Responsibilities

• Answer call lights.

• Attend to resident/family concerns.

• Answer in-coming phone calls if LNs are not available at the nurses' station.

Admission, Transfer, and Discharge Functions:

• Ensure that the resident's room is ready for receiving the resident (i.e., bed is made, name tags are up, etc.).

• Greet residents and escort them to their room.

• Introduce resident to his/her roommate, if any, and to other facility personnel present in the room as appropriate.

*After the resident has been assisted by the C.N.A/s to bed, ensure that the resident is comfortable (i.e., orient resident to call light system, phone use if applicable, provide water at the bedside, etc.). *Show the resident the bathroom and let him/her know whether it is shared or not.

• Show where the call light and the bed control are and show how they work. Place call light and bed control within the patient's reach.

*Do an inventory and mark the resident's personal possessions. Hang or fold clothes and store in the closet or bedside table as needed. Assist in completing Personal Inventory List on Admission. *Explain facility laundry procedures.

• Assist residents with packing their personal possessions when they are being transferred to another room, when being discharged, or deceased..

Personnel Functions:

• Report all grievances made by the resident or family members.

• Notify the facility when you will be late or absent from work. Inform the facility as soon as you are aware that you will not be able to report for duty. It is best to give us at least 4 hours before the beginning of the shift to find your replacement.

*Notify your charge nurse when leaving for a break or meal period and inform her/him when you return. *Ensure that someone will be responsible for your assignments while you are on break. *Report occupational exposures to blood, body fluids, infectious materials, and hazardous chemicals to your supervisor. Complete an incident report.

Personal Nursing Care Function:

Participate in and receive the nursing report upon reporting for duty.

Answer call lights.

Follow established policies concerning exposure to blood/body fluids, care of residents with infectious diseases, and care for residents with behavioral disturbance.

Assist residents/CNA with daily dental and mouth care: setting up their toothpaste, toothbrush, or kidney basin (i.e., brushing teeth/dentures, oral hygiene, special mouth care, etc.).

Give back rubs only under the supervision of a CNA and as instructed by a LN.

Assist CNA with dressing/undressing resident as necessary. Ensure that the resident is dressed appropriately.

Assist CNA with residents' grooming and hair care functions (i.e., combing, brushing, shampooing, etc.).

Change bed linens. Keep linens tight to avoid wrinkles from forming under the resident. Assist in bed making. (set up unoccupied beds and assist CNA with occupied beds)

Put extra covers on beds as requested.

Assist CNA with bowel and bladder functions (i.e., take to bathroom, offer bedpan/urinal, portable commode, etc.).

Report resident bowel movements, if observed, and any incontinent episodes to CNAs and LN. may assist as needed but never alone to perform tasks.

Assist residents in preparing for activity and social programs (i.e., church services, parties, visitors, etc.).

Assist with distribution of clean linens and returning clean laundry to the resident's closet.

Assist in transporting residents to/from appointments, activity and social programs, etc., as necessary. Assist CNAs or LNs with lifting, turning, moving, positioning, and transporting residents into and out of beds, chairs, bathtubs, wheelchairs, lifts, etc. (DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DO IT ALONE). Assist CNA or LNs in providing eye and ear care (i.e., warm/cold compresses, cleaning eyeglasses/hearing aids, etc.) as instructed.

Ensure that residents who are unable to call for help are checked frequently.

Check each resident routinely to ensure that his/her personal care needs are being met in accordance with his/her wishes.

Special Nursing Care Functions:

Assist CNA/LN in passing trays.

Assist in feeding residents (only after successfully completing feeding assistance training by the Speech Therapist).

Keep residents' water pitchers clean and filled with fresh water (on each shift), and within easy reach of the resident. (unless contraindicated)

Assist in passing snacks and nourishments.

Assist in cleaning resident's hands before meals

Assist in providing after meal care to the resident and in the unit (i.e., remove trays, clean over-bed table, clean resident's hands, face, clothing, take to bathroom brush teeth, clean dentures, etc.). Check rooms for food articles, remove as instructed.

Safety and Sanitation:

Perform hand hygiene before and after performing any service for the resident.

Keep the nurses' call system within easy reach of the resident.

Immediately notify the Nurse Supervisor/Charge Nurse of any resident leaving/missing from the facility

Follow established safety precautions in the performance of all duties.

Keep residents' personal possessions off the floor and properly stored.

Keep floors dry. Report spills immediately.

Keep excess supplies and equipment off the floor. Store in designated areas.

Sanitize wheelchairs, walkers etc., as instructed.

Clean, disinfect, and return all resident care equipment to its designated storage area after each use. Perform routine housekeeping duties (i.e., clean bedrails, over-bed table, night stand, etc., that relate to nursing care procedures).

Ensure that residents' personal items are stored safely and securely for their protection and for the protection of others.

Before leaving work area for breaks, or at the end of the work day, store all tools, equipment, and supplies.

Report all hazardous conditions and equipment to the Nurse Supervisor/Charge Nurse immediately. Report all safety violations.

Follow established smoking regulations. Report all violations.

Follow established isolation precautions and procedures. Familiarize self with PPE's.

Wash hands before entering and after leaving an isolation room/area.

Follow established procedures in the use and disposal of personal protective equipment.

Resident Rights:

Maintain the confidentiality of all resident care information.

Ensure that you treat all residents fairly, and with kindness, dignity, and respect.

Ensure that all nursing care is provided in privacy.

Knock before entering the resident's room

Report all complaints and grievances made by the resident to the Nurse Supervisor/Charge Nurse.

Report all allegations of resident abuse and/or misappropriation of resident property.

Honor the resident's refusal of treatment request. Report such requests to your supervisor.