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484 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Caregiver
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A role that has traditionally included those activities that assist the client physically and psychologically while preserving the client's dignity.
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Case manager
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A nurse who works with the multidisciplinary health care team to measure the effectiveness of the case management plan and monitor outcomes.
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Change agent
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A person (or group) who initiates changes or who assists others in making modifications in themselves or in the system.
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Clara Barton
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A schoolteacher who volunteered as a nurse during the Civil War. Most notably, she organized the American Red Cross, which linked with the International Red Cross when the U.S. Congress ratified the Geneva Convention in 1882.
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Client
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A person who engages the advice or services of another person who is qualified to provide this service.
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Client advocate
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An individual who pleads the cause of clients' rights.
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Communicator
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Nurses identify client problems and then communicate these verbally or in writing to other members of the health team.
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Consumer
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An individual, a group of people, or a community that uses a service or commodity.
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Counseling
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The process of helping a client to recognize and cope with stressful psychologic or social problems, to develop improved interpersonal relationships, and to promote personal growth.
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Demography
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The study of population, including statistics about distribution by age and place of residence, mortality, and morbidity.
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Florence Nightingale
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Considered the founder of modern nursing, she was influential in developing nursing education, practice, and administration.
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Governance
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The establishment and maintenance of social, political, and economic arrangements by which practitioners control their practice, self-discipline, working conditions, and professional affairs.
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Harriet Tubman
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Known as "The Moses of Her People" for her work with the Underground Railroad. During the Civil War she nursed the sick and suffering of her own race.
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Knights of Saint Lazarus
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An order of knights that dedicated themselves to the care of people with leprosy, syphilis, and chronic skin conditions.
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Lavinia L. Dock
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A nursing leader and suffragist who was active in the protest movement for women's rights that resulted in the U.S. Constitution amendment allowing women to vote in 1920.
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Leader
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A person who influences others to work together to accomplish a specific goal.
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Lillian Wald
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Founded the Henry Street Settlement and Visiting Nurse Service which provided nursing and social services and organized educational and cultural activities. She is considered the founder of public health nursing.
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Manager
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One who is appointed to a position in an organization which gives the power to guide and direct the work of others.
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Margaret Sanger
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Considered the founder of Planned Parenthood, was imprisoned for opening the first birth control information clinic in Baltimore in 1916.
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Mary Breckinridge
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A nurse who practiced midwivery in England, Australia, and New Zealand, founded the Frontier Nursing Service in Kentucky in 1925 to provide family-centered primary health care to rural populations.
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Patient
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A person who is waiting for or undergoing medical treatment and care.
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Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA)
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Legislation requiring that every competent adult be informed in writing upon admission to a health care institution about his or her rights to accept or refuse medical care and to use advance directives.
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Profession
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An occupation that requires extensive education or a calling that requires special knowledge, skill, and preparation.
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Professionalism
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A set of attributes, a way of life that implies responsibility and commitment.
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Professionalization
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The process of becoming professional; acquiring characteristics considered to be professional.
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Sairy Gamp
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A character in Dickens book, Martin Chizzlewit, who represented the negative image of nurses in the early 1800s.
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Socialization
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A process by which a person learns the ways of a group or society in order to become a functioning participant.
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Sojourner Truth
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An abolitionist, Underground Railroad agent, preacher, and women's rights advocate, she was a nurse for over 4 years during the Civil War and worked as a nurse and counselor for the Freedman's Relief Association after the war.
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Standards of clinical nursing practice
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Descriptions of the responsibilities for which nurses are accountable.
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Teacher
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A nurse who helps clients learn about their health and the health care procedures they need to perform to restore or maintain their health.
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Telecommunications
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The transmission of information from one site to another, using equipment to transmit information in the forms of signs, signals, words, or pictures by cable, radio, or other systems.
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Confidentiality
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Any information a subject relates will not be made public or available to others without the subject's consent.
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Continuing education (CE)
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Formalized experiences designed to enlarge the knowledge or skills of practitioners.
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Dependent variable
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The behavior, characteristic, or outcome that the researcher wishes to explain or predict.
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Descriptive statistics
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Procedures that summarize large volumes of data; used to describe and synthesize data, showing patterns and trends.
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Empirical data
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Information collected from the observable world.
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Ethnography
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Research that provides a framework to focus on the culture of a group of people.
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Feasibility
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The availability of time as well as the material and human resources needed to investigate a research problem or question.
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Full disclosure
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A basic right, which means that deception, either by withholding information about a client's participation in a study or by giving the client false or misleading information about what participating in the study will involve, must not occur.
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Grounded theory
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Research to understand social structures and social processes; this method focuses on generation of categories or hypotheses that explain patterns of behavior of people in the study.
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Independent variable
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The presumed cause or influence on the dependent variable.
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In-service education
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Education that is designed to upgrade the knowledge or skills of employees.
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Mean
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A measure of central tendency, computed by summing all scores and dividing by the number of subjects; commonly symbolized as X or M.
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Measures of central tendency
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Measures that describe the center of a distribution of data, denoting where most of the subjects lie; include the mean, median, and mode.
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Measures of variability
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Measures that indicate the degree of dispersion or spread of the data; include range, variance, and standard deviation.
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Median
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A measure of central tendency, representing the exact middle score or value in a distribution of scores; the median is the value above and below which 50% of the scores lie.
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Mode
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The score or value that occurs most frequently in a distribution of scores.
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Operational definitions
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Definitions that specify the instruments or procedures by which concepts will be measured.
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Phenomenology
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Research that investigates people's life experiences and who they interpret those experiences.
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Population
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Includes all possible members of the group who meet the criteria for the study.
