STNA Vocabulary
abandonment - Answer Leaving a patient after care has been initiated and before the
patient has been transferred to someone with equal or greater medical training.
abdominal thrust - Answer a strong push into the region between the thorax and pelvis
(diaphragm) Hemlick maneuver
abduction pillow - Answer goes between the legs; it helps keep the legs spread
abuse - Answer The intentional mistreatment or harm of another person
accidents - Answer an unfortunate event resulting from carelessness or ignorance
activities - Answer things that are done for enjoyment, often as part of education and
often in groups.
adaptive devices - Answer special equipment that helps a person who is ill or disabled
to perform ADLs; also called assistive devices.
ADL - Answer Activities of daily living
admission - Answer the act or process of admitting
admitting resident - Answer the individual being accepted into a Long Term Care Facility
affected side - Answer a weakened side from a stroke or injury; also called the "weaker"
or "involved" side.
aging process - Answer the natural occurrences in the body that produce the changes
associated with growing old
agitation - Answer commotion, excitement; uneasiness
alternating pressure mattress - Answer [P]:alt pressure increase/decreases with use of
pump; [TNI]:Assess on admit/schedule limited mobility + drainage, body fluids,
contained pus, Stage III/IV; post operative flap, pain management; [R]: pressure can be
reduced under bony prominences but increased under others
Alzheimer's - Answer a progressive form of presenile dementia that is similar to senile
dementia except that it usually starts in the 40s or 50s; first symptoms are impaired
memory which is followed by impaired thought and speech and finally complete
helplessness
ambulation - Answer walking or moving from one place to another
,amputees - Answer an individual who has had a limb removed
anger - Answer a strong feeling of displeasure
antiembolic stockings - Answer stockings made of elastic fabric that provide support
promote blood flow and prevent the formation of blood clots
anxiety - Answer An emotional state of high energy, with the stress response as the
body's reaction to it.
aphasia - Answer inability to use or understand language (spoken or written) because of
a brain lesion
appropriate response - Answer a reply that is made that is suitable for the
circumstances
arthritis - Answer inflammation of a joint or joints
aseptic - Answer free from disease-causing microorganisms
assistive device - Answer see addaptive devices.
axillary temperature - Answer Temperature taken at the armpit
back strain - Answer hurting ones back
bacteria - Answer single-celled organisms that lack a nucleus; prokaryotes
bargaining - Answer occurs when patients accept death but want more time to live
basic needs - Answer These are the things people cannot live without, such as food,
clothing, and shelter.
basic skin care - Answer Clean and moisturize your skin daily. Block the sun. Seek
professional help for skin problems. Eat a balanced diet. Self screening.
bathing - Answer the act of washing yourself (or another person)
bathing resident - Answer the act of washing a patient
bed cradle - Answer a metal or plastic frame suspended over the hospital bed to keep
the weight of the linen off the resident's body
bed height - Answer The level of a patient's bed
, bed position - Answer the position the bed is in. also controlled by buttons on the control
of the bed.
bedpan - Answer a shallow vessel used by a bedridden patient for defecation and
urination
bladder training - Answer goal is to gain control of urination done as directed by nurse
and care plan person uses toilet/pan at frequent regular intervals and is slowly
increased. Person has catheter which is clamped to prevent urine flow for periods of
time (1-2hrs at first then up to 3-4hrs) to train bladder
blindness - Answer the inability to see
blood pressure - Answer the pressure that is exerted by the blood against the walls of
blood vessels
body alignment - Answer the way the head, trunk, arms, and legs are aligned with one
another; posture
body fluids - Answer tears, saliva, sputum (mucous coughed up), urine, feces, semen,
vaginal secretions, and pus or other wound drainage
body language - Answer nonverbal communication through gestures, facial
expressions, behaviors, and posture
body mechanics - Answer The proper use of the body to facilitate lifting and moving and
preventing injury.
bowel program - Answer Program that manipulates factors within a person's control
(timing of defecation, exercise, diet) to produce a regular pattern of comfortable
defecation without medication or enemas
breathing - Answer The process involving alternate inhalation and exhalation of air that
ventilates the lungs.
burnout - Answer exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation, usually as
a result of prolonged stress or frustration
call light - Answer allows the patient to call for help via light and/or sound
cancer - Answer disorder in which some of the body's own cells lose the ability to
control growth
cane - Answer held on strong side, goes forward with weak side before the strong side
step after
abandonment - Answer Leaving a patient after care has been initiated and before the
patient has been transferred to someone with equal or greater medical training.
abdominal thrust - Answer a strong push into the region between the thorax and pelvis
(diaphragm) Hemlick maneuver
abduction pillow - Answer goes between the legs; it helps keep the legs spread
abuse - Answer The intentional mistreatment or harm of another person
accidents - Answer an unfortunate event resulting from carelessness or ignorance
activities - Answer things that are done for enjoyment, often as part of education and
often in groups.
adaptive devices - Answer special equipment that helps a person who is ill or disabled
to perform ADLs; also called assistive devices.
