Nurse Aide

RACINE COUNTY
NURSE AIDE
Ridgewood Care Center

Basic Function
To provide assigned residents with routine daily nursing care in accordance with established nursing care procedures, state and federal guidelines, and as directed by your supervisor.

Essential Duties
1. Assist with lifting, turning, moving, positioning and transporting residents into and out of beds, chairs, bathtubs, wheelchairs, lifts, etc.
2. Assist residents with dressing and ensure that residents are dressed in clean clothing appropriate for season and in good repair.
3. Assist residents with bathing.
4. Assist residents with daily dental and mouth care.
5. Assist residents with toileting and/or incontinent care to keep them clean, dry and odor free.
6. Position residents maintaining good body alignment.
7. Keep residents dry, changing clothes and gowns when wet or soiled.
8. Make beds and change bed linens weekly with bath or when soiled.
9. Shave male patients’ daily and female residents as needed.
10. Provide nail care to fingernails and toenails weekly with bath or as needed unless diabetic.
11. Perform restorative and rehabilitative procedures as instructed.
12. Assist resident with hair combing and brushing, shampooing and styling.
13. Assist residents with activity and social programs.  Transport, accompany and participate as needed and as per plan of care.
14. Maintain records and flow sheets accurately and timely.
15. Measure and record T, PR, R, and weights as instructed.
16. Observe and report the presence of skin breakdown or redness to the nurse.
17. Observe and report any physical or emotional changes observed in the residents including any complaints or grievances made by the resident.
18. Prepare resident for meals, assist serving food trays or feed as necessary.  Record and report residents intake or acceptance of food.
19. Serve between meal and bedtime snacks or nourishments.
20. Attend all mandatory in-services and maintain 12 hours of training each year.
21. If a resident is using a restraint, check on resident every 30 minutes.
22. Release restraint every 2 hours and provide for 10 minutes exercise, hygiene and bathroom needs.
23. Keep nurse call system within easy reach and answer call lights within 10 minutes.
24. Report all hazardous conditions and equipment to the nurse immediately.
25. Follow established safety precautions in performance of all duties.
26. Wash hands before and after performing any service for the resident and follow infection control guidelines and universal precautions.
27. Keep wheel chairs, tables, geri chairs, commodes and other resident equipment clean.
28. Follow established isolation precautions and procedures.
29. Review care plans daily to ensure provision of appropriate care.
30. Maintain confidentiality of all resident call information and ensure resident privacy.
31. Treat all residents, families and visitors with kindness, dignity and respect.
32. Document care and resident’s response to care in the Electronic Medical Record as directed.
33. Perform all assigned tasks in accordance with Ridgewood policy and procedure and instruction of your supervisor.
34. Create and maintain an atmosphere of warmth, personal interest, and positive regard as well as a calm environment throughout the unit and shift.
35. Adhere to all Department of Commerce, County and department policies and procedures.

Supervision Received
Receives supervision from Nursing Supervisor.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
• Ability to read, write, and spell and to understand and follow both written and oral directions.
• Ability to communicate and work well with residents and staff members.
• Ability to speak the English language in an understandable manner.
• Ability to see and hear or use prosthetics that will enable these senses to function adequately to assure that the requirements of this position can  be fully met.
• Ability to relate to and work with the ill, disabled, elderly, mentally ill, emotionally upset and at times hostile and violent residents within the  facility.
• Ability to remain current in practice as applicable to job.
 
 Physical Requirements
• Frequent (34 66% of workday) exerting up to 50 pounds of force.
• Frequent (34 66% of workday) bending.
• Constant (67 100% of workday) using bilateral upper extremities.
• Ability to exert up to 40 lbs. of force in overhead lifting.
• Constant (67-100% of workday) walking and/or standing.

 Working Conditions
• Works in well lighted and ventilated areas throughout the facility, i.e. residents rooms, nurses stations, med rooms, tub rooms, dining rooms,  lounges and corridors and hallways.
• Subject to frequent interruptions.
• Subject to involvement with personnel, visitors, state and federal agency personnel and residents.
• Subject to hostile, emotionally upset residents as well as verbally and physically abusive residents on an occasional basis.
• Subject to exposure to infectious waste, disease and conditions as well as unpleasant odors and sites.
• Provided with necessary protective equipment and devices and services to ensure safety including but not limited to gowns, gloves, goggles, shoe  covers, handwashing facilities, masks, Hepatitis B vaccine.

This description has been prepared to assist in properly evaluating various classes of responsibilities, skills, working conditions, etc., present in the classification.  It is intended to indicate the kinds of tasks and characteristic levels of work difficulty that will be required of positions that will be given this title.  It is not intended as a complete list of specific duties and responsibilities.  Nor is it intended to limit or in any way modify the right of any supervisor to assign, direct, and control the work of employees under his/her supervision.  The use of a particular expression or illustration describing duties shall not be held to exclude other duties not mentioned that are of a similar kind and level of difficulty.