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Range
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A measure of variability, consisting of the difference between the highest and lowest values in a distribution of scores.
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Reliability
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The degree to which an instrument produces consistent results on repeated use.
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Researchability
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The problem can be subjected to scientific investigation.
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Right of self-determination
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Subjects feel free from constraints, coercion, or any undue influence to participate in a study.
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Risk of harm
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Exposure to the possibility of injury going beyond everyday situations.
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Sample
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Segment of the population from whom the data will actually be collected.
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Significance
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The potential to contribute to nursing science by enhancing client care, testing or generating a theory, or resolving a day-to-day clinical problem.
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Standard deviation
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The most frequently used measure of variability, indicating the average to which scores deviate from the mean; commonly symbolized as SD or S.
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Statistically significant
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After data has been analyzed to determine whether the results were a probability less than 0.05, which is considered the acceptable level of significance.
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Validity
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The degree to which an instrument measures what it is intended to measure.
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Variance
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A variation or deviation from a critical pathway; goals not met or interventions not performed according to the time frame.
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Concepts
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Abstract ideas or mental images of phenomena or reality.
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Conceptual framework
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A group of related concepts.
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Conceptual model
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A graphic illustration of the relationships between concepts.
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Critical theory
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Describes theories that help elucidate how social structures affect a wide variety of human experiences from art to social practices.
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Environment
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All the conditions, circumstances, and influences surrounding and affecting the development of an organism or person.
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Grand theories
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Articulate a broad range of the significant relationships among the concepts of a discipline.
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Health
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A state of being physically fit, mentally stable, and socially comfortable; it encompasses more than the state of being free of disease.
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Metaparadigm
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Originates from Greek: meta, meaning "with," and paradigm, meaning "pattern;" based on four theoretical concepts of nursing: person, environment, health, and nursing.
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Midlevel theories
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Focus on exploration of concepts such as pain, self-esteem, learning, and hardiness.
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Nursing
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The attributes, characteristics, and actions of the nurse providing care on behalf of, or in conjunction with, the client.
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Paradigm
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A pattern of shared understandings and assumptions about reality and the world.
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Philosophy
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An early effort to define phenomena and serves as the basis for later theoretical formulations.
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Practice disciplines
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Fields of study in which the central focus is performance of professional role (nursing, teaching, management, music).
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Theory
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A system of ideas that is proposed to explain a given phenomenon (eg, theory of gravity).
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Case management
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A method for delivering nursing care in which the nurse is responsible for a case load of clients across the health care continuum.
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Coinsurance
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An insurance plan where the client pays a percentage of the payment and some other group (eg, employer, government) pays the additional percentage.
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Diagnosis-related groups (DRGs)
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A Medicare payments system to hospitals and physicians which establishes fees according to diagnosis.
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Health care system
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The totality of services offered by all health disciplines.
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Health maintenance organization (HMO)
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A group health care agency that provides basic and supplemental health maintenance and treatment services to voluntary enrollees.
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Independent practice association (IPA)
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Provide care in offices, clients pay a fixed prospective payment and IPA pays the provider. Earnings or losses are assumed by the IPA.
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Integrated delivery systems (IDS)
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Systems that incorporates acute care services, home health care, extended and skilled care facilities, and outpatient services.
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Licensed vocational (practical) nurse (LVN/LPN)
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A nurse who practices under the supervision of a registered nurse, providing basic direct technical care to clients.
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Managed care
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A method of organizing care delivery that emphasizes communication and coordination of care among all health care team members.
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Medicaid
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A United States federal public assistance program paid out of general taxes and administered through the individual states to provide health care for those who require financial assistance.
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Medicare
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A national and state health insurance program for United States residents over 65 years of age.
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Patient-focused care
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Delivery model that brings all services and care providers to the client.
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Preferred provider arrangements (PPA)
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Similar to PPOs but PPAs can contract with individual health care providers; the plan can be limited or unlimited.
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Preferred provider organization(PPO)
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A group of physicians or a hospital that provides companies with health services at a discounted rate.
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Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
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Special payments for people with disabilities, those who are blind, people who are not eligible for Social Security; these payments are not restricted to health care costs.
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Collaboration
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A collegial working relationship with another health care provider in the provision of client care.
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Community nursing centers (CNCs)
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Provide primary care to specific populations and are staffed by nurse practitioners and community health nurses.
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Community-based health care (CBHC)
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A system that provides health-related services within the context of people's daily lives; that is, in places where people spend their time in the community.
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Community-based nursing (CBN)
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Nursing care directed toward a specific population or group within the community; primary, secondary, or tertiary care may be provided to individuals or groups.
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Continuity of care
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The coordination of health care services by health care providers for clients moving from one health care setting to another and between and among health care professionals.
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Integrated health care system
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One that makes all levels of care available in an integrated form--primary care, secondary care, and tertiary care.
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Primary care (PC)
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The point of entry into the health care system at which initial health care is given.
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Primary health care (PHC)
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Essential health care based on practical, scientifically sound and socially acceptable methods and technology made universally accessible to individuals and families in the community through their full participation and at a cost that the community and country can afford to maintain at every stage of their development in the spirit of self-reliance and self-determinations.
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Team nursing
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The delivery of individualized nursing care to clients by a team led by a professional nurse.
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Caregiver role strain
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Physical, emotional, social, and financial burdens that can seriously jeopardize the caregiver's own health and well-being.
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Durable medical equipment companies (DMEs)
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Companies that provide health care equipment for the client at home.
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Home care
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Providing care in the clients' home.
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Home care nursing
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See home health nursing.
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Home health clinical specialist
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Advanced nurse practitioner who can provide direct care, manage client care, and engage in consulting, education, administrative, and research activities.
