Summer Vocabulary Heath Science Practicum I

Abduction

movement of a body part away from the body

Adduction

movement of a body part toward the body

Acute care

care of people having an acute or short illness

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD)

a brain disease of later life that is characterized by changes in brain tissue with gradual loss of memory and mental abilities

ADL

Activities of Daily Living; all of the activities people do for themselves each day, like brushing teeth, bathing, dressing, toileting, and eating

Advance Directive

in health care, identifies the resident’s wishes during an emergency regarding lifesaving efforts

Airborne precautions

actions taken to minimize the transmission of infectious agents that remain infectious when suspended in the air

Ambulation

the ability to walk from place to place independently with or without an assistive device

AMA

against medical advice

Anatomical Position

body is standing in a position with arms at the sides and palms turned forward, head and feet turned forward

Anterior vs. posterior

front, in front of, ventral; back, in back of, dorsal

Anuria

absence of urine or a very small amount of urine (under 100cc) in a 24 hour period

Aphasia

absence of speaking

Apical pulse

number of heartbeats heard when using a stethoscope over the heart on left side of the chest

Apnea

absence of breathing

Aspiration

person takes food, fluid, or an object into the airway and the lungs

Assisted living

a setting for people who require a certain amount of supervised assistance in meeting basic needs, but less assistance than a long term care facility (skilled facility)

Atrophy

a wasting, weakening, or decrease in size of a muscle due to disease, injury, or lack of use

AX

temperature taken at the axilla (underarm area)

Bed bath

bath given to a resident in bed

Bed pad

protective covering (waterproof) used for incontinence; it is placed on top of the bottom sheet in the bed (also called linen protector, incontinent pad, Chux)

Bedpan

piece of equipment, usually plastic, used to collect urine and feces

b.i.d.

twice a day

Biohazard containers

dispose of equipment and supplies contaminated with infectious waste (blood, bodily fluids)

Biohazardous Waste

items that are contaminated with blood, bodily fluids, feces, or other body substances that may be harmful

Bloodborne Pathogens

microorganisms that are present in human blood and can cause disease

Bony prominences

elbows, shoulder blades, tailbone, hip bones, ankles, heels

Blood Pressure (BP)

the force of the blood against the artery walls as the heart beats

BPM

beats per minute

Brachial pulse

pulse in the upper arm

Bradycardia

slow pulse, heartbeat, under 60 bpm

Care plans

written plans developed by the nurse the outline the steps taken by the staff to reach the goals or outcomes set

cc/ml

cubic centimeter, also milliliters, unit of measurement; 1 oz = 30cc/ml

Chart

written record of all care received within a facility or form used to highlight certain information

Charting

the act of making notes of care and observation; documenting

Chemical restraint

a medication that reduces a person’s ability to move freely

Cheyne Stokes Respiration

a person will have period of apnea lasting at least 10 seconds along with alternating periods of rapid deep breath and slow shallow breathing

Closed bed

bed completely made with bedspread in place; for a resident who will be out of bed all day

Code

when a group of specifically trained staff is called to provide advanced life support to a resident/patient in respiratory and/or cardiac arrest

Colostomy

opening into the colon

Commode

chair containing a bedpan or bucket used to collect urine and feces; usually sits next to the bed

Contact Precautions

measures that are intended to prevent the transmission of infectious agents that are spread by direct or indirect contact with a resident

Contractures

abnormal shortening of a muscle resulting in the disability of a limb; permanent shortening of the muscle

CVA

cerebrovascular accident — medical term for a stroke; blood flow to a part of your brain is stopped either by a blockage or rupture of a blood vessel

Cyanosis

blue, gray, or purple tinge to the skin due to lack of oxygen in the blood

Cystis

inflammation of the bladder

D.A.T.

diet as tolerated

Dangling

position with the resident sitting to the side of the bed with legs over the side

Decubitus ulcer

pressure sore or bed sore

Delegation

the assignment of any responsibility to another person to carry out specific tasks, such as a nurse assigning a nurse aide care skills for residents

Dementia

loss of mental abilities, such as thinking, remembering, reasoning, and communicating; decline in a person’s mental ability that is severe enough to interfere with their daily life

Dementia with Lewy Bodies

the third most common type of dementia that shows Lewy bodies, which are abnormal clumps of the protein alpha-synuclein that develop in the cortex of the brain

Dentures

artificial teeth

Dermatitis

inflammation of the skin

Diaphoretic

heavy sweating or perspiration

Discharge

when a resident leaves a facility or unit

Disoriented

not aware of person, place, or time

Draw sheet

half-sheet used for lifting and moving residents

Droplet Precautions

actions designed to reduce of prevent the transmission of pathogens spread through close respiratory secretions

Dysphagia

difficulty swallowing

Dyspnea

difficulty breathing

Dysuria

painful urination

Edema

swelling of body tissues due to accumulation of fluids

Elder abuse

seven types of abuse of the elderly include psychological or verbal abuse, physical abuse and neglect, sexual abuse, domestic abuse, involuntary seclusion, financial abuse, and exploitation

Emesis

vomiting

Encephalitis

inflammation of the brain

Endoscope

instrument for examining the inside of an organ

Enema

introduction of fluid into the colon through the rectum to cleanse the colon of feces

Etiology

factors involved in causing a disease

Expiration

when air is removed from the lungs during breathing

°F

degrees fahrenheit

Fecal impaction

inability to pass stool because it has formed into a large mass, usually toward the lower part of the colon

Flexion vs. Extension

bending a body part; straightening a body part

Foley catheter

flexible tool that is passed through the urethra and into the bladder to drain urine; indwelling urinary catheter

Fowler’s

head of the bed is usually elevated to a 45-75° angle, knees may be slightly bent

Gait

manner of walking

Gait belt

transfer belt used to assist with walking

Gastritis

inflammation of the stomach (not the abdomen)

Geriatric chair

a special chair with an attached lap table

Glycosuria

glucose (sugar) in the urine

Graduate

measuring container with markings for ounces (oz.) and cubic centimeters (cc)/milliliters (ml); used for measuring body fluids

Hand Hygene

washing hands with water and soap/detergent containing an antiseptic agent or thoroughly and correctly applying an Alcohol Based Sanitizer

“Hat”

specimen pen, usually plastic, used to collect and measure urine and stool from the toilet

Hearing impaired

unable to hear adequately; loss of some or all ability to hear sounds

HIPAA

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996; a law which protects the privacy of individually identifiable health information

Hematuria

blood in the urine

Hemiplegia

paralysis on one side of the body

Hemoccult

test performed to check for occult blood in the stool

Hemorrhage

excessive flow of blood, severe bleeding

Holistic health

care involving the entire person, including their physical, emotional, spiritual, and social needs

Hypertension

high blood pressure

Hypotension

low blood pressure

I & O

intake and output

Incident report

a report completed whenever an accident or injury occurs to a resident, staff member, or a visitor that documents the incident along with the response to the incident

Incontinent

lack of voluntary control of urine or bowel movements

Ischemia

decreased blood supply to a tissue involves the gradual death of cells and may lead to complete tissue death

Isolation

practices employed to reduce the spread of infectious organisms, usually including the separation of the resident with an easily transmitted disease from other residents

-itis

inflammation

IV

intravenous; into a vein

Laparoscopy

visualization of the abdominal cavity by means of an endoscope