1. Health Science Internship Vocabulary By: Cindy Quisenberry

2. Acute  Problem that begins rapidly and typically lasts 7-10 days; then the person recovers

3. Chronic  An ongoing illness or condition that does not have cure, usually has gradual onset, and lasts for a long time

4. Long Term Care Facility  Part of the health care system that provides rehabilitation, continuous supportive, high level nursing, respite or hospice care for an extended period of time

5. Interdisciplinary Team  A group of caregivers from all departments in a facility  Nursing  Medicine  Physical therapy  Social services  Etc.

6. Nursing Assistant  A trained member of the healthcare team who provides the majority of hands-on resident (patient) care

7. Charge Nurse AA nurse who has the day-to-day responsibility for supervising nurse assistants, nurses, and organizing patient care on their assigned hall, unit, etc.

8. Alzheimer’s Disease  A progressive, incurable disease that affects the brain and causes memory loss and eventual death

9. Biologicals  Medical products made from living organisms, such as vaccinations or blood products

10. Cognitive Impairment  Disruption in knowledge, memory, awareness, or judgment

11. Collaboration  The act of working together

12. Conflict Resolution  Use of effective communication to resolve problems

13. Convalescent  Recovering health and strength gradually after sickness and weakness

14. Intravenous EEntering through a vein

15. Hospice Care  A program with a specially trained interdisciplinary team that cares for a terminally ill resident who is expected to die within 6 months

16. Intellectually Disabled  A person with impaired mental skills, characterized both by a significant below average score on a test of mental ability or intelligence and by limitations in the ability to function in areas of daily life; sometimes called cognitive disability or mental retardation

17. Mental Retardation  Condition in which the individual has significantly below average intelligence and minimal adaptive skills

18. Adaptive Skills  Skills people use every day to live, work, and play

19. Occupational Therapist  Works with fine motor skills to help individuals keep using their hands and arms for activities

20. Physical Therapist  Works with individuals to improve functional mobility so individuals can maintain or increase their physical abilities, such as walking

21. Restorative  Designed to help one to return to health and be as independent and functional as possible

22. SpeechTherapist/ Speech-language Pathologist  Assess, treat, and prevent communication and swallowing disorders, such as patients who:  cannot make speech sounds or cannot make them clearly  stutter  have inappropriate pitch  have difficulty understanding and producing language  have oral motor problems with eating and swallowing

23. Recreation Therapy  Working with residents to help them stay active

24. Subacute Care  Care provided to individuals who do not need to be in the hospital but are not ready to be at home

25. Gerontology AA branch of knowledge dealing with aging

26. Respite Care  An interval of rest or relief - usually rest or relief for families who have been providing care for their loved one

27. Dental Assistant  Perform both preparatory and break-down duties in the office. Some of these duties include disinfecting and laying out instruments for a dentist, obtaining patients' dental records, handing instruments to dentists during procedures and instructing patients on how to care for their teeth after they leave the dentist's office.

28. Dental Hygienist  Performs tasks that are more advanced and independent; perform several tasks that were only done by dentists in the past. Their duties may include polishing patients' teeth, removing hard and soft deposits from teeth and using several tools to remove tartar, plaque and stains. Hygienists may also develop x-ray film.

29. Significant Other  Person who is very close and important to another person, but who is not related by a traditional family relationship or marriage; usually refers to a sexual partner outside of marriage

30. Medical Doctor (Physician)  Abbreviation for Doctor of Medicine. Sometimes written today as MD.  All medical schools in the United States and Canada award an MD degree, usually after 4 years undergraduate study at a college or university followed by 4 years of medical school.

31. Doctor of Osteopathy (Physician)  Abbreviation for Doctor of Osteopathy. Sometimes written today as DO.  All schools of Osteopathy in the United States and Canada award an DO. degree, usually after 4 years undergraduate study at a college or university followed by 4 years of medical school.

32. Physicians (MD & DO)  After medical school, both DOs and MDs obtain graduate medical education through internships, residencies and fellowships. This training lasts three to eight years and prepares DOs and MDs to practice a specialty.