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Home health nursing
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Services and products provided to clients in their homes that are needed to maintain, restore, or promote their physical, psychological, and social well-being.
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Hospice nursing
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Care frequently given to terminally ill clients in their home; often considered a subspecialty of public health nursing.
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Visiting nursing
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Delivery of services in the client's home.
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Central processing unit (CPU)
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The processor/microprocessor that performs the computer program instructions, located in the box that contains the computer hardware.
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Compact disc (CD)
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A thin optical disk that can be read by the laser in a computer's CD-ROM drive.
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Computer-based patient record (CPR)
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The accumulation of large amounts of data that are stored over time.
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Database
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All information about a client, includes nursing health history and physical assessment, physician's history and physical examination, laboratory and diagnostic test results.
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Digital video disc (DVD)
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Stores and plays digital information, such as a movie; similar in size to CD-ROM.
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Distance learning
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Learning in which people communicate effectively across long distances.
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Electronic medical records (EMRs)
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See computer-based patient records (CPR).
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Hardware
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The physical parts of the computer.
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Hospital information system (HIS)
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Hospital information systems.
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Internet
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A worldwide computer network.
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Local area network (LAN)
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Personal computers (PC) linked directly to or nearby PCs and servers by wires or wireless communication devices.
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Management information systems (MIS)
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An expert who combines computer, information, and nursing science, develops policies and procedures that promote effective use of computerized records by nurses and other health care professionals.
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Nursing informatics
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The science of using computer information systems in the practice of nursing.
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Online
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Connected to a computer network.
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Peripherals
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At the edge or outward boundary.
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Personal computer (PC)
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Individual microcomputer system referred to as a desktop, portable, laptop, notebook, or handheld computer.
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Random access memory (RAM)
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Data and instructions stored on chips; RAM storage is temporary and lost when the computer is turned off.
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Read-only memory (ROM)
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Program and information stored on chips that cannot be altered by the user.
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Spreadsheet
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Programs that manipulate primarily numbers.
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Telemedicine
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Technology used to transmit electronic medical data about clients to persons at distant locations.
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Wide area network (WAN)
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Computers linked across large distances.
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World wide web (www)
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Refers to the complex links among webpages or websites, accessed through "addresses" called universal resource locators (URLs).
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Creativity
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Thinking that results in the development of new ideas and products.
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Critical analysis
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A set of questions one can apply to a particular situation or idea to determine essential information and ideas and discard superfluous information and ideas.
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Critical thinking
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A cognitive process that includes creativity, problem solving, and decision making.
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Decision making
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The process of establishing criteria by which alternative courses of action are developed and selected.
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Deductive reasoning
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Making specific observations from a generalization.
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Inductive reasoning
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Making generalizations from specific data.
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Intuition
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The understanding or learning of things without the conscious use of reasoning.
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Nursing process
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A systematic rational method of planning and providing nursing care.
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Problem solving
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Obtaining information that clarifies the nature of the problem and suggests possible solutions.
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Socratic questioning
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A technique one can use to look beneath the surface, recognize and examine assumptions, search for inconsistencies, examine multiple points of view, and differentiate what one knows from what one merely believes.
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Assessing
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The process of collecting, organizing, validating, and recording data (information) about a client's health status.
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Cephalocaudal
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Proceeding in the direction from head to toe.
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Closed questions
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Restrictive question requiring only a short answer.
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Covert data (symptoms, subjective data)
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Information (data) apparent only to the person affected that can be described or verified only by that person.
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Cues
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Any piece of information or data that influences decisions.
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Data
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Information
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Directive interview
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A highly structured interview that uses closed questions to elicit specific information.
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Inferences
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Interpretations or conclusions made based on cues or observed data.
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Interview
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A planned communication; a conversation with a purpose.
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Leading question
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A question that influences the client to give a particular answer.
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Neutral question
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A question that does not direct or pressure a client to answer in a certain way.
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Nondirective interview
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An interview using open-ended questions and empathetic responses to build rapport and learn client concerns.
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Objective data
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Information (data) that is detectable by an observer or can be tested against an accepted standard; can be seen, heard, felt, or smelled.
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Open-ended questions
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Questions that specify only the broad topic to be discussed and invite clients to discover and explore their thoughts and feelings about the topic.
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Overt data
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See Objective data.
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Rapport
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A relationship between two or more people of mutual trust and understanding.
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Review of systems
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See Screening examination.
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Screening examination (review of systems)
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A brief review of essential functioning of various body parts or systems.
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Signs
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See Overt data.
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Subjective data
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Data that are apparent only to the person affected; can be described or verified only by that person.
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Symptoms
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See Covert data.
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Validation
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The determination that the diagnosis accurately reflects the problem of the client, that the methods used for data gathering were appropriate, and that the conclusion or diagnosis is justified by the data.
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Defining characteristics
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Client signs and symptoms that must be present to validate a nursing diagnosis.
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Dependent functions
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With regard to medical diagnoses, physician-prescribed therapies and treatments nurses are obligated to carry out.
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Diagnosis
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A statement or conclusion concerning the nature of some phenomenon.
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Diagnostic label
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Title used in writing a nursing diagnosis; taken from the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association's (NANDA) standardized taxonomy of terms.
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Independent functions
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An activity that the nurse is licensed to initiate as a result of the nurse's own knowledge and skills.
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Norm
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An ideal or fixed standard; an expected standard of behavior of group members.
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Nursing diagnosis
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The nurse's clinical judgment about individual, family, or community responses to actual and potential health problems/life processes to provide the basis for selecting nursing interventions to achieve outcomes for which the nurse is accountable.
