Dictionary

Nursing practice

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

FACES scaleA pain scale of six drawn faces, from smiling to crying, that a person points to in order to show how much they hurt.

facial expressionThe look on a person's face made by the facial muscles, such as a smile, frown or grimace.

fact sheetA short printed or online page that gives the key facts about a topic in simple terms.

fall precautionsThe set of safety steps nurses use to keep a client from falling.

false imprisonmentUnlawfully keeping a person from moving freely or leaving, by force, threats or restraint.

false reassuranceTelling a person that everything will be fine when there is no real basis for saying so.

family dynamicsThe patterns of how family members relate to, communicate with and influence one another.

family historyA record of the illnesses and health conditions of a person's blood relatives.

fidelityThe ethical principle of keeping promises and being faithful to commitments.

financial abuseThe illegal or improper use of another person's money, property or other things of value.

follow-upA later check, visit or action to see how a client is doing or whether a problem has been solved.

functional abilityHow well a person can carry out everyday activities and tasks on their own.

further teachingMore instruction that a client or family member needs because what they say or do shows they have not understood.