The responsibilities of a Nursing Assistant

Nursing assistants work closely with and under the supervision of a nurse or licensed practical (LPN) or registered nurse (RN). For many of those who are considering a career in nursing, but are unsure of their choice, to be a nursing assistant is a great way to see firsthand what nurses do, what the atmosphere of the hospital is similar, and gather some experience. And, starting out as a nursing assistant before becoming a nurse, has gained popularity since the certification is easier and requires less time than a nursing degree course. However, being a nursing assistant has its problems. To help you get a clear picture, we will discuss the responsibilities of a nursing assistant in more detail below.

One of the most important responsibilities of a nursing assistant is to monitor the patient's vital signs and record significant changes. Keeping an eye on a patient's blood pressure, pulse, temperature, and breathing are important to achieve if a patient is better or worse. As a result, nursing assistants are usually the first to know what a patient is responding to a drug or treatment method. They check the patient's vital signs regularly and regularly and report any new health problems or side effects, negative or positive improvements, and other significant changes.

Nursing Assistants are also responsible for maintaining the health of a patient while in hospital, and / or healthcare facility. Some of these tasks include, but are not limited to helping patients to shave, take their baths, and clipping nails. They can also help to dress and undress patients who are able to perform these tasks for themselves. Another task separate, but closely related, is to facilitate the needs of a patient toilet. And the level of help needed will depend on the patient's situation, some simply need to be walked to a bathroom, others may need help with the evacuation of a catheter, and there are also patients who are bedridden and require more assistance. This type of activity can be described as the worst part of the work of a nursing assistant, but it is a very important aspect for the realization of the nursing ethical code, as such responsibilities are those which guarantee that the patients are able to maintain their dignity, in spite of their particular disease.

Nursing Assistants are also responsible for the main area of ​​a patient clean. This is another group of tasks that differ depending on the patient and the healthcare facility where you work. Some patients have relatives who do most of their cleaning, other patients who need help. And, some healthcare organizations have other personnel to handle these tasks. However functions of a cleaning assistant nursing may include, but are not limited to emptying containers, ensuring that the patient has linens and towels, and cleaning of the floor. If you work in a doctor's office, will not be confined to bed for the cure, but may need to clean and disinfect the area after examining doctor sees every patient.

Setting up a patient's food and nutritional supplements, feeding them, documenting what and how much they eat and their level of fluid intake is another responsibility of a nursing assistant. Although care assistants may not necessarily have to feed all their patients, must keep track of what their patients can eat, and what is allowed to have. Typically, when a patent is receiving surgery, the doctor will say that they are not allowed to have any food or liquids after a certain time. Unfortunately, the people who prepare the meals can be made a meal for the patient because they were unaware of the doctor's orders. Nursing assistants must step in and check out this and other information as the types of food a patient can be allergic or unable to eat due to digestive problems.

Giving a patient their medicine and ensuring that he or she actually takes them properly is also a duty of a nursing assistant. Moreover, they may be considered to re-check the accuracy of orders or to inform physicians and / or nurses of the drugs or that a patient may already have taken that may affect their treatment.

Although these are most of the responsibilities of care assistants, you may find that others exist and have special or specific situations. For example, a bedridden patient may need to be turned on its side to prevent bedsores. A younger patient may require more attention than others, while patients with disabilities may need assistance to enter into a wheelchair and / or putting on prosthetic devices.

It 'important to note that if you decide to become a certified nursing assistant, will take most of the same tasks. The main thing to remember is that all these activities are critical to patient health and wellbeing....