N-O

  • Nail care: Cleaning and trimming a resident's fingernails and toenails.

  • Nasal cannula: Two-pronged plastic tubing used to deliver supplemental oxygen into the nostrils.

  • Neglect: Failing to provide needed care, resulting in harm to a resident.

  • Negligence: Failing to act with proper care, leading to accidental injury or mistake.

  • New resident: An individual who has recently admitted into a long-term care facility.

  • Non-contagious disease: An illness that cannot be spread from person to person.

  • Nonverbal communication: Sharing information through gestures, facial expressions, and body language without speaking.

  • Nosocomial: An infection acquired specifically during a hospital or healthcare facility stay.

  • NPO: A medical abbreviation meaning "nothing by mouth."

  • Nurse's station: Central workspace where nursing staff coordinate care and complete paperwork.

  • Nursing assistant behavior: Professional and ethical conduct expected of healthcare staff.

  • Nursing assistant's role: Specific duties and allowed tasks within a CNA's scope of practice.

  • Nutrition: The body's process of taking in and utilizing nutrients for health.

Words Starting with O

  • Objective: Factual information observed or measured, such as a patient's vital signs.

  • OBRA: Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, a federal law establishing standards for nursing homes.

  • Observation: Gathering resident data using sight, hearing, touch, or smell.

  • Ombudsman: Legal advocate who protects residents' rights and investigates facility complaints.

  • Open-ended questions: Prompts requiring descriptive answers rather than simple yes or no responses.

  • Opioids: Strong prescription pain medications carrying high risks of dependency.

  • Oral hygiene: Daily care and cleaning of the mouth, teeth, and gums.

  • Oral temperature: Body temperature measurement taken under the tongue.

  • Orientation: Awareness of one's identity, location, time, and current situation.

  • Osteoporosis: Condition causing bones to become thin, weak, and brittle.

  • Ostomy bag: External collection pouch worn over a stoma to gather bodily waste.

  • Over-bed table: Movable table designed to slide over a resident's lap or bed.

  • Oxygen: Supplemental gas prescribed for residents experiencing breathing difficulties.