Nursing Assistant Program Module 2 : Knowing your Resident

Explore verbal and nonverbal communication in nursing assistance, including signs, symbols, words, body language, tone, and expressions, to improve patient assessment and interaction.

Learn to distinguish objective information gathered through sight, smell, hearing, touch, and observation from subjective information the patient states, guiding assessment and care plans.

Identify barriers to communication, such as Alzheimer's disease or dementia, hearing loss, vision loss, and language differences, then face the resident, speak slowly, use simple language, and check hearing aids.

Explore defense mechanisms as unconscious barriers to communication, including denial, projection, displacement, rationalization, repression, and regression, to help residents cope with stress.

Identify residents' physical, emotional, and mental challenges, including hearing and vision impairments and conditions like dementia, to create person-centered care plans and effective treatment strategies.

Support residents with hearing impairment by ensuring hearing aids are worn and cleaned daily, facing them, reducing noise, and using clear speech, simple words, and notes.

Knock, identify yourself, and explain your visit before caring for residents with vision impairment. Keep glasses clean, use clock-face guidance, describe surroundings, and avoid moving items or doors partly open.

Communicate effectively with residents who have mental health disorders by using simple statements, a normal tone, respectful body language, honest direct dialogue, maintaining eye contact, and avoiding arguments.

Block combative behavior, step away, never hit back or threaten, report to the nurse or supervisor, and allow the resident time to calm down while you stay calm and reassuring.

Understand anger as a natural emotion with various causes, how residents express it, and caregiver steps: stay calm, empathize, identify causes, treat with dignity, and respond to calls safely.

Develop safety and body mechanics skills to prevent injuries, maintain proper alignment and lifting, lower the bed to its lowest position, and collaborate as a team to protect residents.

Falls threaten elderly residents and can cause injuries from bruises to fractures, especially with osteoporosis. Prevent falls through clutter-free walkways, non-slip shoes, improved lighting, and prompt reporting.

Prevent burns and scalds from dry heat and hot liquids. Check water temperatures with a thermometer or wrist, report frayed cords, and keep hot drinks away from residents and edges.

Recognize choking signs and prevent incidents by keeping residents upright and using nectar, honey, or pudding; perform abdominal thrusts for obstruction and CPR if unconscious, call for help.

Identify common poisoning risks in care facilities and secure items such as cleaning products, paints, medicines, toiletries, and glues. Post the poison control center number near all phones.

Prevent cuts and abrasions by safely storing sharp objects, assisting transfers between beds, chairs, and wheelchairs, and turning wheelchairs so residents face forwards when entering elevators.

Review the facility's fire safety plan and evacuation guidelines, including smoking rules and e-cigarette safety. Apply P.A.S.S. and R.A.C.E. steps to evacuate, assist residents, and stay calm.

Learn first aid and CPR basics for medical emergencies, assess the scene and victim, obtain or use implied consent, monitor consciousness, follow CPR policies, call for help, and incident reporting.

Identify shock by signs such as pale skin, rapid pulse, and low blood pressure; respond by calling for help, keeping the person flat, and elevating the legs if safe.

Myocardial infarction is a heart attack caused by blocked vessels; recognize chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, sweating, and anxiety, and respond by notifying the nurse and calling for help.

Notify the nurse and put on gloves, then press a thick sterile pad on the wound to control uncontrolled bleeding; elevate the limb if possible and monitor for shock.

Learn how to recognize fainting (syncope) and its triggers, then respond promptly with safe positioning, monitoring, and timely reporting to the nurse.

Understand insulin reaction (hypoglycemia) in diabetes, its causes such as excess insulin or insufficient food, and how to respond with rapid sugar sources and fingerstick glucose testing.

Learn how diabetic ketoacidosis arises from insufficient insulin and from undiagnosed diabetes, infection, or stress, and presents with thirst, urination, fruity breath, rapid pulse, and breathing, requiring prompt nurse notification.

Cerebrovascular accident, or stroke, occurs when brain blood supply is blocked; rapid treatment is required. Transient ischemic attack is a warning sign; symptoms include facial numbness and aphasia.

Identify vomiting in residents and notify a nurse promptly, then position the head up and use an emesis basin. Document time, amount, color, odor, and consistency for assessment.

Explore infection concepts, microorganisms and pathogens, and learn infection prevention practices and policies to prevent localized, systemic, and health care associated infections.

Describe the chain of infection and its links—causative agent, reservoir, portal of exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry, and susceptible host—and emphasize handwashing, medical asepsis, and surgical asepsis.

Follow standard precautions with every resident by using hand hygiene, gloves, gowns, masks, eye protection, proper sharps disposal in biohazard containers, and correctly label specimens.

Differentiate sterilization and disinfection, detailing methods such as steam under pressure, dry heat, and chemical germicides, and emphasize disposal of disposable items and handling of soiled linens and reusable equipment.

Explore bloodborne pathogens, how they exist in blood and body fluids, and transmission through blood, sexual contact, shared needles, pregnancy, and healthcare settings, including HIV and hepatitis.

Identify hepatitis as liver inflammation caused by viruses and other factors. Note that hepatitis B and C spread via blood, sexual contact, needles, mother-to-child; B has vaccine, C does not.

Explore tuberculosis, its airborne transmission and pulmonary TB, identify key symptoms like cough and fever, and learn about medication adherence, isolation precautions, and PPE in care.

Explore MRSA and VRE, their transmission by direct and indirect contact, and prevention through hand hygiene, PPE, and standard precautions.

Clostridium difficile forms spores that thrive when normal flora is disrupted, causing watery diarrhea and colitis. Soap and water hand hygiene and bleach disinfection reduce transmission; limiting antibiotics lowers risk.