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Health-care vocabulary · Topic 9 of 14

Communication, Ethics & the Care Team

Communication, Ethics & the Care Team — Set 1

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Vocabulary · communication & ethics

Communication, Ethics & the Care Team — Set 1

Most-listed words: accountable, concise, verbal, rationale and imply — owning your actions, speaking briefly and clearly, and the reasons behind them.

01 · Most testedaccountable = answerable for your actions
02 · Most testedconcise = brief and to the point
03 · Most testedrationale = the reason behind it
01

Most-tested words

accountable (adjective) — responsible and answerable for actions
rationale (noun) — the reason behind a decision or action
concise (adjective) — brief and clear, no extra words
verbal (adjective) — spoken rather than written
imply (verb) — to suggest without saying directly
02

More words

empathy (noun) — understanding and sharing another's feelings
assent (noun) — agreement or approval
infer (verb) — to conclude from clues or evidence
scope (noun) — the range or extent of something
discrepancy (noun) — a mismatch between things that should agree
consent (noun) — permission given freely
confidential (adjective) — private, shared only with those entitled
advocate (verb) — to speak up for or support
autonomy (noun) — the right to make one's own decisions
liable (adjective) — legally responsible; also likely to
negligence (noun) — failure to give reasonable care
ethical (adjective) — morally right; about right and wrong
collaborate (verb) — to work together toward a goal
disclose (verb) — to reveal hidden or private information
objective (adjective) — based on observable, measurable facts
subjective (adjective) — based on personal feelings or report
03

Objective or subjective?

Commonly confused
ObjectiveSubjective
Based onObservable factsPersonal feelings or views
Who supplies itWhat can be seen or measuredWhat the patient reports
ExamplePulse of 110"My chest feels tight"
04

In a sentence

Show 21 example sentences
accountable: Each nurse is accountable for the care given during the shift.
rationale: The nurse explained the rationale for turning the patient every two hours.
concise: Keep the shift report concise so the next nurse can find key facts quickly.
empathy: Showing empathy, the nurse sat down and listened to the patient's fears.
assent: The nine-year-old gave assent to the blood draw after the steps were explained.
verbal: The doctor gave a verbal order, and the nurse read it back to confirm it.
imply: The patient's silence seemed to imply that the pain was worse than reported.
infer: From the patient's grimace, the nurse inferred that moving the leg hurt.
scope: Starting an IV is within the scope of practice for this role.
discrepancy: The nurse reported a discrepancy between the pill count and the medication log.
consent: The surgeon obtained written consent before the operation.
confidential: A patient's health record is confidential and must not be discussed in the elevator.
advocate: The nurse advocated for the patient to receive a language interpreter.
autonomy: Respecting autonomy means accepting the patient's choice to refuse treatment.
liable: A facility can be held liable if a patient is injured because of unsafe equipment.
negligence: Leaving the bed rails down for a confused patient could be judged negligence.
ethical: The team met to discuss the ethical questions around stopping life support.
collaborate: Nurses collaborate with dietitians to plan meals for patients with diabetes.
disclose: Staff may not disclose a patient's diagnosis without permission.
objective: The nurse recorded objective data such as temperature, pulse and wound size.
subjective: Pain is subjective, so the nurse asked the patient to rate it from 0 to 10.
Pearl

The speaker implies; the listener infers.

Sources · Cambridge Dictionary — accountable · Cambridge Dictionary — rationale · Cambridge Dictionary — concise · Cambridge Dictionary — empathy · Cambridge Dictionary — assent · Cambridge Dictionary — verbal · Cambridge Dictionary — imply · Cambridge Dictionary — infer · Cambridge Dictionary — scope · Cambridge Dictionary — discrepancy · Cambridge Dictionary — consent · Cambridge Dictionary — confidential · Cambridge Dictionary — advocate · Cambridge Dictionary — autonomy · Cambridge Dictionary — liable · Cambridge Dictionary — negligence · Cambridge Dictionary — ethical · Cambridge Dictionary — collaborate · Cambridge Dictionary — disclose · Cambridge Dictionary — objective · Cambridge Dictionary — subjective · American Academy of Pediatrics — Informed Consent in Decision-Making in Pediatric Practice (policy statement) · NH Board of Nursing (OPLC) — Scope of Practice by license (Nurse Practice Act) · MedlinePlus — Informed consent: adults · OpenStax Fundamentals of Nursing §12.3 Collection of Assessment Data · Union Test Prep — HESI A2 Vocabulary study guide, page 2 · Vocabulary.com — word list "HESI A2" · Vocabulary.com — word list "HESI" · NurseHub — free HESI A2 Vocabulary diagnostic test (50 questions) · McGraw-Hill 500 Evolve Reach (HESI) A2 Questions, ch. 2 Vocabulary (EasyNotecards transcription) · Brainscape — "Hesi vocab" deck · Brainscape — "Hesi A2 vocab YT vids" deck · NurseStudy.net — HESI A2 study guide: vocabulary list · Mometrix — free HESI A2 Vocabulary practice test · TestHQ — HESI A2 Vocabulary (frequently tested words) · Built from the verified NurseSavvy HESI A2 fact map (facts reviewed 2026-10-16). HESI is a trademark of Elsevier; NurseSavvy is not affiliated with Elsevier.

