GLOSSARY
A
abuse Physical, emotional, or sexual maltreatment.
acanthosis nigricans (AN) A skin condition associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
accreditation A form of certification or licensure that recognizes demonstrated compliance with established criteria.
acculturation The process of adapting to, adopting, or taking on aspects of another culture; although something may be gained in the process, something is also usually lost; sometimes used interchangeably with assimilation.
acne An inflammatory process of the sebaceous follicles of the skin, characterized by papules, comedones, and pustules.
active listening The act of perceiving what is communicated verbally as well as nonverbally.
adaptation The process of changing behavior in response to external or internal stimuli or surroundings.
addiction A gradual process that occurs when a person has developed both a biological and a psychosocial dependence on the substance of use.
advance directives Written instructions regarding specific procedures to be followed if the client becomes incapacitated.
advocate One who takes the patient’s side and provides complete information to allow him or her to make decisions concerning individual health care.
ageism Prejudice against the elderly
agraphia In a literate person, the inability to coordinate hand muscles sufficiently to produce handwriting.
alogia An inability to speak in a person who has the ability to think.
alpha brain waves Rhythmical brain waves recorded on the electroencephalograph, associated with a quiet, resting state in the brain and body
ambiguous loss Involves physical or psychological losses in families that are not as concrete or identifiable as traditional losses such as death; ambiguous loss can include a miscarriage or loss of a still living spouse to Alzheimer’s disease.
amenorrhea The cessation of menses.
amniocentesis Sampling of the amniotic fluid through a transabdominal puncture with ultrasound guidance.
andragogy The education of adults.
andropause The male climacteric caused by diminished levels of the androgen hormone, testosterone.
anorexia nervosa An eating disorder in which the individual voluntarily refuses to eat because of excessive concern over body shape or weight.
anosmia The absence of the sense of smell.
anticipatory guidance The preparation of patients or clients for an anticipated developmental and/or situational crisis.
assault Infringement on the mental security or the tranquility or both of another.
assisted living facility (ALF) A facility designed to provide a special combination of personalized care, supportive services, and health-related services for care of the elderly.
ataxic aphasia See Motor aphasia.
atrophy Muscle wastage.
attachment Unique, specific, and enduring relationship involving mutual trust, responsiveness, and caring between the infant and the mother.
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Neurobehavioral disorder characterized by increased impulsinty, inability to concentrate hyperactivity, and difficulties in school and family relationships.
auditory amnesia See Auditory aphasia.
auditory aphasia (auditory amnesia, word deafness) Ability to think and hear without the ability to understand the spoken word when heard.
authenticity Being real and genuine, as opposed to hiding behind a mask of professionalism.
autonomy Principle based on the right to self-determination; gives an individual the right to choose what will happen to his or her own person.
ayurveda A form of healing originating in India that focuses on physical health and spiritual growth, using meditation, sound, massage, herbs, the breath, and types of food specific to the individual to help balance the body and its energy field.
B
baby boomers U.S. adults born between 1946 and 1964.
balance A term impling that the total energy intake into the body in the form of nutrient calories does not exceed the body’s expenditure of energy.
ballistic stretching Stretching by means of repeated bouncing.
basal metabolic rate The amount of energy required to carry out involuntary bodily activities at rest.
battery Physically touching a person; a physical violation.
beneficence A principle that requires nurses to act in ways that benefit the client.
bereavement The state of being deprived of something or someone
biomonitoring Monitoring used in assessing human exposure to chemicals through the measurement of the chemicals or their metabolites in the body from such human specimens as blood or urine.
body composition The relative amount of fat in the body compared to fat-free weight, such as that of muscle, bone, and other elements in the body.
body image disturbances A distorted image that a person has of self.
body language The use of nonverbal communication behaviors that include personal presentation, proxemics, kinesics, and touch.
body mass index (BMI) A number that shows body weight adjusted for height and that can be calculated using inches and pounds or meters and kilograms; a convenient tool that relates height and weight to determine whether the individual is considered overweight or obese.
