Glossary

Caring: The art of caring is "being with" a client as opposed to "doing to" wherein a trusting, caring healing relationship exists to potentiate health and well being of the client (Watson, 1994). It demonstrates respect and acknowledges the uniqueness of circumstances surrounding the client. Caring suggests support of clients' social, emotional, cultural, and spiritual strengths through interventions delivered by nurses to compensate for weaknesses, deficits and challenges.

Challenge: The orthopaedic nurse views a challenge as an actual or potential disruption or discontinuity in the integrity of the neuromuscular and skeletal systems that adversely affects client mobility and function thus impacting on self-care ability and independence.

Competency: The integrated knowledge, skills, attitude, and judgment expected of the practitioner (CNA, 1998).

Evidence-based Practice: Practice supported by research findings and/or demonstrated as being effective through a critical examination of current and past practices.

Guiding Principle: A fundamental truth or method of operation that links, directs, and shows the way. (CNA, 1998)

Holism: The interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit; the view that holds that the whole is greater than and different from the sum of its parts.

Interdisciplinary Team: A group of allied health professionals and their client who work together to achieve shared goals.

Primary: First contact with the healthcare system.

Tertiary: Healthcare setting which provides highly specialized services.

Reflective Process: Critical self-evaluation of current and past professional practices leading to personal and professional growth.

Reflective Practice: The use of the reflective process

Rehabilitation: A level of care that addresses human responses of individuals to actual or potential disability that interrupts or alters function and life satisfaction. (Rehabilitation Nurses)

Standard: An authoritative statement or expectation describing a level of care or performance common to the profession of nursing by which the quality of the practice of nursing can be judged. (CNA, 1998)

Value: Something that is prized and held dear; something that is deeply cared about; a statement of the desirable. (CNA, 1998)