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PES format
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The three essential components of nursing diagnostic statements including the terms describing the problem, the etiology of the problem, and the defining characteristics or cluster of signs and symptoms.
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Possible nursing diagnosis
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One in which evidence about a health problem is incomplete or unclear.
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Qualifiers
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Words that have been added to some NANDA labels to give additional meaning to the diagnostic statement.
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Risk nursing diagnosis
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Clinical judgment that a problem does not exist, but the presence of risk factors indicates that a problem is likely to develop unless nurses intervene.
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Standard
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A generally accepted rule, model, pattern, or measure.
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Syndrome diagnosis
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A diagnosis that is associated with a cluster of other diagnoses.
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Taxonomy
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A classification system or set of categories, such as nursing diagnoses, arranged on the basis of a single principle or consistent set of principles.
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Assignment
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A downward or lateral transfer of both the responsibility and accountability of an activity from one individual to another.
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Collaborative care plan
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See Critical pathway.
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Collaborative interventions
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Actions the nurse carries out in collaboration with other health team members, such as physical therapists, social workers, dietitians, and physicians.
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Critical pathway
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Multidisciplinary guidelines for client care based on specific medical diagnoses designed to achieve predetermined outcomes.
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Dependent interventions
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Those activities carried out on the order of the physician, under the physician's supervision, or according to specified routines.
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Discharge planning
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The process of anticipating and planning for client needs after discharge.
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Formal nursing care plan
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A written or computerized guide that organizes information about the client's care.
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Goals/desired outcomes
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A part of a care plan that describes in terms of observable client responses, what the nurse hopes to achieve by implementing the nursing interventions.
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Independent interventions
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Activities that the nurse is licensed to initiate as a result of the nurse's own knowledge and skills.
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Indicator
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An observable patient state, behavior, or self-reported perception or Evaluationsimilar to desired outcomes in traditional language.
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Individualized care plan
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A plan tailored to meet the unique needs of a specific client--needs that are not addressed by the standardized plan.
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Informal plan
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A strategy for action that exists in the nurse's mind.
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Multidisciplinary care plan
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A standardized plan that outlines the care required for clients with common, predictable--usually medical--conditions.
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Nursing interventions
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Any treatments, based upon clinical judgment and knowledge, that a nurse performs to enhance patient/client outcomes.
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Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC)
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A taxonomy of nursing interventions developed by the Iowa Intervention Project.
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Nursing orders
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Instructions written on the care plan to direct the specific nursing activities that help the client achieve desired outcomes/goals.
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Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC)
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A taxonomy for describing client outcomes that respond to nursing interventions.
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Policies
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Rules developed to govern the handling of frequently occurring situations.
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Priority setting
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The process of establishing a preferential order for nursing strategies.
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Procedures
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Steps used in carrying out policies or activities.
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Protocols
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A predetermined and preprinted plan specifying the procedure to be followed in a particular situation.
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Rationale
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The scientific reason for selecting a specific action.
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Standardized care plan
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Preprinted guides for giving nursing care of clients with common needs (eg, a nursing diagnosis).
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Standing order
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A written document about policies, rules, regulations, or orders regarding client care; give nurses the authority to carry out specific actions under certain circumstances.
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Activities
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The specific nursing actions needed to carry out the interventions (or nursing orders).
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Cognitive skills
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(Intellectual skills) that include problem solving, decision making, critical thinking, and creativity.
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Evaluating
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A planned ongoing, purposeful activity in which clients and health care professionals.
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Evaluation statement
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A statement that consists of two parts: a conclusion and supporting data.
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Implementing
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The phase of the nursing process in which the nursing care plan is put into action.
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Interpersonal skills
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All the verbal and nonverbal activities people use when communicating directly with one another.
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Outcome evaluation
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Focuses on demonstrable changes in the client's health status as result of nursing care.
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Process evaluation
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A component of quality assurance that focuses on how care was given.
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Quality improvement
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An organizational commitment and approach used to continuously improve all processes in the organization with the goal of meeting and exceeding customer expectations and outcomes; also known as total quality management (TQM) and continuous quality improvement (CQI).
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Quality-assurance program
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An ongoing systematic process designed to evaluate and promote excellence in the health care provided to clients.
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Structure evaluation
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Focuses on the setting in which care is given.
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Technical skills
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Hands-on skills such as those required to manipulate equipment, administer injections, and move or reposition patients.
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Change-of-shift report
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A report given to nurses on the next shift.
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Chart
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A formal, legal document that provides evidence of a client's care.
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Charting
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The process of making an entry on a client record.
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Charting by exception (CBE)
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A documentation system in which only significant findings or exceptions to norms are recorded.
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Client record
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See Chart.
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Discussion
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An informal oral consideration of a subject by two or more health care personnel to identify a problem or establish strategies to resolve a problem.
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Documenting
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See Charting or Recording.
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Flowsheet
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A record of the progress of specific or specialized data such as vital signs, fluid balance, or routine medications; often charted in graph form.
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Focus charting
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A method of charting that uses key words or foci to describe what is happening to the client.
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Kardex
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The trade name for a method that makes use of a series of cards to concisely organize and record client data and instructions for daily nursing care--especially care that changes frequently and must be kept up-to-date.
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Narrative charting
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A descriptive record of client data and nursing interventions, written in sentences and paragraphs.
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PIE
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An acronym for a charting model that follows a recording sequence of problems, interventions, and evaluation of the effectiveness of the interventions.
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Problem-oriented medical record (POMR)
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Data about the client are recorded and arranged according to the client's problems, rather than according to the source of the information.
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Problem-oriented record (POR)
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See Problem-oriented medical record (POMR).
