Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)

The Certified Nursing Assistant reports to and receives supervision from the Charge Nurse and is responsible for proving quality nursing and direct care to assigned residents in compliance with current applicable federal, state, and local standards, guidelines, and established policies and procedures which encourage each resident’s ability to maintain or attain the highest practical physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being.

Schedule: Full-Time, Part-Time, Weekends, Nights, Days, 12 Hour Shifts, Every other Weekend

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Provide individualized attention which encourages each resident’s ability to maintain or attain the highest practical physical, mental and psychosocial well-being.
• Maintain knowledge of the individualized care plan for each resident and provide support to the resident according to the care plan.
• Contribute to the care planning process by providing the charge nurse with specific information and observations of the residents’ needs and preferences.
• Attend to the individual needs of residents including assistance with grooming, bathing, oral hygiene, feeding, incontinent care, toileting, colostomy care, prosthetic appliances, transferring, ambulation, range of motion, communicating or other needs in keeping with the individual’s care requirements and care plan.
• Maintain the comfort, privacy, and dignity of each resident in the delivery of services.
• Interact with residents in a manner that displays warmth and promotes a caring environment.
• Comprehensive understanding and adherence to all aspects of residents’ rights, including the right to be free of restraints and free of abuse.
• Promptly report to the charge nurse or administrative staff all incidents or evidence of resident abuse or violation of residents’ rights.
• Assist in maintaining a safe, neat, and clean environment. Assist resident in keeping personal items and clothing off the floor and properly stored.
• Protect resident’s personal belongings including eyeglasses, dentures, hearing aids, furnishings, jewelry, clothing, etc. Promptly report missing items.
• Observe residents for changes in condition or behavior and promptly report these changes to the Charge Nurse.
• Provide care that maintains each resident’s skin integrity to prevent pressure ulcers, skin tears, and other damage by changing incontinent residents, turning, repositioning immobile residents, and applying moisturizer to fragile skin.
• Assure residents have call lights at hand and answer resident’s call lights promptly and courteously.
• Take vital signs, residents’ weights, collect specimens assigned by the charge nurse and in accordance with the individualized care plan.
• Assist with orienting residents and their families to the nursing facility upon admission.
• Lift, move, and transport residents using proper body mechanics and lifting devices for accident prevention.
• Receive the nursing report upon reporting for duty each shift. Give the nursing report to relief personnel before departing at the end of each shift.
• Observe and report the presence of pressure areas and skin breakdown to the Charge Nurse.
• Promptly report injuries of an unknown source, including skin tears to the Charge Nurse.
• Communicate and interact effectively, courteously, and tactfully with residents, visitors, family members, peers, and supervisors.
• Assist and escort residents for appointments such as beauty shop, activities, etc.
• Participate in activities and facility functions as directed.
• Practice careful, efficient, and no-waste use of supplies and linens in accordance with established policies and procedures.
• Perform all job responsibilities in accordance with prescribed safety and infection control procedures including thorough hand washing, use of disposable gloves where indicated, and proper disposal of soiled materials.
• Thoroughly wash hands before and after performing any service for the resident.
• Make rounds frequently and check each resident routinely to ensure his/her personal care needs are being met.
• Respond to inquiries or requests from residents and family members in a prompt and courteous manner.
• Promote positive public relations with residents, family members and guests.
• Maintain the confidentiality of all resident care information.
• Perform all duties in compliance with established safety and infection control policies and procedures.
• Actively participate in fire, safety and disaster preparedness drills.
• Maintain safe working conditions and practices and follow established safety regulations in the use of equipment and supplies.  
• Review care plans daily to determine if changes in the resident’s daily care routine have been made on the care plan.
• Inform the Charge Nurse of any changes in the resident’s condition so that appropriate changes (if necessary) can be made to the care plan.
• Ensure all nursing assistant notes convey specific care provided and the resident’s response or lack of response to the care provided.
• Perform all nursing and care services in accordance with the individualized care plan.
• Honor the resident’s refusal of treatment request. Document and promptly report such requests to the Charge Nurse.  
• Record all entries on notes, charts, etc. in an informative and descriptive manner.
• Use only authorized abbreviations established by the facility when recording information.
• Properly document all care, responses to care, vitals, changes in condition, etc. in accordance with established policies and procedures.

Qualifications: 

•  High school diploma or equivalent.
• Successful completion of a State-Approved Nursing Assistant Certification course or other education which meets the state certification requirements.
• Possess current Nursing Assistant Certification.
• 1-5 years of experience is preferred.

Physical and Mental Demands:

• Must be able to push, pull, move and/or lift a minimum of 50 pounds of inanimate objects.
• Mus be able to push, pull, move and/or lift a maximum of 35 pounds of a person. 
• Must be able to stand and walk for long periods of time.
• Must be able to reach, stoop, kneel, bend, lift and move intermittently throughout the workday throughout the facility.
• Must be able to work outside of normal work hours including nights, holidays, and weekends as needed to meet facility and position demands.
• Must be free of diseases that may be transmitted in the performance of job responsibilities during the stage of communicability.
• Must be able to relate to and work with ill, disabled, elderly, emotionally upset and at times hostile people within the facility.