Dictionary

Nursing practice

Delegation, prioritization, scope of practice and the working words of the profession.

abandonmentLeaving clients in your care without proper notice or a handoff to another qualified caregiver.

ABCDEA memory aid with two common uses: the warning signs of melanoma in a mole, and the order of the first check of a seriously ill or injured client.

ABCsAirway, breathing and circulation: a way of ranking a client's needs in that order.

abstinenceChoosing not to do something, most often not having sex, or not using alcohol or drugs.

accountabilityBeing answerable for your own decisions, actions and the results of the care you give or hand to others.

ACOGAmerican College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: the US professional organization of doctors who care for pregnancy and women's health.

ACPAdvance care planning: talking about and writing down the care a person would want if they could no longer speak for themselves.

active listeningListening with full attention to what a person says and means, and showing them you have understood.

activities of daily livingThe basic self-care tasks of everyday life, such as bathing, dressing, eating, toileting and moving about.

acuityHow ill a client is and how much nursing care they need; in an eye exam, how sharply a person sees.

acuteStarting suddenly and lasting a short time; also used for something severe or sharp.

acute careShort-term care for a sudden illness, injury or surgery, usually given in a hospital.

adaptive equipmentTools and devices that help a person with an illness or disability do daily tasks more easily and on their own.

adherenceHow closely a client follows a treatment plan they have agreed to, such as taking medicines as prescribed.

adjustmentA change made to fit a new situation, such as changing a dose, a position or a way of living.

admissionThe process of a client entering a hospital or other care setting to receive care.

ADNAssociate Degree in Nursing: a two- to three-year college degree that prepares graduates to take the NCLEX-RN.

adolescenceThe stage of life between childhood and adulthood, starting with puberty, roughly ages 12 to 18.

ADOPIEAssessment, Diagnosis, Outcomes identification, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation: a memory aid for the steps of the nursing process.

advance directiveA legal document in which a person states their wishes for medical care, for a time when they cannot speak for themselves.

advanced practice registered nurseA registered nurse with a graduate degree and advanced training who can diagnose and treat health problems.

adverse eventHarm to a client that results from medical care rather than from the client's illness.

advocateTo speak up and act for a client's rights, safety and wishes; also, a person who does this.

affectIn mental health, the outward expression of a person's emotions, as seen in the face, voice and body language.

against medical adviceLeaving a hospital or refusing care when the health care team advises staying or continuing treatment.

agitationA state of restlessness and tension with too much movement, often with irritability.

AIDETAcknowledge, Introduce, Duration, Explanation, Thank you: a memory aid for how to greet and inform a client.

Alcoholics AnonymousA worldwide, free self-help group in which people with drinking problems support each other to stop drinking.

American Heart AssociationA US nonprofit group that funds heart and stroke research and publishes guidelines, including for CPR.

American Nurses AssociationThe professional organization for registered nurses in the United States.

analyzeTo study information closely, piece by piece, to understand what it means.

analyze cuesThe second step of the NCSBN Clinical Judgment Measurement Model: linking the client's findings to what they could mean.

anesthesia providerThe licensed professional who gives anesthesia and watches over the client's breathing and vital functions during a procedure.

anticipatory guidanceTeaching that prepares a person or family for what to expect at the next stage, before it happens.

aromatherapyThe use of oils from plants, breathed in or put on the skin, to help a person relax or feel more comfortable.

aspiration precautionsSafety steps that keep food, fluid, saliva or stomach contents from going into the airway and lungs.

assaultIn law, a threat or act that makes a person afraid they are about to be touched in a harmful or unwanted way.

assessTo gather information about a client by looking, listening, asking, measuring and examining.

assignTo give a staff member the care of a client, or tasks that are already part of that person's usual job and allowed by their license.

attachmentThe deep emotional bond between an infant and a parent or caregiver.

autonomyA person's right to make their own choices about their body and their care.

autopsyAn exam of a body after death to find the cause of death or to study a disease.