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Progress notes
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Chart entries made by a variety of methods and by all health professionals involved in a client's care for the purpose of describing a client's problems, treatments, and progress toward desired outcomes.
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Record
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A written communication providing formal, legal documentation of a client's progress.
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Recording
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The process of making written entries about a client on the medical record.
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Report
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Whether oral or written, it should be concise, including pertinent information but no extraneous detail.
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SOAP
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An acronym for a charting method that follows a recording sequence of subjective data, objective data, assessment, and planning.
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Source-oriented record
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A record in which each person or department makes notations in a separate section or sections of the client's chart.
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Activity theory
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The best way to age is to stay active physically and mentally.
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Cataracts
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Opacity of the lens or capsule of the eye.
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Continuity theory
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People maintain their values, habits, and behavior in old age.
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Dementia
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A global impairment of cognitive function that usually is progressive and may be permanent, interferes with normal social and occupational activities.
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Disengagement theory
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Aging involves mutual withdrawal (disengagement) between the older person and others in the elderly person's environment.
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Frail elderly
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The elderly individual who has significant physiologic and functional impairment, whatever the age.
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Hypothermia
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A core body temperature below the lower limit of normal.
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Kyphosis
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Excessive convex curvature of the thoracic spine.
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Long-term theory
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The repository for information stored for periods longer than 72 hours and usually weeks and years.
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Osteoporosis
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Demineralization of the bone.
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Pathologic fractures
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Spontaneous fractures which elderly persons are more prone.
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Perception
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The ability to interpret the environment through the senses.
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Presbycusis
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Loss of hearing related to aging.
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Recent memory
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Deals with activities or the recent past of minutes to a few hours.
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Sensory memory
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Momentary perception of stimuli by the senses.
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Short-term memory
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Information held in the brain for immediate use or what one has in mind at a given moment.
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Afebrile
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Absence of a fever.
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Apical pulse
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A central pulse located at the apex of the heart.
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Apical-radial pulse
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Measurement of the apical beat and the radial pulse at the same time.
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Apnea
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A complete absence of respirations.
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Arrhythmia
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A pulse with an abnormal rhythm.
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Arterial blood pressure
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The measure of the pressure exerted by the blood as it pulsates through the arteries.
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Arteriosclerosis
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A condition in which the elastic and muscular tissues of the arteries are replaced with fibrous tissue.
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Auscultatory gap
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The temporary disappearance of sounds normally heard over the brachial artery when the sphygmomanometer cuff pressure is high and the sounds reappear at a lower level.
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Basal metabolic rate (BMR)
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The rate of energy utilization in the body required to maintain essential activities such as breathing.
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Body temperature
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The balance between the heat produced by the body and the heat lost from the body.
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Bradycardia
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Abnormally slow pulse rate, less than 60 per minute.
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Bradypnea
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Abnormally slow respiratory rate, usually less than 10 respirations per minute.
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Cardinal signs
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See Vital signs.
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Chemical thermogenesis
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The stimulation of heat production in the body through increased cellular metabolism caused by increases in thyroxine output.
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Conduction
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The transfer of heat from one molecule to another in direct contact.
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Constant fever
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A state in which the body temperature fluctuates minimally but always remains above normal.
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Convection
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The dispersion of heat by air currents.
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Core temperature
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The temperature of the deep tissues of the body (e.g., thorax, abdominal cavity); relatively constant at 37°C (98.6°F).
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Costal (thoracic) breathing
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Use of the external intercostal muscles and other accessory muscles, such as the sternocleidomastoid muscles.
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Diaphragmatic (abdominal) breathing
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Contraction and relaxation of the diaphragm, observed by the movement of the abdomen, which occurs as a result of the diaphragm's contraction and downward movement.
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Diastolic pressure
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The pressure of the blood against the arterial walls when the ventricles of the heart are at rest.
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Dysrhythmia
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A pulse with an irregular rhythm.
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Elasticity of the arterial wall
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Pliability or expansibility of the vessels.
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Eupnea
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Normal, quiet breathing.
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Exhalation
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(Expiration) the movement of gases from the lungs to the atmosphere.
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Expiration
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See Exhalation.
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External respiration
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The interchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the alveoli of the lungs and the pulmonary blood.
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Febrile
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Pertaining to a fever; feverish.
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Fever
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Elevated body temperature.
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Fever spike
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A temperature that rises to fever level rapidly following a normal temperature and then returns to normal within a few hours.
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Heat balance
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The state a person is in when the amount of heat produced by the body exactly equals the amount of heat lost.
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Hematocrit
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The proportion of red blood cells (erythrocytes) to the total blood volume.
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Hyperpyrexia
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See Hyperthermia.
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Hypertension
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An abnormally high blood pressure; over 140 mm Hg systolic and/or 90 mm Hg diastolic.
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Hyperthermia
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An extremely high body temperature (e.g., 41 degrees C [105.8 degrees F]).
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Hyperventilation
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Very deep, rapid respirations.
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Hypotension
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An abnormally low blood pressure; less than 100 mm Hg systolic in an adult.
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Hypothalamic integrator
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The center in the brain that controls the core temperature; located in the preoptic area of the hypothalamus.
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Hypoventilation
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Very shallow respirations.
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Inhalation
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The act of breathing in; the intake of air or other substances into the lungs.
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Insensible water loss
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Continuous and unnoticed water loss.
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Inspiration
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See Inhalation.
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Intermittent fever
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A body temperature that alternates at regular intervals between periods of fever and periods of normal or subnormal temperatures.
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Internal respiration
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The interchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the circulating blood and the cells of the body tissues.
