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Fundamentals of Nursing

Key Terms

Fundamentals of NursingKey Terms

Key Terms

adolescence
the life stage from 12 to 17 years
adult
the life stage from 36 to 64 years
anticipatory guidance
the process of proactively counseling caregivers regarding significant physical, psychological, emotional, and developmental changes their child will encounter in the future
associative play
play in which participants involve and engage with others around them
atraumatic care
care that strives to eliminate as much patient trauma as possible from the experience
cephalocaudal
head-to-toe
conservation
the understanding that something may change its size or appearance without also changing its quantity
cooperative play
play in which all participants are expected to follow established rules
decentering
the process of investigating more than one problem at a time
development
the process by which a person gains various skills and functions
dramatic play
play in which participants take on roles and characters and use their imagination to interact with their surroundings
ego
the regulator between the id and the superego
fine motor skills
precise movements of small muscle groups
generativity
making a mark on the world with something that will outlast the life of the individual
gross motor skills
coordination of large muscle groups
growth
physical change in size
herd immunity
a landmark reached when a significant portion of the population (the “herd”) becomes immune to a disease
id
the primitive or unconscious part of the mind, which seeks gratification through physical needs
immunization
the method by which a person develops protection against a disease through vaccination
infancy
the life stage from 0 to 12 months
middle childhood
the life stage from 6 to 11 years
neonatal
the period of time from birth to 28 days
object permanence
the understanding that an object still exists even after it is hidden or moved from sight
onlooker play
the process of watching others perform a task or engage in play
parallel play
play in which participants play side by side but not with one another
play
considered the work of children; a crucial aspect in growth and development
preschooler
the life stage from 3 to 5 years
puberty
the stage of development during which physical and sexual maturity occurs and individuals become capable of reproduction
reversibility
the ability to understand a process and the steps of a process in any order
solitary play
an act of independent play
superego
the part of the mind responsible for upholding social norms and making moral decisions
theory of cognitive development
Jean Piaget’s theory that claims that individuals pass through four stages from birth to adolescence and notes changes in a person’s ability to use logic and scientific theory as they develop
theory of moral development
Lawrence Kohlberg’s theory, building upon Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, that moral reasoning develops in stages
theory of psychosocial development
Erik Erikson’s theory that personality develops through stages in a predetermined order, with two outcomes at each stage: successful completion or unsuccessful completion
toddler
the life stage from 1 to 3 years
vaccination
the act of presenting a vaccine to the body to elicit protection from a specific disease
young adults
the life stage from 18 to 35 years
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