CNA Key Terms Flashcards

Flashcards for reviewing key medical terms

ABRASION

A partial-thickness wound caused by the scraping away or rubbing of the skin.

ABUSE

The willful infliction or injury, unreasonable confinement, intimidation, or punishment that results in physical harm, pain, or mental anguish, depriving the person of needed goods or services.

ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING

The activities necessary for the client to fulfill basic human needs (toileting, eating, dressing, hygiene).

ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

A progressive degenerative illness causing loss of memory and mental capacity.

AMPUTATION

The surgical procedure in which a limb or part of a limb is removed.

ANTERIOR

At or toward the front of the body or body part, ventral.

ANURIA

No urinary output.

APHASIA

Impaired or lost ability to communicate through speech due to dysfunction of brain centers; a language disorder resulting from damage to parts of the brain responsible for language.

APNEA

Absence of breathing or respirations.

ASEPSIS

Being free of disease-producing microbes.

ASSAULT

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

ASSESSMENT

Collecting information about the person, a step in the nursing process.

ATROPHY

Shrink; the decrease in size of the wasting away of tissue.

ACCOUNTABLE

Being responsible for one's actions and the actions of others who performed the delegated tasks, answering questions about and explaining one's actions and the actions of others.

AMBULATION

The act of walking.

ANTISEPTIC

A product/technique preventing, stopping, or slowing the growth of microorganisms or pathogens.

ANXIETY

A vague, uneasy feeling in response to stress.

ARTHRITIS

Joint Inflammation

ACUTE PAIN

Pain that is felt suddenly from injury, disease, trauma, or surgery.

ARTERY

A blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart.

ASPIRATION

Breathing fluid, food, vomitus, or an object into the lungs.

BATTERY

Touching a person's body without his or her consent.

BODY LANGUAGE

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

BODY MECHANICS

The techniques used to get the most effective and least taxing body movements; bending the knees when lifting to avoid unnecessary strain to the back and legs is an example.

BLOOD PRESSURE

The force exerted by the blood on the wall of the blood vessels.

BONY PROMINENCE

Areas of the body where bones protrude.

BRADYCARDIA

An extremely slow heartbeat.

CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION

A restoring of respiration's and heartbeat by artificial means.

COGNITIVE

Relates to thinking.

CHEYNE-STOKES RESPIRATIONS

Respirations gradually increase in rate and depth and then become shallow and slow, breathing may stop for 10-20 seconds.

CHRONIC PAIN

Pain lasting longer that 6 months, it is constant or occurs off and on.

COLOSTOMY

The removal of the diseased area of the gastrointestinal tract and making an external opening on the abdomen called a stoma.

CONFIDENTIALITY

Trusting others with personal and private information.

CONTAGIOUS

Refers to diseases that can spread rapidly from one person to another, a communicable disease.

CONTRACTURE

The lack of joint mobility caused by abnormal shortening of a muscle.

CONTUSION

A Closed wound caused by a blow to the body, a bruise.

CONSTRICT

To narrow.

CONTINENT

Ability to control the passage of stool and urine.

CONTAMINATED

That which is dirty and contains pathogens which may lead to infection.

COMMUNICATION

The exchange of information, a message sent is received and correctly interpreted by the intended person.

COMMUNICABLE DISEASE

A disease caused by pathogens that spread easily, a contagious disease.

CULTURE

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

CYANOSIS

Bluish color.

DELEGATE

To authorize another person to perform a nursing task in a certain situation.

DELUSION

A false belief.

DEMENTIA

The loss of cognitive function that interferes with routine personal, social, and occupational activities.

DEPRESSION

A mental state characterized by loss of hope, feelings of rejection, generalized sadness and in some cases the inability to function.

DENIAL

Refusal to accept a fact.

DIABETES

A chronic disorder related to metabolism. It is caused by the inadequate functioning of the islet of Langerhans in the Pancreas which produces insulin.

DIARRHEA

Condition in which stools are watery and frequent.

DIASTOLIC

Measurement of blood pressure when the heart is relaxing.

DILATE

To expand or open wider.

DISABILITY

Any lost, absent, or impaired physical or mental function.

DISTAL

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

DISINFECTION

The process of destroying pathogens.

DISORIENTED

Confused or mixed up, a loss of awareness to time, place or identity.

DYSURIA

Painful or difficult urination.

DYSPNEA

Difficult or labored respiration.

EDEMA

The swelling of legs and or arms or other body parts when water is being retained unnaturally.

EMBOLUS

A blood clot that travels through the vascular system until it lodges in a blood vessel.

EMESIS

Vomitus.

EMPATHY

The ability to observe and share the feelings of others in a supportive manner.

ENDOCRINE

A body system made up of ductless glands which secrete hormones directly into the blood and lymph system.

ETHICS

Knowledge of what is right conduct and wrong conduct.

EVALUATION

To measure if goals in the planning step were met, a step in the nursing process.

EXTENSION

Straightening a body part.

ENTERNAL NUTRITION

Giving nutrients into the gastrointestinal tract in the stomach, stomach tube.

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.

FOWLERS POSITION

A semi-sitting position, the head of the bed is raised 45 and 60 degrees.

GERIATRICS

The branch of medicine concerned with the problems and diseases of old age and older persons.

HARRASSMENT

To trouble, considerate, or helpful comment or act.

HAZARD

Anything in the person's setting that may cause injury or illness.

HEMIPLEGIA

Paralysis on one rise of the body.

HIGH FOWLERS POSITION

A semi sitting position. The head of the bed is raised 60 to 90 degrees

HOSPICE

A health care agency or program for persons who are dying.

HYPERTENSION

The systolic pressure is 140mm HG or higher or the diastolic pressure is 90 mmHG or higher, high blood pressure.

HYPOXEMIA

A reduced amount of oxygen in the blood.

HYPERGLYCEMIA

High sugar in the blood

HYPOGLYCEMIA

Low sugar in the blood.

INCIDENT

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

INFECTION

A disease state resulting from the invasion and growth of microbes in the body.

INFECTION CONTROL

Practices and procedures that prevent the spread of infection.

INVOLUNTARY SECLUSION

Separating a person from others against his or her will, keeping the person to a certain area, or keeping the person easy from his or her own room without consent.

INVASION OF PRIVACY

Violating a person's right not to have his or her name, photo, or private affair exposed or made public without giving consent.

ISOLATION

Procedure whereby the client is kept away from others to prevent the spread a contagious disease.

LATERAL

Away from the mid-line, at the side of the body or body part.

LETHARGY

A state of unnatural tiredness, feelings of exhaustion and sleepiness.

LIABILITY

Something for which a person has a responsibility or duty.

LIBEL

Making false statements in print, writing, or through pictures or drawings.

MEDIAL

At or near the middle or mid-line of the body or body part.

MEDICAID

Federally and state funded program that pays medical costs for those whose income is below a certain level.

MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS

The identification of a disease or condition by a doctor.

MEDICAL RECORD

A written or electronic account of a person's condition and response to treatment and are, chart or clinical record.

MICROBE

A microorganism.

MICROORGANISM

A small living plant or animal seen only with a microscope, a microbe.

NECROSIS

Death of tissue.

NEGLIGENCE

An unintentional wrong in which a person did not act in a reasonable and careful manner and a person or person's property was harmed.

NEGLECT

Failure to provide the person with the goods or services needed to avoid physical harm, mental anguish, or mental illness.

NURSING ASSISTANT

A person who has passed a nursing assistant training and competency evaluations program; performs delegated nursing tasks under the supervision of a licensed nurse.