breach of duty A deviation in some manner from the standard of care.
bruising The discoloration of the skin (blue or purple) resulting from leakage of blood into skin tissue that has been damaged by an injury.
building-related illness A diagnosable illness that can be directly linked to airborne building contaminants.
bulimia nervosa An eating disorder characterized by binge eating followed by purging through self-induced vomiting, laxatives, diuretics, or excessive exercise.
burnout The state of physical and emotional exhaustion that occurs when health care givers deplete their adaptive energy sources.
c
CAM Complementary and alternative medicine viewed as a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not currently considered conventional medicine or that is practiced by medical doctors or other health professionals, such as physical therapists, psychologists, and registered nurses. Complementary modalities are used as an adjunct to conventional medicine, whereas alternative modalities are used instead of conventional medicine.
capacity building A developmental process that results in independence and self-confidence.
capitation A type of health care in which the insurer or employer pays a provider a set fee for all the medical expenses necessary for each member covered under the plan.
carcinogens A substance that can cause or promote the growth of cancer.
cardiovascular fitness Synonymous with cardiorespiratory fitness, aerobic fitness, or cardiorespiratory endurance, terms that refer to the circulatory system and respiratory system and how effectively and efficiently they transport oxygenated blood to working muscles for an extended period of time.
career ladder A degree completion program focusing on transitioning from one educational level to the next.
caring Having a personal interest in the client; feeling for the client; involves an investment of the self.
centenarians A person who lives past her or his 100th birthday.
central obesity A pattern of obesity in which a high proportion of fat is localized around the abdomen and upper body.
certifications The process by which an individual registered nurse who has met certain established criteria or qualifications is granted recognition for competency.
chakras Spinning wheels of energy that help move healing energy from the universal field through the layers of the individual field (spiritual, mental, emotional, etheric) to the human body, and back to the universal field.
chemical sensitivity The physiological response to a toxic substance following long-term exposure to low-level chemicals that were not recognized as harmful in the past.
chi An Asian concept referring to invisible energy and vitality by which all living things, earth, and sky are interrelated cosmically.
chromotherapy The use of color in therapeutic ways.
chronic illnesses A type of disease or disorder that causes limitation of activity for a prolonged period.
climacteric The change of life.
Code of Hammurabi The earliest written reference to health that established standards and practices of living for the ancient civilization of Babylonia.
cognitive restructuring Also known as cognitive reframing; a process of recognizing, challenging, and changing cognitive distortions and negative thought patterns.
cohabitation Two unrelated adults of the opposite sex living together without a binding social or institutional contract.
communication Conveying ideas, thoughts, opinions, or facts from one person to another.
community Refers to a collection of like-minded people who work with each other and who have common traits and interests.
community-level interventions An activity that occurs at the community level, rather than at the individual or family level, to promote health or to reduce illness or injury. For example, the fluoridation of the water supply is a preventive community-level intervention. Mandating seat belt use is a community-level intervention to reduce the incidence of injury.
comorbidity Another disability is present in addition to the substance use/abuse/addiction.
complementary and alternative medicine See CAM
concept A generalized notion or idea useful in describing facts or occurrences.
conceptual framework Describes the concepts that are interrelated and central to the understanding of a phenomenon.
congenital Present at birth.
constipation Difficult or infrequent passage of hard, dry fecal material.
Consumer Information Processing Model (CIP) A model that incorporates concepts related to the use of information and the motivational effect of using this information in making choices.
context The conditions under which communication occurs.
cooldown A warm-down that is gradual and should be the last 5–10 minutes of the completed workout.
coordinator of care Assures the appropriate sequence of events in the patient’s plan of care.
coping strategies Techniques used by an individual to deal with situations that are perceived as stressful.
couvade Medical term for sympathetic pregnancy experienced by the father.
credentialing A process that recognizes professional achievements such as specialty practice knowledge, educational accomplishments, certification, licensure, and accreditation.
crime A legal wrong committed against a person or property, punishable by the state and involving jail time.
