Safety in Healthcare Flashcards
Culture of Safety
A practice in which a healthcare facility spends time and resources to make sure safe care is provided and errors are prevented
Fire Triangle
Term for the three elements— fuel, heat, and oxygen—needed to start and maintain a fire
Hospital Emergency Codes
Signals used in hospitals to alert staff to various emergencies; examples include Code Red (fire) and Code Blue (cardiac arrest)
Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)
A document containing comprehensive information about a particular chemical used in a healthcare facility; each chemical used has a corresponding MSDS
Radiation Safety
OSHA
Rules established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that require employers to educate employees about chemical hazards in the workplace
PASS
A way to remember how to use a fire extinguisher, which stands for Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep
Quality Improvement (QI)
Term for policies that motivate or require healthcare facilities to monitor and evaluate their services based on predetermined criteria for the purpose of improving those services
RACE
A way to remember how to respond to a fire, which stands for Rescue, Alarm, Contain, Extinguish
Safety Hazard
Something that may result in damage, harm, or an undesirable health outcome
Body Alignment
The optimal placement of body parts so that bones are used efficiently and muscles have to do less work to get the same effect
Body Mechanics
The proper use of body movements to prevent injury during the performance of physical tasks, such as lifting and sitting
Ergonomics
The practice or science of maximizing efficiency and preventing discomfort or injury during the time a person is performing work tasks
Abrasion
An injury that occurs when the first layer of skin is scraped or rubbed off
Ambulation
The ability to walk from one place to another
Assistive device
A tool or equipment that helps patients move—such as a cane—or assists them in performing a task—such as a special cup for drinking
Atrophy
A decrease in size or wasting away of a body part or tissue
Contracture
A condition characterized by the tightening or shortening of a body part, such as muscle, tendon, or skin, due to lack of movement
Contraindicated
Term that describes any situation or condition that causes a particular type of treatment to be improper or undesirable
Decubitus Ulcer
A skin sore that is a result of lying in one position too long; caused by pressure that interferes with blood circulation to the skin
Gait Belt
A device made of canvas, nylon,
or leather that is used by healthcare providers to safely move (transfer) patients to a standing position or to assist them during walking
Immobility
A condition characterized by a limited, or complete lack of, ability to move
incident report
Forms used in a healthcare facility to document both safety and non-safety-related events that are not part of a routine operation in the facility