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Korotkoff's sounds
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A series of five sounds produced by blood within the artery with each ventricular contraction.
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Meniscus
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The crescent-shaped upper surface of a column of fluid.
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Orthostatic hypotension
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Decrease in blood pressure related to positional or postural changes from lying to sitting or standing positions.
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Peripheral pulse
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A pulse located in the periphery of the body (eg, foot, wrist).
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Point of maximal impulse (PMI)
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The point where the apex of the heart touches the anterior chest wall.
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Polypnea
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Abnormally fast respirations.
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Pulse
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The wave of blood within an artery that is created by contraction of the left ventricle of the heart.
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Pulse deficit
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The difference between the apical pulse and the radial pulse.
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Pulse oximeter
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A noninvasive device that measures the arterial blood oxygen saturation by means of a sensor attached to the finger.
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Pulse pressure
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The difference between the systolic and the diastolic blood pressure.
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Pulse rhythm
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The pattern of the beats and intervals between the beats.
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Pulse volume
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The strength or amplitude of the pulse, the force of blood exerted with each heart beat.
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Pyrexia
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A body temperature above the normal range, fever.
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Radiation
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The transfer of heat from the surface of one object to the surface of another without contact between the two objects.
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Relapsing fever
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The occurrence short febrile periods of a few days interspersed with periods of 1 or 2 days of normal temperature.
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Remittent fever
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The occurrence of a wide range of temperature fluctuations (more than 2 degrees C [3.6 degrees F]) over the 24-hour period, all of which are above normal.
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Respiration
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The act of breathing; transport of oxygen from the atmosphere to the body cells and transport of carbon dioxide from the cells to the atmosphere.
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Respiratory character
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See Respiratory quality.
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Respiratory quality
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Refers to those aspects of breathing that are different from normal, effortless breathing, includes the amount of effort exerted to breathe and the sounds produced by breathing.
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Respiratory rhythm
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Refers to the regularity of the expirations and the inspirations.
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Surface temperature
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The temperature of the skin, the subcutaneous.
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Systolic pressure
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The pressure of the blood against the arterial walls when the ventricles of the heart contract.
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Tachycardia
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An abnormally rapid pulse rate, greater than 100 beats per minute.
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Tachypnea
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Abnormally fast respirations, usually more than 24 respirations per minute.
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Tidal volume
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the volume of air that is normally inhaled and exhaled.
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Vaporization
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Continuous evaporation of moisture from the respiratory tract and from the mucosa of the mouth and from the skin.
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Ventilation
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The movement of air in and out of the lungs; the process of inhalation and exhalation.
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Viscous
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Thick, sticky.
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Vital signs
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Measurements of physiological functioning, specifically body temperature, pulse, respirations, and blood pressure; may include pain and pulse oximetry.
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Acquired immunity
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See Passive immunity.
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Active immunity
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A resistance of the body to infection in which the host produces its own antibodies in response to natural or artificial antigens.
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Acute infection
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Those that generally appear suddenly or last a short time.
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Airborne precautions
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Methods used to reduce exposure to infectious agents transmitted by airborne droplet nuclei smaller than 5 microns.
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Airborne transmission
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Infectious agent transmitted by droplets or dust.
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Antibodies
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Immunoglobulins, part of the body's plasma proteins, defend primarily against the extracellular phases of bacterial and viral infections.
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Antigen
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A substance capable of inducing the formation of antibodies.
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Antiseptics
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Agents that inhibit the growth of some microorganisms.
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Asepsis
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Freedom from infection or infectious material.
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Autoantigen
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An antigen that originates in a person's own body.
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Bacteremia
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Bacteria in the blood.
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Bacteria
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The most common infection-causing microorganisms.
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Bacteriocins
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Substances produced by some normal flora (e.g., enterobacteria), that can be lethal to related strains of bacteria.
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Bloodborne pathogens
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Those microorganisms carried in blood and body fluids that are capable of infecting other persons with serious and difficult to treat viral infections, namely hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and HIV.
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Body substance isolation (BSI)
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Generic infection control precautions for all clients except those with diseases transmitted through the air.
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Carrier
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a person or animal that harbors a specific infectious agent and serves as a potential source of infection, yet does not manifest any clinical signs of disease.
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Cell-mediated defenses
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See Cellular immunity.
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Cellular immunity
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Also known as cell-mediated defenses, occur through the T-cell system.
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Chemotaxis
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The action by which leukocytes are attracted to injured cells.
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Chronic infection
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Infection that occurs slowly, over a very long period, and may last months or years.
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Cicatrix
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Scar.
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Circulating immunity
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See Humoral immunity.
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Clean
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Free of potentially infectious agents.
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Colonization
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The presence of organisms in body secretions or excretions in which strains of bacteria become resident flora but do not cause illness.
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Communicable disease
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A disease that can spread from one person to another.
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Compromised host
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Any person at increased risk for an infection.
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Contact precautions
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Methods used to reduce exposure to infectious agents easily transmitted by direct client contact or by contact with items in the client's environment.
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Cultures
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Laboratory cultivations of microorganisms in a special growth medium.
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Diapedesis
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The movement of blood corpuscles through a blood vessel wall.
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Dirty
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Denotes the likely presence of microorganisms, some of which may be capable of causing infection.
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Disinfectants
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Agents that destroy pathogens other than spores.
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Droplet nuclei
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Residue of evaporated droplets that remains in the air for long periods of time.
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Droplet precautions
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Methods used to reduce exposure to infectious agents transmitted by particle droplets larger than 5 microns.
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Emigration
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Process in which leukocytes move through the blood vessel wall into the affected tissue spaces.
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Endogenous
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Developing from within.
