A Nursing Assistant Training Manual

Chapter One- An Introduction to the Career of Nursing Assisting

What is a nursing assistant? In so many words a nursing assistant is a person whether male or female is one who cares for patients and/or clients helping them with activities of daily living (ADL's) whether in a nursing facility or in the home. Nursing assistants can either be or not be certified, but most nursing facilities or care services usually require a person to become certified to perform the necessary skills of this profession.

To name a few skills that are required for this career choice one will learn how to make a proper bed, give a complete bed bath, as well as learn how to take a patient's vitals. These are only a few of the skills that one will learn in this reference textbook but keep reading there are plenty more to learn about. There are many nuances to this profession that one needs to know.

To begin here are some general facts about this profession that I learned from my two nursing assistant textbooks. In this online textbook most of the skills are going to be pretty much verbatim for I am not going to reinvent the wheel for these necessary nursing skills that all nurses have always used.

So, what does it really mean to be a nursing assistant? To begin it is more than just learning some very basic nursing skills. This is a position of helping and caring for others of all ages. It is also one that depends on one feels about themselves. Nursing assistants can work in a variety of places and this is known as 'community health care' and for the most part a nursing assistant will use their skills they learn in training in a skilled care facility that provides the help that the elderly or anybody else may need at times of sickness or any other needs.

Health care today is known as 'patient focused care' that means that a patient is an individual and their needs no matter what if possible will be met in some way physically, mentally, and emotionally even in a 'managed care setting' that means dealing with various insurance issues and services that are provided while working with the doctors and other professionals in these facilities no matter how long and what will be done to help the patient.

The needs of the community ranges from preventative care, emergency care, surgery, rehabilitation, long-term and hospice care for the patient, client or anybody who may need some form of care. It will depend on whether a service that is needed to help is an 'acute' illness or a 'chronic' illness. An 'acute' illness is one that comes on suddenly and needs some kind of treatment right away. A 'chronic' illness is one that is treatable but will not be cured over time and will last over a lifetime.

There are different types of hospitals that a nursing assistant can find employment. There are pediatric, psychiatric and rehabilitation facilities to choose to work. (To be honest my favorite was psychiatric.) In these various large settings there are other departments that nursing assistants may be able to work as well. These sites are obstetrics, critical care and emergency departments. This would depend on the hospital regulations and the qualifications of the nursing assistant.

Other areas where a nursing assistant may help in a way are dietary services. (When I was a nursing assistant in a psychiatric unit I would help the patient pick out what they would like to eat for each meal for depending on a particular unit dietary may not be allowed on the floor accept to deliver the meal cart and the nursing assistant will have to serve the patient.) Nursing assistants must also be aware that other departments like pharmacy, physical, speech and occupational therapists, social services may also be on the unit or floor where you may be working.

Still other areas where a nursing assistant may help in a way is with medical records, volunteers and pastoral care. Nursing assistants may not do too much in these areas but will usually transport via wheelchair the patient to one of these areas or to particular professionals will be at times permitted in these departments if deemed warranted. One last thing that nursing assistants should have some knowledge towards is the area of insurance and finances like dealing with the HMO's (health maintenance organization or paying out of pocket) plans and payments and maybe helping with Medicaid and Medicare even if it is just about learning about these.

These are some of the basic ideas and information that nursing assistants should have a basic understanding for there could be a patient that could ask a question and could ask for an opinion of the nursing assistant in one of these areas and they could lead the patient, client or resident to the right person to answer their question(s). The purpose of nursing is one of health promotion and disease prevention.

Chapter Two coming next.

(Please read, comment, subscribe and tip for you like my chapters. Most of the facts come from my nursing assistant textbooks that I studied when I became a nursing assistant.)