Idaho CNA key terms

Measurements of the body's basic functions: temperature, pulse, respirations, blood pressure, and often oxygen saturation and pain. Nurse aides take and record them and report values outside the resident's usual range.

A record of all fluids a resident takes in and all fluids lost through urine, vomit, diarrhea, or drains. Accurate measurement helps the care team spot dehydration or fluid overload early.

Asking a resident about pain - where it is, what it feels like, and how bad it is using a number or faces scale - and reporting it promptly. Unreported pain can worsen and interfere with sleep, eating, and movement.

Routine cleaning around an indwelling urinary catheter and the tubing, keeping the drainage bag below bladder level and the tubing free of kinks. This lowers infection risk and keeps urine flowing correctly.

Placing a resident's body in a planned position such as Fowler's, lateral, or prone, with pillows supporting alignment. Correct positioning protects skin, breathing, and joints, and positions are changed on a schedule.

Cleaning hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based rub at key moments: before and after contact with a resident or their belongings, after body fluids, and before food service. It is the single most effective way to prevent infection.

Infection-control practices used with every resident regardless of diagnosis, including hand hygiene, gloves when touching body fluids, and safe handling of sharps and linens. They treat all blood and body fluids as possibly infectious.

Gloves, gowns, masks, and eye protection worn to create a barrier between the aide and blood, body fluids, or droplets. Correct order of putting on and taking off prevents self-contamination and spreading germs.

Extra precautions - contact, droplet, or airborne - added to standard precautions when a resident has a known or suspected contagious condition. They may include a private room, dedicated equipment, a mask, or a gown.

The six-step path a germ follows to cause illness: infectious agent, reservoir, exit, mode of transmission, entry, and susceptible host. Breaking any one link, such as with hand hygiene, stops infection.

Damage to skin and underlying tissue caused by unrelieved pressure, often over bony areas like the heels, hips, and tailbone. Prevention includes turning, skin care, moisture control, and good nutrition.

Washing the genital and anal area with a front-to-back motion using mild soap and water, then rinsing and drying well. Done during bathing and after toileting or incontinence, it prevents skin breakdown and infection.

Brushing teeth or dentures, cleaning the gums and tongue, and keeping the mouth moist. Regular mouth care prevents decay, gum disease, and infection, and improves comfort, appetite, and dignity.

Actions that lower a resident's risk of falling: keeping the call light and needed items within reach, clearing clutter, wiping spills, using night lights, and answering calls quickly. Falls can cause serious injury.

A wide strap placed around a resident's waist to give the aide a firm hold when helping the person stand, walk, or transfer. It protects both people and must never be used as a restraint.

Any device or method that limits a resident's freedom of movement, such as a tie, belt, or locked lap tray, and is used only with a physician's order for a specific reason. Restraints require monitoring and frequent release.

Using the body correctly - feet apart, back straight, load close, lifting with the legs, and turning rather than twisting - to move or lift safely. Good body mechanics prevent injury to both the aide and the resident.

A fire response sequence: Rescue anyone in immediate danger, Alarm or Alert others, Confine the fire by closing doors, and Extinguish or Evacuate. Aides follow the facility's fire plan and stay calm.

Steps taken to protect a resident who has seizures, such as keeping the bed low, padding side rails, and clearing hard objects away, and never placing anything in the person's mouth during a seizure. Details of time, movement, and length are reported.

Physical, emotional, sexual, or financial harm, neglect, or exploitation of a resident. Aides must recognize the signs, never take part, and report any suspicion immediately under state law and facility policy.

The legal duty of nurse aides and other caregivers to report suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation to the charge nurse and the required agency. Failing to report can lead to loss of certification and criminal charges.

The specific tasks and duties a nurse aide is trained and legally allowed to perform, as defined by state law and facility policy. Aides must not perform tasks outside that scope.

Keeping a resident's personal, medical, and financial information private and sharing it only with care team members who need it. Discussing residents in public or with outsiders violates HIPAA and resident rights.

A written legal document stating a person's wishes for medical treatment, such as a living will or a durable power of attorney for health care, used if the person cannot speak for themselves. Aides honor and report these wishes.

A resident's right to say no to any treatment, medication, food, or activity, even when staff believe it is good for them. The aide respects the choice, documents it, and tells the nurse.

An advocate who investigates complaints on behalf of nursing home residents and helps resolve problems with care or rights. Contact information must be posted and made available to residents and families.

Giving full attention to a speaker, using eye contact, nodding, and asking questions to confirm understanding, then restating what was heard. It helps residents feel respected and helps the aide gather accurate information.

Information a resident reports that cannot be directly observed or measured, such as pain, nausea, dizziness, or worry. Aides record the resident's own words and report them to the nurse.

A condition, often after a stroke, in which a person has trouble understanding words or finding and producing speech. Aides should speak slowly, use gestures and pictures, and allow extra time for a response.

Increased confusion, agitation, or restlessness in a person with dementia that often begins in late afternoon or evening. Calmer routines, good lighting, and reduced noise can help reduce it.

A resident walking or moving aimlessly, sometimes away from a safe area, often linked to dementia, boredom, pain, or an unmet need such as toileting. Aides redirect gently and report the behavior.

Responding to a confused resident by accepting and acknowledging the feelings behind their words rather than arguing about facts. It reduces distress and helps the person feel understood and safe.

A permanent tightening and shortening of muscles and tendons that can freeze a joint in one position when limbs are not moved. Range-of-motion exercises and proper positioning help prevent it.

Moving a joint through its full normal movement, either by the resident (active) or with the aide's help (passive). Regular ROM keeps joints flexible, reduces stiffness, and helps maintain function.

Equipment such as a cane, walker, or crutch that helps a resident stand, walk, or balance. Aides check that it fits, is in good repair, and is used the way the therapist instructed.

Walking with or without help from staff or an assistive device. Aides encourage safe walking, use proper guarding and gait belts, and report new weakness or difficulty.

A common mood disorder in older adults marked by sadness, loss of interest, poor appetite, sleep changes, and hopelessness. Aides should report the signs, listen, and encourage activity and social contact.

The normal emotional response to a loss, which may include sadness, anger, guilt, and withdrawal. Aides listen, offer presence and comfort, and report signs that a resident is not coping.