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1.5: Key Terms

  • Page ID
    105108
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    accountability
    taking responsibility for one’s own actions and accepting all consequences, both personal and professional, that can result from these actions
    adaptive coping
    a coping strategy that includes problem-focused coping and/or emotion-focused coping
    assessment
    a nursing process phase that involves gathering comprehensive data about the patient’s health status, including physical, psychological, social, and cultural aspects
    at-risk population
    a group of individuals who are at higher risk of experiencing adverse health, social, or economic outcomes due to various factors
    autonomy
    respecting the right of patients to make their own decisions and participate in their care
    beneficence
    acting in the best interest of patients and promoting their well-being
    collaborative nursing intervention
    an action that the nurse carries out in collaboration with other health team members, such as physicians, social workers, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, and occupational therapists
    comprehensive assessment
    an assessment that provides a more extensive and detailed overview of a patient’s overall health; it encompasses physical, psychological, and social aspects of a patient’s well-being
    confidentiality
    the ethical and legal duty to safeguard and protect sensitive and private information from unauthorized disclosure or access, ensuring it remains secure from others
    coping strategy
    an action, a series of actions, or a thought process used in meeting a stressful or unpleasant situation or in modifying one’s reaction to such a situation
    dependent nursing intervention
    an action that requires a prescription before it can be performed
    descriptive theory (also phenomenological theory)
    a type of theory that focuses on describing and understanding the lived experiences of individuals in the context of health care
    developmental theory
    framework that aims to explain and understand how individuals grow, change, and develop across various stages of life, emphasizing the interaction between biological, cognitive, social, and emotional factors in shaping human development
    diagnosis
    a nursing process phase in which nurses analyze and interpret the collected data to identify nursing diagnoses or health problems
    direct care activity
    an action such as administering medications, providing treatments, and assisting with activities of daily living
    element
    one of the parts, such as an object, person, process, or concept, that make up a system
    emotion-focused coping
    strategies such as mindfulness, meditation, and yoga; using humor and jokes; seeking spiritual or religious pursuits; engaging in physical activity or breathing exercises; and seeking social support
    Erikson’s psychosocial development theory
    an outline of the eight stages of human development, each characterized by a unique psychosocial crisis or challenge
    ethical guidelines and standards
    research documents that provide ethical frameworks and principles that guide researchers in conducting ethical and responsible research
    evaluation
    a nursing process phase that focuses on determining the effectiveness of the nursing interventions and the progress made toward achieving the established goals
    evidence-based practice (EBP)
    the integration of the best available research evidence, clinical expertise, and patient preferences or values to guide healthcare decision-making and improve patient outcomes
    external stimulus
    the physical, social, and cultural aspects of the environment
    fidelity
    demonstrating faithfulness, loyalty, and commitment to patients
    focused assessment
    a targeted assessment designed to address a specific concern
    framework of nursing theory
    a structured and organized approach to understanding and applying nursing concepts and principles
    general systems theory
    a conceptual framework that describes how systems function and interact with their environment
    health promotion
    empowering individuals, families, and communities to take control of their well-being and make positive choices
    holistic nursing care
    nursing care that emphasizes the healing of the whole person, including mind, body, and soul
    implementation
    a nursing process phase that involves executing the planned nursing interventions according to the established plan of care
    independent nursing intervention
    any intervention that the nurse can independently provide without obtaining a prescription
    indirect care activity
    an action such as patient education, counseling, and coordination of healthcare services
    informed consent
    a voluntary and well-informed agreement given by a patient after receiving comprehensive information about the risks, benefits, alternatives, and potential consequences of a medical intervention or treatment
    interdisciplinary theory
    a theory that integrates knowledge and concepts from one or more disciplines to enhance nursing practice, research, and education
    internal stimulus
    physiological, psychological, and cognitive factors
    justice
    a principle and moral obligation to act on the basis of equality and equity
    Leininger’s theory of culture care diversity and universality
    a theory that focuses on describing the impact of cultural beliefs, values, and practices on health and nursing care
    maladaptive coping
    a coping strategy that includes the avoidance of a stressful condition, withdrawal from a stressful environment, disengagement from stressful relationships, or misuse of drugs and/or alcohol
    Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory
    a theory that states that individuals have a hierarchical structure of needs, ranging from basic physiological needs to self-actualization
    nonmaleficence
    avoiding harm and preventing or minimizing potential risks to patients
    nursing diagnosis
    clinical judgment based on the medical diagnosis of a patient that helps the nurse determine the plan of care
    nursing metaparadigm
    the four foundational concepts that are central to the discipline of nursing: person, environment, health, and nursing
    nursing process
    a critical thinking model based on a systematic approach to patient-centered care.
    nursing theory
    a set of organized concepts, principles, and relationships that guide and inform nursing practice
    planning phase
    a nursing process phase when nurses collaborate with the patient, their family, and the interdisciplinary healthcare team to set achievable goals or outcomes and develop a comprehensive plan of care
    prescriptive theory
    a type of theory that provides guidance and direction for nursing practice by offering recommendations, interventions, or guidelines to achieve desired outcomes
    problem-focused coping
    a strategy that includes seeking treatment such as counseling or cognitive behavioral therapy
    qualitative research
    a systematic and subjective approach that focuses on understanding and interpreting human experiences, meanings, and social phenomena in the context of health care
    quantitative research
    a systematic and empirical approach that involves the collection, analysis, and interpretation of numerical data to answer research questions and explore phenomena related to health care
    Roy’s adaptation model
    a conceptual framework developed by nursing theorist Sister Callista Roy that is based on the belief that individuals strive to maintain balance and achieve a state of equilibrium in response to changes in their internal and external environments, and aims to promote adaptation for optimal health and well-being
    system
    a set of elements that are interrelated and work together to achieve a common goal
    veracity
    honesty and truthfulness in communication
    Watson’s theory of human caring
    a theory that emphasizes the significance of caring in nursing practice

    This page titled 1.5: Key Terms is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by OpenStax via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.

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