Glossary

How nurses pay attention to ethics in carrying out their common daily interactions, including how they approach their practice and reflect on their ethical commitments to persons receiving care or with health-care needs.

The ongoing process that incorporates evidence from research findings, clinical expertise, client preferences, and other available resources to inform decisions that nurses make about clients.

Practice which is based on successful strategies that improve client outcomes and are derived from a combination of various sources of evidence, including client perspective, research, national guidelines, policies, consensus statements, expert opinion and quality improvement data.

Equalizing people’s opportunities to participate in and enjoy life, given their circumstances, and society’s equitable distribution of resources (in health care this means an expectation of equitable treatment).

In matters of caregiving, family is recognized as those people identified by the person receiving or in need of care who provide familial support, whether or not there is a biologic relationship. However, in matters of legal decision-making it must be noted that provincial legislation is not uniform across Canada and may include an obligation to recognize family members in priority according to their biologic relationship.

An obligation to act in the best interest of another. A person acting in a fiduciary capacity is held to a high standard of honesty and must not obtain a personal benefit at the expense of the client.

The First Nations principles of ownership, control, access, and possession – more commonly known as OCAP® – assert that First Nations have control over data collection processes, and that they own and control how this information can be used.

All the qualities and capabilities of an individual relevant to his or her capacity to practise as a registered nurse, including, but not limited to, freedom from any cognitive, physical, psychological or emotional condition and dependence on alcohol or drugs, that impairs his or her ability to practise nursing.

For the purposes of program approval, foundational practice standards are the more commonly cited NANB measures related to RN and NP performance issues as identified through the NANB data.

A person's internal and deeply felt sense of being man or woman, both, neither, or somewhere along the gender spectrum. A person's gender identity may or may not align with the gender typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth. Gender identity is not necessarily visible and is not related to sexual orientation.

A neurological scale which aims to give a reliable and objective way of recording the conscious state of a person.

An area of research and practice committed to the application of overtly multidisciplinary, multisectoral, and culturally sensitive approaches for reducing health disparities that transcend national borders.

Education beyond the baccalaureate level, including master’s, doctoral and postdoctoral levels.

Refers to policies, programs, and practices that aim to minimize negative health, social, and legal impacts associated with drug use, drug policies and drug laws. Key principles include respecting the rights of people who use illicit substances; commitment to evidence, social justice, and collaboration with people who use illicit substances; and avoidance of stigma.

A state of complete physical, mental (spiritual) and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease.

Deliberate attempts by governments to substantially change health policies, structures, and processes with the objective of improving their functioning or performance.

Differences in health status that occur among population groups defined by specific characteristics. Socio-economic status, Aboriginal identity, gender, ethnicity, and geographic location are the important factors associated with health disparities in Canada.

Absence of unfair, avoidable, or remediable differences in health status among groups of people. Health equity is achieved when everyone can attain their full potential for health and well-being.

Health human resources (HHR) – also known as human resources for health (HRH) or health workforce – is defined as "all people engaged in actions whose primary intent is to enhance health."

The presence of systematic disparities in health (or in the major social determinants of health) among groups with different social advantage/disadvantage.

The ability to access, comprehend, evaluate and communicate information as a way to promote, maintain and improve health in a variety of settings across the life-course.

The events occurring as a result of a health intervention. They may be measured clinically, self-reported, or observed.

Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health. It moves beyond a focus on individual behaviour towards a wide range of social and environmental interventions.

All those who are involved in providing care; they may include professionals, personal care attendants, home support workers and others.

Members of the intraprofesssional and/or interprofessional team and/or community supporting client care. This also includes the health and other government sectors, representatives from private, voluntary, and non-profit groups, as well as Indigenous and traditional healers.

A critical behaviour or requirement of nursing practice. Without it, client safety would be jeopardized.

Historical trauma refers to the collective and cumulative emotional, psychological, and spiritual wounding experienced by a group across generations (intergenerational), resulting from significant and targeted historical injustices. These events – such as conlonization, forced displacement, Canadian Indian Residential Schools, and systemic racism – are widespread among a specific population, intentionally inflicted by the dominant group, and result in profound and lasting collective distress. Historical trauma is characterized by four interrelated dimensions: colonial injury, collective experience, cumulative effects, and cross-generational impacts (the “4 C’s). Its consequences persist across generations and continue to influence health, well-being, identity, and access to systems and services.

A system of comprehensive or total patient care that considers the physical, emotional, social, economic, and spiritual needs of the person; his or her response to illness; and the effect of the illness on the ability to meet self-care needs. Holistic nursing is the modern nursing practice that expresses this philosophy of care.

A way of providing care that considers the whole person — including their physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, cultural, and social needs — rather than focusing solely on a disease or condition.

The time students spend in learning activities in a variety of settings (acute, long term care, and community), and may include orientation, pre and post conferences, and clinical experiences of an observational nature.