Nursing Assistants
Provide basic patient care under direction of nursing staff. Perform duties such as feed, bathe, dress, groom, or move patients, or change linens. May transfer or transport patients. Includes nursing care attendants, nursing aides, and nursing attendants.
Tasks Include:
- Administer medications or treatments, such as catheterizations, suppositories, irrigations, enemas, massages, or douches, as directed by a physician or nurse.
- Answer patient call signals, signal lights, bells, or intercom systems to determine patients' needs.
- Apply clean dressings, slings, stockings, or support bandages, under direction of nurse or physician.
- Assist nurses or physicians in the operation of medical equipment or provision of patient care.
- Change bed linens or make beds.
- Clean and sanitize patient rooms, bathrooms, examination rooms, or other patient areas.
- Collect specimens, such as urine, feces, or sputum.
- Communicate with patients to ascertain feelings or need for assistance or social and emotional support.
- Document or otherwise report observations of patient behavior, complaints, or physical symptoms to nurses.
- Feed patients or assist patients to eat or drink.
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The data sources for the information displayed here include: O*NET™ 16.0; US Department of Labor (BLS); Virginia Workforce Connection.
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Nursing Assistants
Description
| Career Cluster: | Health Science
|
Provide basic patient care under direction of nursing staff. Perform duties such as feed, bathe, dress, groom, or move patients, or change linens. May transfer or transport patients. Includes nursing care attendants, nursing aides, and nursing attendants.
The data sources for the information displayed here include: O*NET™ 16.0.
Nursing Assistants
Tasks
Tasks Include:
- Administer medications or treatments, such as catheterizations, suppositories, irrigations, enemas, massages, or douches, as directed by a physician or nurse.
- Answer patient call signals, signal lights, bells, or intercom systems to determine patients' needs.
- Apply clean dressings, slings, stockings, or support bandages, under direction of nurse or physician.
- Assist nurses or physicians in the operation of medical equipment or provision of patient care.
- Change bed linens or make beds.
- Clean and sanitize patient rooms, bathrooms, examination rooms, or other patient areas.
- Collect specimens, such as urine, feces, or sputum.
- Communicate with patients to ascertain feelings or need for assistance or social and emotional support.
- Document or otherwise report observations of patient behavior, complaints, or physical symptoms to nurses.
- Feed patients or assist patients to eat or drink.
- Gather information from caregivers, nurses, or physicians about patient condition, treatment plans, or appropriate activities.
- Measure and record food and liquid intake or urinary and fecal output, reporting changes to medical or nursing staff.
- Observe or examine patients to detect symptoms that may require medical attention, such as bruises, open wounds, or blood in urine.
- Position or hold patients in position for surgical preparation.
- Prepare or serve food trays.
- Provide physical support to assist patients to perform daily living activities, such as getting out of bed, bathing, dressing, using the toilet, standing, walking, or exercising.
- Record height or weight of patients.
- Record vital signs, such as temperature, blood pressure, pulse, or respiration rate, as directed by medical or nursing staff.
- Remind patients to take medications or nutritional supplements.
- Restock patient rooms with personal hygiene items, such as towels, washcloths, soap, or toilet paper.
- Review patients' dietary restrictions, food allergies, and preferences to ensure patient receives appropriate diet.
- Set up treating or testing equipment, such as oxygen tents, portable radiograph (x-ray) equipment, or overhead irrigation bottles, as directed by a physician or nurse.
- Stock or issue medical supplies, such as dressing packs or treatment trays.
- Supply, collect, or empty bedpans.
- Transport patients to treatment units, testing units, operating rooms, or other areas, using wheelchairs, stretchers, or moveable beds.
- Turn or reposition bedridden patients.
- Undress, wash, and dress patients who are unable to do so for themselves.
- Wash, groom, shave, or drape patients to prepare them for surgery, treatment, or examination.
- Exercise patients who are comatose, paralyzed, or have restricted mobility.
- Explain medical instructions to patients or family members.
- Lift or assist others to lift patients to move them on or off beds, examination tables, surgical tables, or stretchers.
- Provide information such as directions, visiting hours, or patient status information to visitors or callers.
- Transport specimens, laboratory items, or pharmacy items, ensuring proper documentation and delivery to authorized personnel.
The data sources for the information displayed here include: O*NET™ 16.0.
Nursing Assistants
Special Requirements
Entry level nursing aide jobs don’t have to have any formal training and some employers don’t even require a high school diploma. However, applicants who have completed a certified nurses assistant (CAN) program and passed the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program certification exam will have an easier time finding work.
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS to become a Certified Nursing Assistant:
- Complete a Certified Nursing Assistant Program. Programs that prepare students for certification require a minimum of 120 hours of training. Courses include body mechanics, nutrition, anatomy and physiology, infection control, communication skills, and resident rights. Aides also learn how to bathe, feed, and groom patients. Instruction involves both class and clinical work.