crisis A situation of severe disorganization resulting when an individual’s coping mechanisms are not effective, or when the usual resources are lacking, or a combination of both.
cross-tolerance Drugs that are similar to each other and produce similar effects on the body and brain.
cultural competence Incorporating emic and etic cultural knowledge into holistic and cultural congruent client care. Cultural competence involves nurses’ self-awareness of their own culture and its myriad influences on their daily life in order to fully appreciate their clients’ culture.
cultural congruent care The care that is provided to fit with the values, beliefs, and lifeways of an individual, a group, or an institution.
cultural tapestry A beautiful textured pattern representing an individual’s unique cultural heritage.
culture Dynamic adaptation; a learned way of life that includes interrelated attitudes, morals, beliefs, values, ideals, knowledge, symbols, artifacts, customs, traditions, and norms of a particular group that are transmitted intergenerationally, guide behavior, and make life meaningful. Culture represents a particular group’s overarching life ways as well as each individual’s worldview and way of life.
culture broker A go-between who advocates on behalf of individuals, families, or communities, providing an avenue for informing health care providers about the effects of culture on health and behavior.
d
decoder The person who receives and is able to interpret an encoded message in order to understand the sender’s original idea, thought, opinion, or fact.
dementia A progressive, organic mental disorder resulting in changes in personality, confusion, and impaired function, memory, and judgment.
dental caries Progressive decalcification of the enamel of a tooth.
deontology A theory of moral or professional obligation.
desirable body weight The weight by achieving a balance between adequate nutrition, proper body fat, and physical activity.
determinants of health Factors such as biological, social, personal, environmental, and economic factors that influence a person’s health status.
detoxification Taking an individual who is using drugs off the drug.
diagnosing dying Recognizing some of the major symptoms that someone who is dying may exhibit.
diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) The diagnosis classification system created in 1983 that contained 468 diagnoses to be used with the prospective payment system for Medicare to pay hospital costs.
diarrhea Frequent passage of watery, unformed fecal material.
Dietary Guidelines Recommendations for healthy Americans 2 years and over regarding food choices.
dietary reference intakes (DRIs) A new system that replaces the recommended dietary allowances and that focuses on the role of certain nutrients in reducing the risk for chronic diseases.
Diffusion of Innovations Model A model that addresses how new ideas, products, and social practices spread within a society or from one society to another.
disease cluster A group of individuals experiencing the same disease in greater numbers than would happen by chance.
disease prevention Measures taken to reduce the occurrence and severity of disease.
domains Areas of concern affecting optimal health.
dose response The pattern of physiological response to varied dosage.
drug abuse The use of a drug or drugs inconsistent with social norms for purposes other than the intended ones, usually to alter feelings or mood and without relation to medical or health reasons.
drug misuse The use of a drug or drugs inconsistent with social norms for purposes other than the intended ones, usually to alter feelings or mood and without relation to medical or health reasons.
dual diagnosis The identification of those with both substance abuse and mental or physical health concerns.
dysomnia Inadequate or dysfunctional sleep patterns.
e
egocentric Concentrating upon self with little or no regard to others or the external world.
elder abuse Any knowing, intended, or careless act that causes harm or serious risk of harm to an older person, whether physically, mentally, emotionally, or financially.
electronic health record (EHR) An electronic version of a patient’s medical history that may include key clinical data relevant to the person’s care, demographics, progress notes, problems, medications, vital signs, past medical history, immunizations, and laboratory and radiology reports.
embryo The product of pregnancy from conception to eight weeks.
emic knowledge A subjective view; an insider’s perspective; understanding the emic perspective is considered a prerequisite for cultural competence.
empathy The state of being experienced by identifying closely with your client because you are able to imagine yourself in the client’s situation and are able to feel the client’s feelings as if they were yours.
empowerment The process of helping others to help themselves; enabling or giving power to your patient.
encoder The person who initiates communication by placing a message in a form that is understandable to the person meant to receive it.
encopresis Fecal incontinence in a child 4 years of age or older who has no physical abnormality causing the incontinence