Ohio CNA (formerly STNA) key terms

The set of tasks and duties a nurse aide is legally trained and permitted to perform. Doing anything outside these limits-such as giving medication or inserting a catheter-is unsafe and can lead to discipline.

Federal protections guaranteed to people living in nursing homes, covering dignity, privacy, choice, visitors, personal belongings, and freedom from abuse. Aides must honor these rights and report any violation they observe.

Harm done to a resident on purpose, including hitting, yelling, threatening, restraining improperly, or misusing their money. Any suspicion of abuse must be reported immediately to the charge nurse and, in Ohio, to the appropriate authority.

Failing to provide the care or supervision a resident needs, such as skipping a scheduled repositioning, leaving someone in soiled linen, or ignoring a call light. Neglect may be unintentional but must still be reported.

A legal duty of nurse aides to tell the supervisor right away when they see or suspect abuse, neglect, or exploitation. Failing to report can bring penalties even if the aide did nothing wrong.

Keeping a resident's personal and medical information private, discussing it only with the care team in a private place. Sharing details with friends, family, or on social media violates the resident's rights and federal privacy law.

Giving full attention to a speaker, noticing tone and body language, and reflecting back what you understood. It helps residents feel respected and lets the aide catch important details about symptoms or worries.

Using open-ended questions, silence, restating, and empathy to help a resident express feelings and concerns. It avoids arguing, giving advice, or changing the subject, and keeps the focus on the resident.

Messages sent without words through facial expression, posture, eye contact, touch, and tone of voice. For residents who cannot speak, such as after a stroke, gestures and expressions become the main way to understand needs.

Loss of or trouble with language caused by brain injury, usually a stroke. The resident may understand but not find words, or speak fluently without meaning. Aides should use short sentences, pictures, and patience.

Cleaning hands with soap and water or alcohol-based sanitizer at key moments, such as before and after resident contact and after touching body fluids. It is the single most effective way to prevent spreading germs.

Routine steps taken with every resident to prevent disease spread, including hand hygiene, gloves, and eye protection when splashes are likely. They assume any blood or body fluid could carry infection.

Personal protective equipment: gloves, gowns, masks, and eye protection worn to keep germs off the aide's skin and clothes. Aides must know the order to put it on and take it off so they do not contaminate themselves.

Extra precautions used with residents who have a known contagious illness, spread by contact, droplets, or airborne particles. They add gowns, masks, or special rooms on top of standard precautions and require a sign on the door.

Activities of daily living: the everyday self-care tasks such as bathing, dressing, grooming, eating, and toileting. Aides help with these while encouraging residents to do as much as they safely can.

Cleaning the genital and anal area, always wiping front to back to keep bacteria away from the urinary opening. It is done during bathing and after incontinence, with privacy and gloves.

Damage to skin and tissue caused by unrelieved pressure, usually over bony areas like the tailbone, heels, or hips. Prevention means repositioning, keeping skin dry, and checking skin each shift.

Temperature, pulse, respirations, blood pressure, and often pain or oxygen saturation-measurements that show how the body is working. Aides report values outside the resident's normal range to the nurse.

Counting heartbeats for a full minute by pressing lightly on an artery, usually at the wrist. Aides report a rate that is very fast, very slow, irregular, or different from the resident's usual pattern.

Recording how much fluid a resident drinks and how much urine, vomit, or drainage leaves the body. Accurate measurement in milliliters helps the nurse judge hydration and kidney function.

Difficulty swallowing, which raises the risk of choking and of food entering the lungs. Aides follow diet texture and liquid thickness orders, sit the resident upright, and encourage small bites and slow eating.

Not having enough fluid in the body, causing thirst, dark urine, dry mouth, confusion, and weakness. Aides prevent it by offering fluids often and recording intake, especially in residents who cannot ask.

Leakage of urine that a resident cannot control. Aides respond quickly to keep skin dry, offer scheduled toileting, and avoid showing embarrassment or scolding.

A scheduled toileting program that helps a resident regain control by offering the toilet at set times, often based on their usual patterns. Consistency, fluids, and encouragement matter more than perfect results.

Keeping an indwelling urinary catheter clean and flowing, with the bag below bladder level and tubing free of kinks. Aides perform routine hygiene, empty the bag, and report cloudy urine, odor, or leakage.

An approach that helps residents keep or regain function after illness, using daily activities like dressing and walking as practice. Aides follow the care plan, encourage effort, and allow extra time instead of doing everything for the resident.

Moving a joint through its full normal movement, either actively by the resident or passively by the aide. Regular range of motion keeps joints flexible and slows the stiffening that comes with not moving.

Helping a resident walk, with a gait belt, walker, or cane as needed. The aide stays on the weaker side, checks for dizziness, and encourages steady progress toward the resident's highest level of function.

Using the body safely when lifting or moving, with feet apart, back straight, weight close, and legs doing the work. Good mechanics protect both the aide's back and the resident's safety.

A strong strap buckled around a resident's waist that gives the aide a firm, safe hold while walking or transferring. It is grasped from underneath, never by the resident's clothing or arm.

Moving a resident from one surface to another, such as bed to chair. The aide plans the move, locks wheels, explains the steps, uses a gait belt or lift, and never pulls on the resident's shoulders.

Steps to keep residents from falling, such as keeping call lights and needed items within reach, clearing clutter, using nonslip footwear, and answering call lights quickly. Aides also check on residents at risk more often.

Any physical or chemical method that limits a resident's freedom of movement, such as a vest tied to a chair or a drug given to control behavior. Restraints require a doctor's order, are used only as a last resort, and must be released regularly.

A fire response sequence: Rescue anyone in danger, Alarm the building, Contain the fire by closing doors, and Evacuate or Extinguish if safe. Aides should know their facility's exit routes and never use elevators during a fire.

A common but treatable illness with lasting sadness, loss of interest, poor appetite, sleep changes, and hopelessness. Aides should take it seriously, encourage activity and company, and report signs to the nurse.

An ongoing worry or fear that may show as restlessness, fast heartbeat, sweating, or repeated questions. Aides stay calm, listen, offer simple reassurance, and report new or worsening signs to the nurse.

A group of brain conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, that steadily damage memory, language, judgment, and self-care. Aides respond to the feeling behind behavior, keep routines simple, and never argue with confused statements.

A sudden, fluctuating confusion often caused by infection, medication, pain, or dehydration. It is a medical warning sign, so the aide should report a new or worsening change in alertness right away.

Calming an upset resident by staying calm, keeping distance, speaking softly, and listening to the concern before offering choices. Aides avoid arguing, threatening, or crowding the person, and call for help if danger grows.