Medical terms Flashcards
Within each discipline the T may work in one or more specialized areas.
Specialty
These facilities are often part of a SNF, but provide short-term care to patients who were usually in an acute care hospital, but need more time to recover than the average patient. Most patients in sub-acute facilities go home and receive services to help them rehabilitate.
Sub-acute Facility or Unit
Also known as Long term care, formerly called nursing homes. These facilities provide a more basic level of care for elderly patients who can no longer be cared for at home.
Skilled Nursing Facility
In most facilities there is staff around the clock, broken into shifts. Shifts may be 8 hr 12 hr shifts. Occasionally see other shift patterns, especially in the ED where they may work 1 to 1 or 3 to 3
Shift
Specifically designed units to help individuals who have had a stroke, brain injury, become a paraplegic (paralyzed from the waist down) or quadriplegic (paralyzed from the neck down.) They key to the rehab environment definition is that the patient can be returned to a higher level of functioning or environment (usually home.) Only patients that meet these criteria are housed in rehab facilities or units.
Rehabilitation Facility or Hospital
Persons with a short training program background who can assist in various units with bathing, taking blood pressures, helping patients walk, get out of bed, but who carry none of the professional responsibilities of the nurse.
Nursing assistants, nursing aides, unlicensed assistive personnel
The number of nurses in comparison to the number of patients in ICU is generally 1:1 (one nurse to one patient) or 1:2 in medsurg the nurse may have up to 10 patients, possibly more.
Nurse- Patient ratio
In patient settings and outpatient services that meet the needs of the dying patient. Nurses, respiratory therapists, social workers and others may work in these settings.
Hospice
Go to another unit for a shift due to census variation. Travelers are generally the first to “float” and usually this is seen as a negative. AMN policy is that we follow the policy of the facility and the nurse may float to units with similar patients
Float
The individual (usually RN) who runs a particular unit for the shift. Problem solves for other staff, makes assignments and would be usual resources for T.
Charge Nurse
The number of patients in a hospital or unit. The census determines how many nurses are necessary ad changed constantly. __ fluctuation may lead to a nurse shift being cancelled (nurse not needed) or floated (nurse goes to another unit for the shift.)
Census
HOSPITAL, as opposed to clinics, outpatient settings, rehabilitation facilities, skilled nursing facilities (SNF or “sniffs”). Most of our clients and placements are to acute care hospitals.
Acute Care Facility
A term used to describe how “sick” patients are. The higher the acuity the sicker the patients.
Acuity
The major program of education and licensure held by an individual traveler, e.g. RN, Radiology Tech, etc.
Discipline