Communication, Ethics & the Care Team — Set 2

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Vocabulary · communication & ethics

Communication, Ethics & the Care Team — Set 2

Most-listed words here: veracity, integrity and euthanasia — truthfulness, firm honesty, and ending a life to end suffering.

01 · Most testedveracity = truthfulness
02 · Most testedintegrity = honesty, firm principles
03 · Most testedeuthanasia = ending a life to end suffering
01

Most-tested words

euthanasia (noun) — ending a life to end suffering
veracity (noun) — truthfulness and accuracy
integrity (noun) — honesty and strong moral principles
02

More words

tactful (adjective) — careful not to upset or offend
counsel (verb) — to give advice and guidance
referral (noun) — sending a patient to another provider
convey (verb) — to get a message across
rapport (noun) — a trusting, understanding relationship
delegate (verb) — to hand a task to someone else
nonverbal (adjective) — without words — gestures, face, posture
consult (verb) — to seek advice from an expert
competent (adjective) — skilled enough; able to decide
protocol (noun) — an official set of steps or rules
jargon (noun) — specialized words outsiders may not know
compassion (noun) — feeling for suffering plus a wish to help
sympathy (noun) — sorrow for another's pain or loss
clarify (verb) — to make plainer and less confusing
dignity (noun) — a person's worth that deserves respect
interpret (verb) — to explain meaning; to translate speech
liaison (noun) — a link who keeps groups communicating
hierarchy (noun) — a ranked system of levels
03

Sympathy or compassion?

Commonly confused
SympathyCompassion
Core ideaFeeling sorry for someoneSorrow plus a wish to help
Leads to action?Not necessarilyYes — moves the person to help
ExampleA sympathy cardStaying with a grieving family
04

In a sentence

Show 21 example sentences
tactful: The nurse was tactful when asking the family about the patient's drinking.
euthanasia: The ethics class debated whether euthanasia should ever be legal.
counsel: The nurse counseled the patient on how to quit smoking.
referral: The family doctor wrote a referral to a heart specialist.
veracity: The nurse checked the veracity of the history by comparing it with old records.
convey: The patient used gestures to convey thirst.
integrity: A nurse with integrity reports an error even when no one else saw it.
rapport: Using the patient's name and making eye contact helped the nurse build rapport.
delegate: The nurse may delegate taking vital signs to a trained assistant.
nonverbal: Wincing and guarding the belly are nonverbal signs of pain.
consult: The nurse consulted the pharmacist about a possible drug interaction.
competent: Only a competent adult can sign the consent form without a guardian.
protocol: The unit follows a strict protocol for preventing falls.
jargon: The nurse avoided medical jargon so the patient could follow the teaching.
compassion: The nurse showed compassion by staying with the dying patient's family.
sympathy: The staff sent the family a card to express their sympathy.
clarify: The nurse called the doctor to clarify an order that was hard to read.
dignity: Closing the curtain during a bath protects the patient's dignity.
interpret: A trained interpreter helped the patient understand the discharge instructions.
liaison: The case manager acts as a liaison between the hospital and the home health agency.
hierarchy: The nursing hierarchy runs from aides up to the chief nursing officer.
Pearl

Sympathy feels sorry for someone; compassion adds the wish to help.

Sources · Cambridge Dictionary — tactful · Cambridge Dictionary — euthanasia · Cambridge Dictionary — counsel · Cambridge Dictionary — referral · Cambridge Dictionary — veracity · Cambridge Dictionary — convey · Cambridge Dictionary — integrity · Cambridge Dictionary — rapport · Cambridge Dictionary — delegate · Cambridge Dictionary — nonverbal · Cambridge Dictionary — consult · Cambridge Dictionary — competent · Cambridge Dictionary — protocol · Cambridge Dictionary — jargon · Cambridge Dictionary — compassion · Cambridge Dictionary — sympathy · Cambridge Dictionary — clarify · Cambridge Dictionary — dignity · Cambridge Dictionary — interpret · Cambridge Dictionary — liaison · Cambridge Dictionary — hierarchy · Union Test Prep — HESI A2 Vocabulary study guide, page 2 · Vocabulary.com — word list "HESI" · NurseHub — free HESI A2 Vocabulary diagnostic test (50 questions) · Brainscape — "Hesi vocab" deck · TestHQ — HESI A2 Vocabulary (frequently tested words) · Built from the verified NurseSavvy HESI A2 fact map (facts reviewed 2026-10-16). HESI is a trademark of Elsevier; NurseSavvy is not affiliated with Elsevier.

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