Nursing Assistant Program Module 1

Certified nursing assistants perform vital tasks under the supervision of a registered nurse, including vital signs, bathing, feeding, transfers, range of motion, room care, bed changing, supplies, equipment, and documentation.

Registered nurses in long-term care manage skilled nursing care, administer doctor-prescribed treatments, and supervise nursing assistants. They must graduate from 2- or 4-year programs and pass a national licensure exam.

Understand how licensed practical nurses or licensed vocational nurses provide medications and treatments after about two years of education and licensure, and their scope compared to transfusions and chemotherapy.

Diagnose and treat patients, prescribing care as essential to the care team. Complete medical school, earn a bachelor's degree, and pursue specialized training.

A physical therapist evaluates and plans to increase movement, improve circulation, promote healing, and reduce pain, using heat, cold, massage, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, and exercise for muscles, bones, joints.

Discover how occupational therapists, who earn a master's degree and licensure, help residents adapt to disabilities, perform activities of daily living, and use assistive devices.

The speech language pathologist identifies communication disorders, guides recovery for stroke, aphasia, swallowing difficulties, or Alzheimer's, assesses goals, and teaches exercises to redevelop vocabulary and swallowing skills.

The registered dietitian assesses nutritional status, creates treatment plans, and tailors diets for diabetes, cardiac conditions, wounds, and swallowing disorders, while supervising food service and teaching nutrition.

Discover how the medical social worker assesses residents' needs, connects them with community resources, counselling, financial aid, clothing and items, transportation, and appointments, backed by a master's in social work.

Plan social and active programs for patients to improve well-being and prevent complications, with roles like recreational therapist or recreational worker, including games, arts and crafts, performances, and musical activities.

The resident and their family play a central role in person centered care and in shaping care and treatment plans, with interdisciplinary meetings aligning achievable goals and strategies.

Understand the chain of command in health care, tracing the line of authority from doctors to nursing assistants and licensed professionals, and define scope of practice and liability.

Care plans are individualized by the care team under physician guidance, with resident input and goals and tasks for nursing assistants to follow and report changes to update plan.

long term care facilities provide 24-hour skilled care from licensed professionals, with stays from days to months; care covers terminal and chronic illnesses, where physicians diagnose and nurses note symptoms.

Provide home health care in patients' own homes, where doctors, nurses, CNAs, and therapists deliver treatment, set goals, and collaborate under doctor recommendations to reduce hospital costs.

Explore assisted living as a home-like option for people needing help with daily tasks and medications. Learn how facilities may be attached to long-term care and when residents transition.

adult day services offer supervised support during daytime hours for individuals who don't live in facilities and need some help, while giving caregivers a break.

Delivering 24-hour skilled care in hospitals and ambulatory centers for short-term illnesses or injuries and brief surgery stays, acute care provides nursing assistants with essential tasks and close monitoring.

Subacute care provides intermediate hospital or long-term care for patients needing less than acute but more than chronic illness, in step-down units, with physical, occupational, speech therapy.

Explore outpatient care, short-term skilled services after treatments, procedures, or surgeries in regular clinics without overnight hospital stays. Nursing assistants help patients in these settings.

Rehabilitation delivers care from specialists such as physical, occupational, and speech therapists to improve function after illness or injury, including stroke, via intensive therapy at a rehab center.

Learn how hospice care focuses on comfort and relief for patients with six months or less to live, with nursing assistants supporting daily living and monitoring under a registered nurse.

Demonstrate professionalism by dressing and speaking well, being on time, and reporting accurately to the RN or PM; follow care plans and policies to earn respect and advancement.

Identify and define a policy as a course of action for recurring situations. Maintain confidentiality of all patient information to prevent lawsuits and safeguard privacy in healthcare.

Understand what a procedure is and how facilities use it to guide reporting, forms, timing, and recipients, with policies like HIPAA and care plans that nursing assistants must follow.

Nursing assistants uphold core values of compassion, honesty, tact, conscientiousness, dependability, patience, respect, unprejudiced attitude, and tolerance in compassionate resident care.

Provide person-centered care with a positive attitude, follow the care plan and confidentiality, address residents formally, explain each care step, and avoid personal discussions to maintain professionalism.

Explore ethics and laws that guide behaviors, and understand that ethics mean knowledge of right and wrong with a duty toward others, especially for nursing aides.

Understand how laws and ethics guide health care to protect residents and ensure safety. Follow code of ethics, report abuse, protect privacy, and document accurately while staying within your scope.

Obra, enacted in 1987, regulates nursing assistant training and competency. It requires standardized topics like communication, competency evaluations, registries, biennial renewals, resident assessments, and periodic surveys.

Explore residents' rights in long-term care, including dignity, choice, independence, quality of life, participation in care and discharge, informed consent, and care plans within 48 hours.

Explore residents' rights to independent choices of doctors, care, and activities; privacy, dignity, freedom from abuse; complaints, transfers and discharges; and access to social services.

Learn to prevent abuse and neglect to protect residents' rights. Identify physical, psychological, sexual, and financial abuse, along with consent, assault, battery, false imprisonment, involuntary seclusion.

Identify suspicious injuries to report and signs of abuse or neglect, and understand how an ombudsman mediates between residents and facilities, deescalates conflicts, and resolves health and rights concerns.

Define neglect and negligence, and distinguish active vs passive neglect. Explain responsibilities, such as following the care plan, seeking Foley care guidance, and reporting abuse as a legal obligation.

Understand HIPAA and PHI, and follow privacy guidelines—speak privately, verify who you talk to, secure PHI on computers, and do not share confidential information on social networks.

Explore the minimum data set (MDS) for resident assessment and its deadlines. Review incident reports, detailing what happened, time, and facts, kept internal to prevent recurrence.

Document care immediately with brief, factual notes using initials, date, and 24-hour or military time on paper or computer, and sign with full name and title under HIPAA.