical record

Nursing Care Plan

a written guide about the person's nursing care; care plan

Nursing Diagnosis

A health problem that can be treated by nursing measures

Nursing Intervention

an action or measure taken by the nursing team to help the person reach a goal; nursing action, nursing measure, nursing task

Nursing Process

the method nurses use to plan and deliver nursing care; its 5 steps are assessment, nursing diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation

Objective data/signs

information that is seen, heard, felt, or smelled by an observer; signs

Observation

using the senses of sight, hearing, touch, and smell to collect info

Planning

setting priorities and goals

Subjective data/symptoms

things a person tells you about that you cannot observe through your senses; symptoms

Anterior

at or toward the front of the body or body part

Distal

the part farthest from the center or from the point of attachment

Lateral

away from the mid-line of the body or body part

Medial

at or near the middle or mid-line of the body or body part

Posterior

at or toward the back of the body or body part

Proximal

the part nearest to the center or to the point of attachment

Artery

a blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart

Capillary

a very tiny blood vessel; nutrients, oxygen, and other substances pass from capillaries into the cells

Cell

the basic unit of body structure

Digestion

the process that breaks down food physically and chemically so it can be absorbed for use by the cells

Immunity

protection against a disease or condition; the person will not get or be affected by the disease

Organ

groups of tissue with the same function

System

organs that work together to perform special functions

Tissue

a group of cells with similar functions

Vein

a blood vessel that returns blood to the heart

Atrophy

the decrease in size or wasting away of tissue

Geriatrics

the care of aging people

Gerontology

the study of the aging process

Assisted living

a housing option for older persons who need help with activities of daily living but do not need 24-hour nursing care and supervision

Service Plan

a written plan listing the services needed, the help needed, and who provides services