Duties of a Nursing Assistant

Duties of a Nursing AssistantMost of us are familiar with Nursing Assistants,but we donot really know all that is required forthem to complete their work efficiently and of thebest quality. Time restraints can often make itdifficult to decide to do a job better or to getmore done. Thus, having an outstanding work ethicis of the utmost importance.Nursing Assistants must also have excellentcommunication skills. They are required to haveinteractions with patients, family members,

Nurses, and a variety of other medicalprofessionals. It is imperative that they areable to effectively reply and communication thatneeds to take place with these various types ofindividuals.It is widely known that Nursing Assistantsprovide basic are for patients including feeding,bathing, and dressing. However, this is just thetip of the iceberg when you take a look at all thevarious duties involved in being an effectiveNurse Assistant. While the specific duties willvary according to the medical facility you workfor, there are some that are found in most everyone.Bathing is generally either a shower or a bed bathdepending on the level of care the patientrequires. Personal hygiene including combinghair, brushing teeth, applying makeup, cleaningdentures all needs to be done for each individualpatient. Shaving is also to be taken into

consideration, and completed as needed.Taking patients vital signs are a dailyrequirement of Nursing Assistants. Taking vitalsigns includes temperature, pulse, respiration,and blood pressure. This information that isrecorded on the patients chart, and reviewed bythe Nursing staff and other medicalprofessionals.For patients requiring assistance with eating,the routine can take 20-60 minutes depending onthe abilities of the patient and how much foodthey consume. The Nursing Assistant needs todocument the type of food and drink consumed andthe quantities of each on the patient chart. Somepatients will need to take vitamins and othernutritional supplements, also the duty of theNursing Assistant to administer.It is also the duty of the Nursing Assistant inmany medical facilities to be responsible for

getting those who can feed themselves ready to betaken to the dining area. This may just be havingtheir grooming done or helping to lift them intoa wheelchair and take them to the dining area.Nursing assistants will need to change anybedding or other soiled materials if found on thepatient. This is a case by case basis and will varyeach day. While interacting with the patient, youwill need to document their behaviors. It isimportant that you notify the Nurse on duty if yousee any changes that are unexpected or notgenerally seen. You will be trained in what tolook for.Keeping a sharp eye for details will assist anyNursing Assistant with successfully performingall duties. Caring for people changes becausetheir needs change as well as those you are caringfor changes. How quickly you are caring for newpatients depends on the type of medical facilityyou work for.

In addition to performing all of these essentialduties, Nursing Assistants are responsible forproviding emotional support to patients and theirfamilies. This can be helping patients feelcomfortable with their surroundings, hanging aphoto on the wall for them, or helping themcompose a letter. Family members may want you tocertain things for a patient such as braid theirhair daily or keep their fingernails short.Performing all the duties of a Nursing Assistanttakes practice, dedication, organization, and asincere desire to help others. It can be anexhausting effort on some days, and often a jobno one thanks them for doing. However, for thosewho enjoy what they do and take pride in it, weneed to stop and see all that they do in a dayswork. They provide valuable services to patientsand the medical profession.PPPPP

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