- Pass the Certified Nursing Assistant Exam
- For specialty areas, many employers, particularly hospitals, also provide specialized training to allow aides to take on more responsibility within their particular clinical area, such as cardiology, or radiology.
Certification of Nurse Aides.
B. Nurse aide competency evaluation.
1. The board may contract with a test service for the development and administration of a competency evaluation.
2. All individuals completing a nurse aide education program in Virginia shall successfully complete the competency evaluation required by the board prior to making application for certification and to using the title Certified Nurse Aide.
3. The board shall determine the minimum passing standard on the competency evaluation.
C. Initial certification.
1. To be placed on the registry and certified by examination, the nurse aide must:
a. Satisfactorily complete a nurse aide education program approved by the board; or
b. Be enrolled in a nursing education program preparing for registered nurse or practical nurse licensure, and have satisfactorily completed at least one clinical nursing course which includes at least 40 hours of clinical experience involving direct client care; or
c. Have completed a nursing education program preparing for registered nurse licensure or practical nurse licensure; and
d. Pass the competency evaluation required by the board; and
e. Submit the required application and fee as prescribed by the board.
2. To be placed on the registry and be certified by endorsement, the nurse aide must:
a. Be a graduate of a state - approved nurse aide education program;
b. Have satisfactorily completed a competency evaluation program;
c. Be currently registered in another state, with no finding of abuse, neglect or misappropriation of property;
d. Submit the required application; and
e. Submit the required verification form to the credentialing agency in each state in which the applicant has been registered, certified or licensed.
3. Initial certification shall be for two years.
Required Fees:
Fees required by the board are:
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Application for licensure by examination
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$130
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Application for licensure by endorsement
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$130
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Reapplication for licensure by examination
|
$25
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Biennial licensure renewal
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$95
|
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Late renewal
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$35
|
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Reinstatement of lapsed license
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$145
|
|
Reinstatement of suspended or revoked license
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$185
|
|
Duplicate license
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$5
|
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Replacement wall certificate
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$15
|
|
Verification of license
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$25
|
|
Transcript of all or part of applicant/licensee records
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$25
|
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Returned check charge
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$25
|
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Application for CNS registration
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$95
|
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Biennial renewal of CNS registration
|
$60
|
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Reinstatement of lapsed CNS registration
|
$105
|
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Verification of CNS registration to another jurisdiction
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$25
|
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Late renewal of CNS registration
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$20
|
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Inactive licensure renewal
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$50
|
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Late renewal of an inactive license
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$15
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For More Information, Contact:
Virginia Board of Nursing
6603 West Broad St., 5th Fl.
Richmond, VA 23230-1712
Phone: 804.662.9909
TTY: 804.662.7197
Fax: 804.662.9512
http://www.dhp.virginia.gov/nursing/
nursebd@dhp.virginia.gov
The data sources for the information displayed here include: Virginia Career VIEW Research.
Nursing Assistants
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The data sources for the information displayed here include: O*NET™ 16.0.
Nursing Assistants
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The data sources for the information displayed here include: New York State Department of Labor; New Jersey Department of Labor; California Occupational Information Coordinating Committee.
Nursing Assistants
Titles
- Birth Attendant
- Caregiver
- Certified Medication Aide (CMA)
- Certified Medication Technician
- Certified Nurse Aide (CNA)
- Certified Nurse Assistant
- Certified Nurses Aide (CNA)
- Certified Nursing Aide
- Certified Nursing Assistant (CAN)
- Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
- Certified Nursing Attendant
- Certified Residential Medication Aide
- Competency Evaluated Nurse Aide (CENA)
- First Aid Attendant
- First Aid Nurse
- Geriatric Nursing Assistant
- Gericare Aide
- Health Aide
- Health Care Aide
- Health Care Assistant
- Health Service Worker
- Hospice Aide
- Hospital Aide
- Hospital Assistant
- Hospital Attendant
- Hospital Corpsman
- Hospital Medical Assistant
- Infirmary Attendant
- Inpatient Nursing Aide
- Institutional Aide
- Licensed Nursing Assistant
- Medical Aide
- Medical Attendant
- Medication Aide
- Nurse Assistant
- Nurse Sitter
- Nurse Technician
- Nurse's Aide
- Nurse's Assistant
- Nursery Technician
- Nursing Aide
- Nursing Assistant
- Nursing Attendant
- Nursing Care Attendant
- Nursing Care Attentant
- Nursing Home Aide
- Nursing Technician
- Patient Care Assistant (PCA)
- Patient Care Associate
- Patient Care Technician (PCT)
- Patient Sitter
- Practical Nurse
- Psychiatric Attendant
- Resident Assistant
- Restorative Aide
- State Tested Nurses Assistant (STNA)
- State Tested Nursing Assistant (STNA)
- Student Nurse
- Surgical Aide
- Ward Aide
- Ward Attendant
- Ward Helper
The data sources for the information displayed here include: O*NET™ 16.0.