Dictionary

Nursing practice

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

therapeutic communicationPurposeful, client-centered communication that helps a client express feelings and work toward health.

therapeutic milieuA treatment setting, such as a mental health unit, arranged so that the place, the routine and the people in it help clients recover.

therapeutic relationshipA professional relationship between a nurse and a client that is focused on the client's needs and goals.

therapistA trained professional who treats a person's physical, mental or speech problems.

toddlerA young child between about 1 and 3 years of age.

toothbrushA small brush used to clean the teeth and gums.

tortA wrong act, or a failure to act, that harms another person and for which a court can make the wrongdoer pay.

trailing zeroA zero written after the decimal point in a whole-number dose, as in 1.0 mg; it must not be used.

traumaA physical injury to the body, or a deeply distressing event and the emotional harm it leaves.

treatment planA written plan of the care, therapies and goals agreed for a client's health problem.

trendThe direction a set of findings moves over time, such as a value that keeps rising or falling.

triageSorting clients by how urgently they need care, to decide who is seen first.

two client identifiersTwo pieces of information unique to a client, such as full name and date of birth, used to confirm who they are before care.

UAPUnlicensed assistive personnel: trained workers without a nursing license, such as nursing assistants, who help with client care.

unexpected findingAn assessment result that is not what would be expected for this client's condition, age or treatment.

unstableDescribes a client whose condition is changing quickly or is hard to predict.

USPSTFUS Preventive Services Task Force: an independent expert panel that reviews evidence and recommends screening tests and other preventive care.

validateTo check that information is correct; in communication, to show a person that their feelings are understood and accepted.

validation therapyA way of communicating with a person with dementia that accepts their feelings and their reality instead of correcting them.

veracityThe ethical principle of telling the truth.

verbal orderAn order for a treatment or drug that a provider speaks aloud, in person or by phone, instead of writing or entering it.

verifyTo check that something is true or correct, often against a second source.

vocalizationAny sound a person makes with the voice, such as words, moans, cries or humming.

well child visitA routine check-up for a healthy child to follow growth and development, give vaccines and screen for problems.

well-beingA state of being healthy, comfortable and content in body, mind and social life.

WICWomen, Infants, and Children: a US government program giving healthy food, nutrition advice and breastfeeding support to families with low incomes.

within normal limitsA charting phrase meaning a finding or test result falls inside the expected range.

World Health OrganizationThe United Nations agency that leads international work on public health.

wrinkleA crease or fold, either in the skin or in fabric such as bed sheets.

wristbandA band worn on a client's wrist that shows their identifying details, and sometimes alerts such as allergies.