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Exogenous
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Developing from without.
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Exudate
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Material, such as fluid and cells, that has escaped from blood vessels during the inflammatory process and is deposited in tissue or on tissue surfaces.
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Fibrinogen
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A plasma protein that is converted to fibrin when it is released into the tissues and, together with thromboplastin and platelets, forms an interlacing network making a barrier to wall off an area.
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Fibrous (scar) tissue
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Connective tissue repair of wounds with tissue that can proliferate under conditions of ischemia and altered pH.
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Fungi
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Infection-causing microorganisms that include yeasts and molds.
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Granulation tissue
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Young connective tissue with new capillaries formed in the wound healing process.
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Humoral immunity
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Antibody-mediated defense; resides ultimately in the B lymphocytes and is mediated by the antibodies produced by B cells.
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Hyperemia
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Increased blood flow to an area.
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Iatrogenic infection
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infections that are the direct result of diagnostic or therapeutic procedures.
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Immune defenses
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See Specific defenses
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Immunity
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A specific resistance of the body to infection; it may be natural, or resistance developed after exposure to a disease agent.
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Immunoglobulins
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See Antibodies.
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Infection
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The disease process produced by microorganisms.
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Inflammation
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Local and nonspecific defensive tissue response to injury or destruction of cells.
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Isolation
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Practices that prevent the spread of infection and communicable disease.
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Leukocytes
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White blood cells.
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Leukocytosis
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An increase in the number of white blood cells.
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Local infection
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An infection that is limited to the specific part of the body where the microorganisms remain.
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Macrophages
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Large phagocytes.
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Margination
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The aggregating or lining up of substances along a surface or edge (eg, the lining up of white blood cells against the wall of a blood vessel during the inflammatory process).
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Medical asepsis
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All practices intended to confine a specific microorganism to a specific area, limiting the number, growth, and spread of microorganisms.
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Nonspecific defenses
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Bodily defenses that protect a person against all microorganisms, regardless of prior exposure.
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Nosocomial infections
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Infections associated with the delivery of health care services in a health care facility.
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Occupational exposure
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Skin, eye, mucous membrane, or parenteral contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials that may result from the performance of an employee's duties.
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Opportunistic pathogen
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A microorganism causing disease only in a susceptible individual.
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Parasites
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Microorganisms that live in or on another from which it obtains nourishment.
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Passive immunity
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A resistance of the body to infection in which the host receives natural or artificial antibodies produced by another source.
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Pathogenicity
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The ability to produce disease; a pathogen is a microorganism that causes disease.
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Phagocytes
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Cells that ingest microorganisms, other cells, and foreign particles.
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Reservoir
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A source of microorganisms.
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Resident flora
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Microorganisms that normally reside on the skin, mucous membranes, and inside the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts.
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Sepsis
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The presence of pathogenic organisms or their toxins in the blood or body tissues.
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Septicemia
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Occurs when bacteremia results in systemic infection.
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Specific (immune) defenses
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Immune functions directed against identifiable bacteria, viruses, fungi, or other infectious agents.
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Sterile field
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A specified area that is considered free from microorganisms.
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Sterile technique
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Practices that keep an area or object free of all microorganisms.
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Sterilization
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A process that destroys all microorganisms, including spores and viruses.
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Surgical asepsis
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See Sterile technique.
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Systemic infection
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When pathogens spread and damage different parts of the body.
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Universal precautions (UP)
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Techniques to be used with all clients to decrease the risk of transmitting unidentified pathogens; currently, Standard Precautions incorporate UP and BSI.
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Vector-borne transmission
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a vector is an animal or flying or crawling insect that serves as an intermediate means of transporting the infectious agent.
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Vehicle-borne transmission
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A vehicle is any substance that serves as an intermediate means to transport and introduce an infectious agent into a susceptible host through a suitable portal of entry.
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Virulence
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Ability to produce disease.
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Viruses
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Nucleic acid-based infectious agents.
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Asphyxiation
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Lack of oxygen due to interrupted breathing.
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Burn
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Results from excessive exposure to thermal, chemical, electric, or radioactive agents.
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Carbon monoxide
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An odorless, colorless, tasteless gas that is very toxic.
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Chemical restraints
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Medications used to control socially disruptive behavior.
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Electric shock
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Occurs when a current travels through the body to the ground rather than through electric wiring, or from static electricity that builds up on the body.
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Heimlich maneuver
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Subdiaphragmatic abdominal thrusts used to clear an obstructed airway.
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Physical restraints
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Any manual method or physical or mechanical device, material, or equipment attached to the client's body that restrict the client's movement.
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Restraints
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Protective devices used to limit physical activity of the client or a part of the client's body.
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Safety monitoring device
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A position-sensitive switch that triggers an audio alarm when the client attempts to get out of the bed or chair.
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Scald
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A burn from a hot liquid or vapor, such as steam
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Seizure
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A sudden onset of a convulsion or other paroxysmal motor or sensory activity.
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Seizure precautions
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Safety measures taken by the nurse to protect clients from injury should they have a seizure.
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Status epilepticus
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Continuous seizures.
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Bactericidal
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Bacteria-killing action.
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Callus
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A thickened portion of the skin.
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Cleaning bath
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A type of bath given chiefly for hygiene purposes.
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Corn
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A conical, circular, painful, raised area on the toe or foot.
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Dandruff
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A dry or greasy, scaly material shed from the scalp.
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Dental caries
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Tooth decay.
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Fissures
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Deep grooves, frequently occur between the toes as a result of dryness and cracking of the skin.
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Gingival
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Of or relating to the gums.
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Hirsutism
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Abnormal hairiness, particularly in women.