33. Physicians (MD & DO)  Both DOs and MDs can choose to practice in any specialty of medicine—such as pediatrics, family medicine, psychiatry, surgery or ophthalmology.  DOs and MDs must pass comparable examinations to obtain state licenses.  DOs and MDs both practice in accredited and licensed health care facilities.

34. Medical Director/ Hospitalist  The staff physician that treat the patients/residents medical conditions and directs general medical care.

35. Director of Nursing (DON)  Supervises the nursing staff and sets the philosophy and approach for caregiving

36. Nursing Staff  The largest department; The nursing staff help residents with the activities of daily (ADL’s), medical treatments, medications, and health promotion. Staff includes registered and licensed nurses and nursing assistants.

37. Social Worker  Counsel patients/residents and their families; they might help residents apply for Medicaid, arrange for home care services, etc.

38. Administrator  Manages a facility and directs all staff. The administrator’s goal is to make sure each patient/resident’s quality of life and care needs are met.

39. Housekeeping  Keeps the inside of the facility clean.

40. Bookkeeping  Manages accounting, payroll, and purchasing.

41. Dietitian/Nutritionist  Plans and prepares meals, assesses a patient’s/resident’s likes and dislikes, and ensures good nutrition.

42. Disability LLack of a full physical or mental function

43. Rehabilitation  The process of restoring to a former state Rehabilitative  Restoring to former health

44. Optimal  Most desirable or satisfactory; highest

45. Preferences  Personal choices or favorites

46. Premiums  Payments for insurance policies

47. Accredit  To recognize or vouch for as conforming with a standard

48. Admission  Administrative procedure for entering a facility; opposite of discharge

49. Discharge AAdministrative procedure for leaving a facility; opposite of admission

50. Residential  Long term care facility in which people live

51. Restraint  Device used to restrict movement

52. Medicare  Federal health care insurance for the elderly.  Pays for a limited number of days in a facility; after that, the person must turn to Medicaid or their own resources to pay for care

53. Medicaid  State and federal program that pays the costs for people with limited income and assets. It was originally intended to meet the healthcare needs only of the poor.  Is a major part of the US long-term care system b/c so many people cannot pay in other ways.

54. Managed Care Plans  A type of private insurance  Varies from state to state

55. Centers for Medicare an d Medicaid Services (CMS)  Provides health insurance for 74 million US citizens through Medicare, Medicaid, and other programs.  CMS oversees the surveying and certification of long term care facilities.  Facilities must follow CMS regulations to receive reimbursement

56. JCAHO - Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations  Evaluates and accredits health care organizations and programs in the US.  Organizations seek JCAHO accreditation in order to receive managed care contracts.

57. Assisted Living Facilities  Provide 24-hour supervision in a home-like setting. Support services are based on each resident’s needs. Services may include help with eating, bathing, dressing, toileting, taking medicine, transportation, laundry, housekeeping, etc.

58. Intermediate Care Facilities  Have a wide variety of services for mentally and developed mentally disabled persons. Care focuses on helping the person become as independent as possible. Staff work with the skills of each person and build success from that starting point.

59. LTACH  Long Term Acute Care Hospital - A long term acute care facility is a specialty-care hospital designed for patients with serious medical problems that require intense, special treatment for an extended period of time—usually 20 to 30 days. Long term acute care facilities offer more individualized and resource-intensive care than a skilled nursing facility, nursing home or acute rehabilitation facility.

60. Contracture  Deformity caused by a permanent shortening of a muscle or ligament, or by scar tissue

61. Resuscitate  To revive from apparent death

62. Values  Beliefs people have about what is important to them

63. Shift  Scheduled period of work for a group of people (day shift, evening shift, night shift, 7a-7p, etc.)

64. Inservice  Educational programs taught to staff while on the job

65. Wing/Hall  Separate section of a building attached to the central section

66. Confidentiality  Keeping information private

67. Grievance  A formal complaint

68. OBRA (Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act)  Nursing home reform bill – defined residents’ rights  Right to exercise one’s rights  Right to privacy and confidentiality  Right to information  Right to choose  Right to notification of change  Protection of residents’ personal funds  Grievance rights