Pennsylvania CNA key terms

The tasks and duties a nurse aide is legally allowed to perform based on state law and training. Working outside this range is unsafe and can lead to discipline or harm.

When a licensed nurse assigns a specific nursing task to a nurse aide who has been trained to do it. The nurse remains responsible for the resident's overall care.

The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, a federal law that sets minimum training and testing rules for nurse aides and guarantees certain rights for nursing home residents.

The legal entitlements of people living in long-term care, including dignity, privacy, choice, safety, and freedom from abuse. Facilities must inform residents of these rights and honor them.

Keeping a resident's personal and medical information private and sharing it only with staff who need it to give care. Gossiping about residents or sharing details outside work breaks trust and the law.

Deliberate mistreatment of a resident, such as hitting, yelling, mocking, or stealing money. It can be physical, emotional, sexual, or financial, and it must be reported at once.

Failure to give a resident the care they need, such as leaving someone in soiled briefs, skipping meals, or ignoring calls for help. It may be unintentional but still causes harm.

The legal duty of a nurse aide to report suspected abuse, neglect, or mistreatment to a supervisor or state agency right away. Failing to report can lead to penalties.

Using correct posture, balance, and muscle strength when lifting, moving, or transferring residents. Good body mechanics protect both the resident and the aide from injury.

Steps taken to lower a resident's risk of falling, such as keeping the call light within reach, clearing clutter, using nonslip footwear, and helping with toileting.

Any device or method that limits a resident's movement and cannot be easily removed by the resident. It requires a doctor's order, frequent checks, and regular release periods.

Basic infection-control steps used with every resident, including hand hygiene and gloves or other barriers when contact with blood, body fluids, or broken skin is likely.

Extra precautions used for contagious conditions, such as a gown and mask for droplet or airborne illness, or gloves and gown for contact spread. A sign on the door lists what to wear.

Personal protective equipment: the barriers such as gloves, gowns, masks, and goggles worn to protect the aide and the resident from germs and body fluids.

Cleaning the hands with soap and water or alcohol-based sanitizer before and after resident contact, after removing gloves, and after touching soiled items. It is the best way to stop infection.

A written record of an unexpected event, such as a fall or injury, completed right after it happens. It helps the facility find problems and prevent repeats.

Moving a joint through its full normal motion to keep muscles and joints flexible. The resident may do it alone, or the aide may move the joint gently.

A permanent shortening of a muscle or joint that makes it hard or impossible to move. Regular range-of-motion exercise and correct positioning help prevent it.

Damage to skin and tissue caused by constant pressure, usually over bony areas such as the heels or tailbone. Turning and repositioning regularly helps prevent it.

Placing a resident's body in proper alignment with support such as pillows. Good positioning protects skin, keeps breathing clear, and prevents stiff joints.

Walking, with or without help from a person or a device. Helping residents walk regularly keeps up strength, balance, and independence.

Equipment such as a cane, walker, or gait belt used to help a resident move safely. The aide must know how to use it correctly and keep it within reach.

Giving residents enough fluids to keep the body working properly. Poor hydration can cause confusion, weakness, constipation, and skin breakdown.

Measuring and recording how much a resident drinks and how much urine or other fluid leaves the body. These records help the nurse judge fluid balance and spot problems early.

Cleaning a resident's whole body while they stay in bed, using warm water, mild soap, and gentle drying. It also gives a chance to check the skin and talk with the resident.

Cleaning the genital and anal area, always wiping front to back, to prevent infection and keep the resident clean and comfortable. It is done during bathing and after toileting as needed.

Brushing teeth or dentures and cleaning the mouth to prevent infection, cavities, and mouth odor. It also makes eating and talking more comfortable.

Moving a resident between bed and chair by having them stand, turn, and sit with the aide's help and a gait belt. The resident must be able to bear some weight.

A machine with a sling used to move a resident who cannot bear weight or help. It protects both the resident and the aide from strain and falls.

Measurements of temperature, pulse, breathing, blood pressure, and often oxygen level and pain. They show how well the body is working and when to report changes.

Routine cleaning around the spot where a urinary catheter enters the body and keeping the drainage bag below the bladder. This helps prevent infection and keeps the tube working.

Difficulty swallowing that raises the risk of choking and aspiration. Residents may need thickened liquids, small bites, extra time, and sitting upright while eating.

When food, liquid, vomit, or saliva goes into the airway instead of the stomach. It can cause choking or pneumonia, so coughing while eating must be reported.

A group of brain conditions that slowly reduce memory, thinking, and the ability to do daily tasks. Care focuses on routine, safety, patience, and simple one-step directions.

Increased confusion, restlessness, or agitation in some residents with dementia during late afternoon or evening. Calm routines, good lighting, and reduced noise can help.

A condition in which the body cannot properly control blood sugar. Aides watch for warning signs of sugar that is too high or too low and report them promptly.

Blood sugar that is too low, causing shakiness, sweating, confusion, hunger, or fainting. It needs quick treatment and immediate reporting to the nurse.

A sudden blockage or bleed in the brain that can cause weakness on one side, trouble speaking, or swallowing problems. Quick recognition and reporting can save brain function.

A sudden burst of abnormal brain activity that may cause shaking, staring, or loss of consciousness. Protect the resident from injury, do not restrain them, and call for the nurse.