ADL - Answer Activities of daily living
admission - Answer the act or process of admitting
admitting resident - Answer the individual being accepted into a Long Term Care Facility
affected side - Answer a weakened side from a stroke or injury; also called the "weaker"
or "involved" side.
aging process - Answer the natural occurrences in the body that produce the changes
associated with growing old
agitation - Answer commotion, excitement; uneasiness
alternating pressure mattress - Answer [P]:alt pressure increase/decreases with use of
pump; [TNI]:Assess on admit/schedule limited mobility + drainage, body fluids,
contained pus, Stage III/IV; post operative flap, pain management; [R]: pressure can be
reduced under bony prominences but increased under others
Alzheimer's - Answer a progressive form of presenile dementia that is similar to senile
dementia except that it usually starts in the 40s or 50s; first symptoms are impaired
memory which is followed by impaired thought and speech and finally complete
helplessness
ambulation - Answer walking or moving from one place to another
,amputees - Answer an individual who has had a limb removed
anger - Answer a strong feeling of displeasure
antiembolic stockings - Answer stockings made of elastic fabric that provide support
promote blood flow and prevent the formation of blood clots
anxiety - Answer An emotional state of high energy, with the stress response as the
body's reaction to it.
aphasia - Answer inability to use or understand language (spoken or written) because of
a brain lesion
appropriate response - Answer a reply that is made that is suitable for the
circumstances
arthritis - Answer inflammation of a joint or joints
aseptic - Answer free from disease-causing microorganisms
assistive device - Answer see addaptive devices.
axillary temperature - Answer Temperature taken at the armpit
back strain - Answer hurting ones back
bacteria - Answer single-celled organisms that lack a nucleus; prokaryotes
bargaining - Answer occurs when patients accept death but want more time to live
basic needs - Answer These are the things people cannot live without, such as food,
clothing, and shelter.
basic skin care - Answer Clean and moisturize your skin daily. Block the sun. Seek
professional help for skin problems. Eat a balanced diet. Self screening.
bathing - Answer the act of washing yourself (or another person)
bathing resident - Answer the act of washing a patient
bed cradle - Answer a metal or plastic frame suspended over the hospital bed to keep
the weight of the linen off the resident's body
bed height - Answer The level of a patient's bed
, bed position - Answer the position the bed is in. also controlled by buttons on the control
of the bed.
bedpan - Answer a shallow vessel used by a bedridden patient for defecation and
urination
bladder training - Answer goal is to gain control of urination done as directed by nurse
and care plan person uses toilet/pan at frequent regular intervals and is slowly
increased. Person has catheter which is clamped to prevent urine flow for periods of
time (1-2hrs at first then up to 3-4hrs) to train bladder
blindness - Answer the inability to see
blood pressure - Answer the pressure that is exerted by the blood against the walls of
blood vessels
body alignment - Answer the way the head, trunk, arms, and legs are aligned with one
another; posture
body fluids - Answer tears, saliva, sputum (mucous coughed up), urine, feces, semen,
vaginal secretions, and pus or other wound drainage
body language - Answer nonverbal communication through gestures, facial
expressions, behaviors, and posture
body mechanics - Answer The proper use of the body to facilitate lifting and moving and
preventing injury.
bowel program - Answer Program that manipulates factors within a person's control
(timing of defecation, exercise, diet) to produce a regular pattern of comfortable
defecation without medication or enemas
breathing - Answer The process involving alternate inhalation and exhalation of air that
ventilates the lungs.
burnout - Answer exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation, usually as
a result of prolonged stress or frustration
call light - Answer allows the patient to call for help via light and/or sound
cancer - Answer disorder in which some of the body's own cells lose the ability to
control growth
cane - Answer held on strong side, goes forward with weak side before the strong side
step after
