Mississippi CNA key terms

The legal entitlements every nursing home resident has, such as privacy, respect, dignity, choice, and the right to voice complaints without fear of retaliation; these are protected under federal and Mississippi rules.

Treating each resident as a worthwhile person by protecting privacy, using respectful language, knocking before entering, and covering the body during care so the person feels valued.

Keeping a resident's personal and medical information private and sharing it only with caregivers who need it to give care, as required by HIPAA and facility policy.

The resident's voluntary agreement to a treatment or procedure after the purpose, risks, benefits, and alternatives have been explained in a way the resident understands.

Abuse is intentional harm or mistreatment of a resident; neglect is failing to provide needed care. Both must be recognized and reported right away to the charge nurse and proper authorities.

A trained advocate, provided through the state long-term care ombudsman program, who investigates resident complaints and helps protect residents' rights at no cost to the resident.

A communication technique in which the nursing assistant gives full attention, faces the speaker, and uses nods, eye contact, and brief responses to show the resident is understood.

Messages sent without words, such as facial expression, posture, tone of voice, and touch; nursing assistants must control their own nonverbal cues because residents read them easily.

A condition, often after a stroke, in which a resident has trouble understanding speech, speaking, or both; the nursing assistant should speak slowly, use gestures, and allow extra time.

Purposeful, respectful conversation that supports the resident's well-being, using open questions, empathy, and simple honest explanations instead of arguing or offering false reassurance.

Using proper alignment, a wide base of support, and the legs rather than the back to lift, move, or transfer a resident, which protects both the nursing assistant and the resident from injury.

A fire response acronym: Rescue anyone in danger, Alarm (pull the alarm and call), Contain the fire by closing doors, and Extinguish or Evacuate as directed.

The likelihood that a resident may fall because of factors such as weak balance, medications, confusion, or a wet floor; high-risk residents need their call light, non-skid footwear, and frequent checks.

Any physical or chemical device or method that limits a resident's freedom of movement or access to their body and is used only for a documented medical reason with a doctor's order.

Steps taken to keep a resident safe during a seizure: clear hard objects away, protect the head, turn the person to the side, never force anything into the mouth, then time the seizure and report it.

A first-aid maneuver for choking in a conscious adult or child in which quick inward and upward thrusts are given above the navel to force air out and clear the airway.

Infection control practices used with every resident regardless of diagnosis, including hand hygiene, gloves, gowns, masks, and safe handling of sharps and body fluids.

The single most effective way to prevent the spread of infection: washing with soap and water or using alcohol-based sanitizer at the correct times, such as before and after resident contact.

Personal protective equipment - gloves, gown, mask, and eye protection - worn as needed to prevent contact with blood, body fluids, or airborne droplets during care.

Extra precautions beyond standard precautions used for certain infections: contact, droplet, or airborne, each requiring specific protective equipment and sometimes a private room.

The sequence that must all be present for infection to spread: a germ, a reservoir, a way out, a mode of transmission, a way in, and a susceptible host; breaking any link prevents infection.

Activities of daily living - everyday self-care tasks such as bathing, dressing, grooming, eating, toileting, and walking; the nursing assistant supports the resident in doing as much as possible.

Cleaning the genital and anal areas, always wiping front to back, to remove secretions and reduce the risk of urinary and skin infections; privacy and gloves are required.

Damage to the skin and underlying tissue caused by unrelieved pressure, often over bony areas; prevention includes repositioning, keeping skin clean and dry, and good nutrition.

Cleaning and storing a resident's removable false teeth, using a toothbrush or denture brush over a sink lined with a towel, and labeling the denture cup with the resident's name.

Recording all fluids a resident drinks and all fluids lost through urine, vomit, or drainage, usually in milliliters, so the nurse can judge hydration and kidney and heart function.

Difficulty swallowing that raises the risk of choking and aspiration; nursing assistants should follow diet orders, thicken fluids as ordered, position the resident upright, and feed slowly.

Breathing food, liquid, vomit, or saliva into the airway instead of swallowing it, which can cause choking or pneumonia; prevention includes upright positioning and small, slow bites.

Keeping an indwelling urinary catheter clean and the drainage bag below the level of the bladder, never pulling the tubing, and giving daily perineal hygiene to help prevent infection.

A state in which the body loses more fluid than it takes in, causing thirst, dark urine, dry mouth, and confusion; nursing assistants encourage fluids and report low intake.

Moving each joint through its normal movements, either actively by the resident or passively by the nursing assistant, to keep joints flexible and prevent stiffness.

A permanent shortening of muscle and tissue that fixes a joint in a bent position, prevented by range of motion, proper positioning, and avoiding prolonged pressure or poor alignment.

A wide strap placed around a resident's waist for the nursing assistant to grip during transfers and walking, improving safety and reducing injury risk; it is never used to lift the resident.

Changing a resident's body position on a scheduled basis, usually at least every two hours, to relieve pressure on bony areas and prevent skin breakdown and discomfort.

Measurements of temperature, pulse, respirations, blood pressure, and often oxygen saturation or pain that show how well the body is working and are reported when abnormal.

A non-invasive device placed on a finger or earlobe that estimates the percentage of oxygen carried in the blood; a low reading should be reported to the nurse right away.

Asking a resident to rate and describe pain using a numbered scale or faces tool and noting location, quality, and timing so the nurse can treat the pain effectively.

The written or electronic record of care given, observations, and changes in condition; it must be accurate, timely, objective, and complete because it is a legal record.

A confidential facility form used to record the facts of an unexpected event such as a fall; the nursing assistant reports the event to the nurse and records only objective facts.