Vermont CNA (LNA) key terms

The tasks and duties a nursing assistant is legally permitted to perform under Vermont law and facility policy, based on approved training and nurse supervision; performing tasks outside it is unsafe.

The act of a licensed nurse assigning a specific, trained task to a nursing assistant while keeping responsibility for the resident's outcome and remaining available to supervise and answer questions.

A written, individualized guide listing a resident's needs, goals, and the specific approaches staff should use when providing care; nursing assistants follow it and report changes.

The defined order in which a nursing assistant reports problems and questions, usually from the charge nurse upward to the director of nursing and administrator, so concerns reach someone with authority.

A purposeful way of speaking and listening that helps a resident express feelings and make choices, using open questions, reflection, and a calm tone instead of advice or judgment.

Giving full attention to a speaker by facing them, using culturally appropriate eye contact, nodding, and repeating back the main point to confirm you understood correctly.

A communication disorder, often after a stroke, in which a person has trouble understanding words, finding words, or both; use short sentences, pictures, and extra time.

Infection-control basics used with every resident every time, including hand hygiene, gloves when body fluid contact is likely, and safe handling of sharps and soiled linen.

Cleaning hands with soap and water or alcohol-based rub at key moments, such as before and after resident contact and after removing gloves; it is the most effective way to prevent infection.

Gloves, gown, mask, and eye protection worn to block contact with blood, body fluids, or airborne germs; put it on before contact and remove it carefully before leaving.

The steps a germ must complete to spread: a source, a way out, a mode of travel, a way in, and a susceptible host; breaking any link stops transmission.

Extra precautions for specific infections, such as contact, droplet, or airborne, used in addition to standard precautions; door signs list what to wear and how to enter.

A fire-response sequence: Rescue anyone in danger, Activate the alarm, Confine the fire by closing doors, and Extinguish or Evacuate as directed by the facility plan.

A device or method, including some drugs, that limits a person's freedom of movement; used only when less restrictive measures fail, with a doctor's order and frequent monitoring.

A resident's voluntary agreement to treatment after receiving clear information about benefits, risks, and alternatives; nursing assistants never obtain consent but support the resident's right to decide.

A legal document, such as a living will or durable power of attorney for health care, stating a person's wishes for medical care if they can no longer speak for themselves.

The duty to keep a resident's personal and health information private, sharing it only with staff who need it for care; gossip and unauthorized access violate this duty.

An independent advocate who investigates complaints and protects residents' rights in long-term care; residents may contact the program privately and without fear of retaliation.

Deliberate action or inaction that harms a resident, including physical, emotional, sexual, verbal, or financial mistreatment; nursing assistants must report suspected abuse immediately under facility policy.

Failure to provide the care and services a resident needs, whether intentional or from oversight, such as missed meals, untreated pain, or leaving someone in soiled briefs.

Everyday self-care tasks such as bathing, dressing, grooming, eating, toileting, and moving; nursing assistants help residents do as much as they can for themselves.

Cleaning the genital and anal area, always wiping front to back, to prevent infection and skin breakdown; use a clean washcloth for each stroke and rinse well.

Damage to skin and underlying tissue from unrelieved pressure, often over bony areas like the sacrum or heels; prevention includes repositioning, clean dry skin, and good nutrition.

Difficulty swallowing that raises the risk of choking and aspiration; signs include coughing during meals, a wet or gurgly voice, and pocketing food in the cheek.

Breathing food, liquid, vomit, or saliva into the lungs instead of swallowing it; it can cause pneumonia, so at-risk residents sit upright and are fed slowly.

Measuring and recording how much a resident drinks and how much urine, vomit, or drainage leaves the body, usually in milliliters as ordered, to detect fluid imbalance.

An abbreviation meaning nothing by mouth, so no food, fluids, ice, or oral medications are given; only a nurse or doctor can order it, often before surgery or tests.

Involuntary loss of urine that may be temporary or ongoing; care includes scheduled toileting, quick response to requests, skin protection, and avoiding bladder irritants.

A structured program helping a resident regain control by toileting on a set schedule and gradually lengthening the time between trips, with encouragement and praise for success.

A hard mass of stool stuck in the rectum that cannot be passed, causing cramping, small liquid leakage, or no bowel movement for days; report it and never give an enema without an order.

Using good posture, a wide base of support, bent knees, and keeping the load close when moving or lifting, protecting both the resident and the nursing assistant from injury.

A wide strap fastened snugly around a resident's waist, over clothing, giving the assistant a secure hold during transfers and walking; never place it under the arms.

A semi-sitting position with the head of the bed raised about 45 to 60 degrees, used for eating, breathing difficulty, and comfort; support the feet and check skin.

Moving each joint through its full normal movement, either actively by the resident or passively by the assistant, to keep joints flexible and muscles working; stop if there is pain.

A permanent shortening of muscle or tendon that freezes a joint in a bent position, often from lack of movement; frequent range of motion, positioning, and splints help prevent it.

Care that helps residents regain or keep the highest possible function by practicing daily activities, such as dressing or walking, with cues and encouragement rather than doing everything for them.

Temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure, and often pain, measured to show how the body is working; report values outside the resident's normal range promptly.

A painless measure of oxygen saturation in the blood using a clip on a finger or earlobe; report readings below the ordered range or any change in breathing.

A fact you can see, hear, smell, or measure, such as ate half of breakfast or urine is dark, recorded without opinions or guesses.

A structured way to report a change: Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation; it gives the nurse clear, organized information quickly.