DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Certified Nursing Assistants provide routine nursing care in a manner conducive to the comfort and safety of residents in accordance with Federal, State, and local regulations, and are delegated the responsibility for carrying out the assigned duties by the Charge Nurse, Director of Nursing Services, Administrator, or other assigned supervisory personnel to assure that the highest degree of quality resident care can be maintained at all times.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE JOB
The following job functions have been determined to be essential to the position of a Certified Nursing Assistant. Because of fluctuations in workload demands, as well as tasks often overlapping, frequency ranges and percentages vary by assignment, day of week, day, evening, or night shift, etc. However, low frequency and percentage or duration of time spent on a particular task may not indicate lack of importance. The Oaks of Clearwater reserves the right to modify this list of essential and other functions as deemed necessary.
- Verify the identification of a resident to assure appropriate care is being provided to the correct resident/patient.
- Recognize and respond to the needs of residents.
- Report changes in the resident’s condition to the charge/ staff nurse as soon as possible and document in the resident’s/patient’s record.
- Promote independence of resident’s decisions.
- Report and record resident’s intake on meal percentage sheets and report to the Charge Nurse any low meal intake.
- Report accidents and incident when they occur.
- Assist with admitting, transferring, and discharging residents.
- Routinely review work assignments and schedules to update or change task objectives.
- Perform assigned task in accordance with policies and procedures as instructed by the supervisor.
- Notify supervisor of pending absence or tardiness within the time frame described in the personnel handbook.
- Report to supervisor all complaints and grievances made by residents, families, visiting individuals, agencies, etc.
- Report resident/patient leaving the premises or has left the premises immediately to the Charge Nurse.
- Communicate with co-workers at all levels to adequately meet the needs of the resident/patient.
- As appropriate, help create an atmosphere of optimism, warmth, and interest and positive emphasis, as well as a calm environment throughout the unit.
- Meet with nursing personnel as scheduled to assist in identifying and correcting problems and/or the improvement of services.
- As instructed, assist residents/patients with the following personal nursing care functions and explain each procedure to the resident as care is given:
- Dental and mouth care
- Bathing
- Dressing and grooming
- Hair care
- Nail Care
- Shaving
- Bowel and bladder care
- Other personal and hygiene care
- Observe and report the presence of “pressure” areas to prevent decubitus and provide skin care according to policy.
- Attend and participate in orientation programs, on-going training, and educational classes.
- Monitor and intervene in keeping mobility-limited and bed-bound residents clean and dry.
- Make occupied and unoccupied beds and change bed linens.
- Assist with lifting, turning, moving, positioning, and transporting residents into and out of beds, chairs, bathtubs, wheelchairs, lifts, etc. Assure that nurses call system is always within easy reach and answered promptly.
- Assist with and/or perform restorative and rehabilitative procedures. Measure and record vital signs, such as temperature, pulse, respiration, weight, height, anatomical dimension/circumference, etc. Report any resident abuse immediately.
- Observe, monitor, and report symptoms of potential skin breakdown and/or decubitus ulcers and intervene with appropriate skin care as instructed.
- Assist with the applications of slings, elastic bandages, binders, etc. Provide range of motion exercises.
- Observe, monitor, and report condition of disoriented and comatose residents.
- Attend and participate in orientation programs, on-going training, and educations classes.
- Follow established safety precautions, observe, monitor, and intervene or report unsafe conditions in the facility.
- Follow established smoking regulations and report violations.
- Wash hands before and after performing services for residents.
- Review Resident Assessment and Plans of Care routinely and report tentative changes applicable to residents’ conditions, etc.
- Maintain confidentiality and privacy of resident care, procedures, and documentation, and communicate with the resident on an adult and mature basis with dignity and respect for the resident’s rights and wishes.
- Immediately report any communicable or infectious disease that you contract.
- Follow established universal precautions and isolation procedures.
- Perform other related duties as assigned.
As an essential function of the job, Certified Nursing Assistants are regularly called on to effectively report emergencies such as residents’/patient’s condition changes, as well as accidents and incidents, complaints and grievances by residents/patients and their families, etc. It is determined that Certified Nursing Assistants have the ability to communicate with others and do not pose a direct threat to the safety or health of self or others.
OTHER
In addition to the essential job functions described above, the following job functions are important to the proper fulfillment of the duties of Certified Nursing Assistant.
- Document observed data on notes, charts, etc in an informative and descriptive manner.
- Introduce newly admitted or newly transferred residents to their roommate(s), if any, as well as to other residents and to co-workers as appropriate.
- Escort residents to physician appointments and other appointments as assigned.
- Watch for and report changes in room temperature, ventilations, lighting, etc.
- Check light bulbs and report those needing to be changed.
- Assist residents in preparing for activity and social programs.
- Fill water pitchers and delver glasses and water pitchers to dietary for sterilization.
- Keep residents’ personal articles off the floor and properly stored. Inventory, identify and help store resident’s personal possessions on an on-going basis.
- Keep the supply room, work areas and equipment clean.
- Assist with caring for residents’ eyeglasses, hearing aids, prostheses, etc. Observe, monitor and intervene for availability and “reachability” of bedside call signal, as well as cleanliness of residents’ water pitchers, drinking glasses straws and other bedside items.
- Serve meals in dining rooms as well as between meal, bedtime, and other nutritional snacks.
- Respond to emergency lights.
- Answer phones at nursing station.
- Encourage and assist residents to participate in Activities.
- Report any rooms, hallways or common areas that may need repair.
- Escort residents to and from beauty shop and to lobby for physician appointments.
- Assist with showers and laundry.
- Check residents every 1-2 hours.
- Assist and direct visitors as appropriate.
- Perform other related duties as assigned.
EDUCATION REQUIRED
In the interest of residents/patients, Certified Nursing Assistants will have the preferred minimum educational background of having a high school diploma or GED equivalency.
CERTIFICATION
Applicants and employees will have successfully completed an approved Certified Nursing Assistant training course and be certified in this state.
EXPERIENCE
Certified Nursing Assistants will have six months experience working in a nursing home, hospital, home health agency, or other health care facility.
EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS, MACHINES AND/OR TOOLS USED
The following is a list of the principal equipment, materials, machines, tools, etc. used by Certified Nursing Assistants.
- Back Support Belt
- Bed and bath linens
- Bedside commodes, bedpans, urinals
- Blood pressure cuffs
- Catheters
- Gait belts
- Geri-chairs
- Lift chair
- Safety restraints scales
- Shavers
- Shower chairs
- Soap and hygiene supplies
- Special eating utensils
- Stethoscopes
- Thermometers
- Walkers
- Wheelchairs
- Whirlpool
- Wrist watches
- Other miscellaneous devices and nursing supplies
PHYSICAL STRENGTH REQUIRED
A Certified Nursing Assistant must be capable of lifting a minimum of forty pounds and may need to assist in lifting 100+ pounds.
The Oaks of Clearwater has determined that to perform the essential functions of the job of Certified Nursing Assistant, that persons must be able to perform the essential physical tasks of lifting, turning, moving, positioning, and transporting residents into and out of beds, chairs, bathtubs, wheelchairs, etc., without posing a direct threat to the health or safety of him/herself or others, including residents/patients, co-workers, and others.
