Wisconsin CNA key terms

Paying full attention to a resident, watching body language, and repeating back or summarizing what was said so the person feels heard and understood.

A question that cannot be answered with a simple yes or no, such as asking how the resident is feeling today. It invites the person to share more information and feelings.

Understanding and sharing another person's feelings and showing that understanding with words and actions, such as saying that something sounds hard, without taking on the other person's emotions.

A condition, often after a stroke, in which a person has trouble speaking, understanding words, reading, or writing. The aide should speak slowly, use gestures, and allow extra time.

The ability to understand and respect a resident's culture, language, religion, and customs and to adjust care so that it fits those beliefs and preferences.

The series of steps a germ must follow to spread: a pathogen, a reservoir, an exit, a mode of transmission, an entry, and a susceptible host. Breaking any link stops infection.

Cleaning hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based rub. It is the single most effective way to prevent the spread of infection and is done before and after every resident contact.

Infection-control practices used with every resident, every time, because any person may carry germs. They include hand hygiene, gloves, gowns, masks, and safe handling of sharps and body fluids.

Extra precautions used when a resident has a known or suspected contagious infection. They may include gowns, masks, eye protection, a private room, or limiting how the resident moves around the facility.

Gloves, gown, mask, goggles, or face shield worn to protect the aide's skin, clothing, and mucous membranes from contact with blood, body fluids, or airborne germs.

Keeping an area and objects completely free of all germs, used for procedures such as catheter care or dressing changes. It requires sterile supplies and never touching sterile items with bare hands.

Using the body in a safe, balanced way by bending the knees, keeping the back straight, holding loads close, and widening the stance to move or lift without injuring yourself or the resident.

A wide strap fastened around a resident's waist that gives the aide a secure handhold while the person walks or transfers, reducing the risk of falling or of injuring the aide's back.

Steps taken to prevent falls, such as keeping the call light within reach, clearing clutter, using non-skid footwear, locking bed wheels, and checking on residents who are unsteady.

Breathing food, liquid, saliva, or vomit into the airway and lungs instead of swallowing it. It can cause choking or pneumonia, so residents with swallowing problems need careful positioning and feeding.

A written doctor's order saying that if the resident's heart or breathing stops, CPR is not to be started. The aide should know which residents have one and honor it.

Any physical device or chemical that limits a resident's freedom of movement or access to their body and is used only when ordered by a doctor for a specific, documented reason.

The legal rights every nursing home resident has, including privacy, dignity, choice, visitors, personal possessions, freedom from abuse, and a voice in their own care and daily schedule.

An advocate provided by the state who investigates complaints made by or for nursing home residents and helps them resolve problems with the facility while protecting their rights.

A resident's agreement to a treatment or procedure after the risks, benefits, and alternatives have been explained. The resident must be able to decide and must not be pressured.

A resident's right to make their own decisions about their life and care, even choices the aide would not make, as long as the person is not harming others.

Damage to skin and underlying tissue caused by unrelieved pressure, often over bony areas such as the tailbone, heels, and hips. Prevention includes repositioning, skin care, and good nutrition.

Difficulty swallowing. Signs include coughing, choking, drooling, or a gurgly voice during meals. The aide should follow diet orders, position the resident upright, and report problems.

Recording how much a resident drinks and how much urine, vomit, or other fluid leaves the body, usually in milliliters, so the care team can judge the person's fluid balance.

Measurements of temperature, pulse, respirations, and blood pressure, and often oxygen saturation or pain. They show how well the body is working, and changes are reported to the nurse.

A sudden confused state with changing attention and awareness, often caused by infection, medication, pain, or dehydration. It is a medical emergency and must be reported right away.

A slow, progressive loss of memory and thinking skills that interferes with daily life and is caused by brain disease. It is not a normal part of aging and cannot be cured.

Increased confusion, agitation, or restlessness in a person with dementia that begins or worsens in the late afternoon and evening. Calm routines, good lighting, and less noise can help.

A way of responding to a confused person by accepting and acknowledging their feelings and reality rather than arguing with them, which lowers distress and helps them feel safe.

Moving a joint through its normal limits, either by the resident (active) or by the aide (passive), to keep joints flexible, reduce stiffness, and slow loss of function.

A permanent shortening of muscle or tendon that pulls a joint into a fixed position and limits movement. Frequent range of motion and proper positioning help prevent it.

Care that helps a resident regain and keep as much function as possible, such as practicing walking, dressing, or eating skills with encouragement and the ordered devices.

The tasks and duties a nurse aide is legally allowed to perform, set by state law. The aide must not do anything outside that list, such as giving medications or making nursing assessments.

Failing to give the care a reasonable, careful aide would give in the same situation, resulting in harm to the resident. Leaving a resident unattended in the bathroom can be negligence.

The legal duty of nurse aides to report suspected abuse, neglect, or mistreatment of a resident to the nurse and, in many states, to a state agency.

Keeping a resident's health, personal, and financial information private and sharing it only with those who need it to provide care, as required by law.

A legal document, such as a living will or health care power of attorney, in which a person states their wishes for medical care in case they later cannot speak for themselves.

A written record of something unexpected that happened, such as a fall or injury, made for the facility's records. The aide reports facts to the nurse and does not blame others in it.