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Hygiene
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The science of health and its maintenance.
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Ingrown toenail
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The growing inward of the nail into the soft tissues around it, most often results from improper nail trimming.
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Pediculosis
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Infestation with head lice.
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Plantar warts
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A wart on the side of the foot.
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Scabies
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A contagious skin infestation caused by an arachnid, the itch mite.
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Sebum
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The oily, lubricating secretion of glands in the skin called sebaceous glands.
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Sudoriferous glands
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Glands of the dermis that secrete sweat.
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Sweat glands
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See Sudoriferous glands.
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Therapeutic baths
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Given for physical effects, such as to soothe irritated skin or to treat an area (e.g., the perineum).
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Ticks
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Small gray-brown parasites that bite into tissue and suck blood and transmit several diseases to people, in particular Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease, and Tularemia.
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Tinea pedis
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Athlete's foot (ringworm of the foot), which is caused by a fungus.
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Active ROM exercises
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Isotonic exercises in which the client moves each joint in the body through its complete range, maximally stretching all muscle groups within each plane over the joint.
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Activity tolerance
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The type and amount of exercise or daily activities an individual is able to perform.
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Activity-exercise pattern
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Refers to a person's pattern of exercise, activity, leisure, and recreation.
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Aerobic exercise
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Any activity during which the body takes in more or an equal amount of oxygen than it expends.
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Ambulation
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The act of walking.
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Anabolism
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A process in which simple substances are converted by the body cells into more complex substances (e.g., building tissue, positive nitrogen balance).
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Anaerobic exercise
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Involves activity in which the muscles cannot draw out enough oxygen from the blood stream; used in endurance training.
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Ankylosed
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Permanently immobile joints.
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Anorexia
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Lack of appetite.
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Atrophy
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Wasting away; decrease in size of organ or tissue (e.g., muscle).
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Base of support
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The area on which an object rests.
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Bed rest
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Strict confinement to bed (complete bed rest), or the client may be allowed to use a bedside commode or have bathroom privileges.
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Calculi
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Renal stones.
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Catabolism
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A process in which complex substances are broken down into simpler substances (e.g., breakdown of tissue).
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Center of gravity
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The point at which the mass (weight) of the body is centered.
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Contracture
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Permanent shortening of a muscle and subsequent shortening of tendons and ligaments.
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Crepitation
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(1) A dry, crackling sound like that of crumpled cellophane, produced by air in the subcutaneous tissue or by air moving through fluid in the alveoli of the lungs; (2) a crackling, grating sound produced by bone rubbing against bone.
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Dorsal position
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Back-lying position without a pillow.
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Dorsal recumbent position
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A back-lying position with the head and shoulders slightly elevated.
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Embolus
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A blood clot (or a substance such as air) that has moved from its place of origin and is causing obstruction to circulation elsewhere (plural: emboli).
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Exercise
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A type of physical activity; a planned, structured, and repetitive bodily movement done to improve or maintain one or more components of physical fitness.
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Flaccid
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Weak or lax.
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Fowler's position
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A bed sitting position with the head of the bed raised to 45 degrees.
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Gait
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The way a person walks.
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High Fowler's position
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A bed-sitting position in which the head of the bed is elevated 90 degrees.
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Hypertrophy
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Enlargement of a muscle or organ.
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Isokinetic (resistive) exercise
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Muscle contraction or tension against resistance.
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Isometric (static or setting) exercise
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Tensing of a muscle against an immovable outer resistance, which does not change muscle length or produce joint motion.
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Lateral position
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A side-lying position.
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Line of gravity
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An imaginary vertical line running through the center of gravity.
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Logrolling
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A technique used to turn a client whose body must at all times be kept in straight alignment (like a log).
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Lordosis
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An exaggerated concavity in the lumbar region of the vertebral column.
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Low Fowler's position
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A bed-sitting position in which the head of the bed is elevated between 15 and 45 degrees, with or without knee flexion.
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Mobility
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Ability to move about freely, easily, and purposefully in the environment.
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Orthopneic position
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A sitting position to relieve respiratory difficulty in which the client leans over and is supported by an overbed table across the lap.
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Pace
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Number of steps taken per minute or the distance taken in one step when walking.
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Passive ROM exercises
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Another person moves each of the client's joints through its complete range of movement, maximally stretching all muscle groups within each plane over each joint.
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Physical activity
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Bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure and produces progressive health benefits.
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Prone position
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Face-lying position, with or without a small pillow.
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Range of motion (ROM)
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The degree of movement possible for each joint.
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Semi-Fowler's position
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See low Fowler's position.
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Sims' position
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Side-lying position with lowermost arm behind the body and uppermost leg flexed.
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Spastic
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Describing the sudden, prolonged involuntary muscle contractions of clients with damage to the central nervous system.
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Supine position
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See Dorsal position.
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Thrombus
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A solid mass of blood constituents in the circulatory system; a clot (plural: thrombi).
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Tripod (triangle) position
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The proper standing position with crutches; crutches are placed about 15 cm (6 in) in front of the feet and out laterally about 15 cm (6 in), creating a wide base of support.
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Urinary incontinence
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A temporary or permanent inability of the external sphincter muscles to control the flow of urine from the bladder.
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Urinary reflux
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Backward flow of urine.
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Urinary retention
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The accumulation of urine in the bladder and inability of the bladder to empty itself.
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Urinary stasis
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Stagnation of urinary flow.
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Valsalva maneuver
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Forceful exhalation against a closed glottis, which increases intrathoracic pressure and thus interferes with venous blood return to the heart.
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Vital capacity
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The maximum amount of air that can be exhaled after a maximum inhalationa.
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