Certified Nursing Assistant (C.N.A.)

This is a union position - 1199 Greater New York.

Purpose of Your Job Position

Provide each assigned resident with routine daily care and services in accordance with the resident’s assessment and care plan, and as directed by supervisors.

Delegation of Authority

As a Certified Nursing Assistant, you are delegated the administrative authority, responsibility, and accountability necessary for carrying out your assigned duties.

Responsibilities

• Administrative Functions
  • Use the wristband or photo card file to identify residents before administering treatments, serving meals, etc.
  • Record all entries on flow sheets, notes, charts, etc., in an informative and descriptive manner.
  • Use only authorized abbreviations established by the facility when recording information.
  • Report all changes in the resident’s condition to the Nurse Supervisor/Charge Nurse as soon as practical.
  • Report all accidents and incidents observed on your shift when they occur.
• Admission, Transfer, and Discharge Functions
  • Ensure the resident’s room is ready for receiving the resident (bed name, name tags up, admission kit available, etc.).
  • Greet residents and escort them to their rooms; introduce resident to roommate, other residents, and personnel as appropriate.
  • Inventory and mark the resident’s personal possessions as instructed.
  • Store resident’s clothing and assist with packing personal possessions when transferring or discharging.
  • Transfer the resident to a new room or the receiving area; assist with loading/unloading residents from vehicles as necessary.
• Personnel Functions
  • Perform all assigned tasks in accordance with established policies and procedures and as instructed by supervisors.
  • Follow work assignments and schedules in completing assigned tasks.
  • Cooperate with inter-departmental and facility personnel to maintain nursing services.
  • Create and maintain an atmosphere of warmth, personal interest, and positive emphasis.
  • Meet with nursing personnel regularly to identify and correct problem areas or improve service.
  • Report all resident complaints and grievances.
  • Notify the facility of lateness or absence at least two hours prior to the scheduled shift.
  • Report occupational exposures to blood, body fluids, infectious materials, and hazardous chemicals to your supervisor.
• Personal Nursing Care Functions
  • Participate in and receive nursing report upon reporting for duty.
  • Follow established policies concerning exposure to blood/body fluids.
  • Assist residents with daily dental and mouth care (brushing teeth/dentures, oral hygiene, special mouth care).
  • Assist with bath functions (bed bath, tub, or shower) as directed.
  • Provide backrubs as requested.
  • Assist residents with dressing/undressing as necessary.
  • Assist with hair care (combing, brushing, shampooing).
  • Assist with nail care (clipping, trimming, cleaning fingers/toenails); does not include diabetic residents.
  • Shave male residents daily; keep female residents’ hair clean-shaven if requested (facial, underarms, legs).
  • Keep residents dry by changing gowns and linens if wet or soiled.
  • Change bed linens and keep linens tight to avoid wrinkles.
  • Make beds (occupied and unoccupied) and add extra covers as requested.
  • Position bedfast residents in the correct and comfortable position.
  • Assist with bowel and bladder functions (bathroom, bedpan/urinal, portable commode).
  • Maintain intake and output records as instructed.
  • Keep incontinent residents clean and dry.
  • Check and report bowel movements and character of stools as instructed.
  • Collect specimens (urine, sputum, stools) as instructed.
  • Assist residents in preparing for medical tests (lab work, X-ray, therapy, dental).
  • Assist residents in preparing for activities and social programs (visitors, parties, religious services).
  • Transport residents to appointments, activities, and social programs as necessary.
  • Assist with lifting, turning, moving, positioning, and transporting residents (beds, chairs, bathtubs, wheelchairs, lifts).
  • Assist residents to walk with or without self-help devices as instructed.
  • Perform restorative and rehabilitative procedures as instructed.
  • Change dressings, bandages, binders as instructed.
  • Provide eye and ear care (warm/cold compresses, eye/ear instillation, cleaning eyeglasses/hearing aids).
  • Assist with the application of non-sterile warm/cold compresses.
  • Assist in preparing residents for physical examinations.
  • Weigh and measure residents as instructed.
  • Measure and record temperatures, pulse, and respirations (TPRS) as instructed.
  • Answer resident call bells promptly; check residents unable to call for help frequently.
  • Check each resident routinely to ensure personal care needs are met.
  • Assist with care of the dying resident and provide post-mortem care as directed.
  • Observe and report pressure areas and skin breakdowns to prevent decubitus ulcers.
  • Report any injuries of unknown source, including skin tears.
  • Provide daily indwelling catheter care and perineal care.
  • Perform non-sterile vaginal irrigation/douches.
  • Assist with the application of slings, elastic bandages, binders.
  • Give tepid sponge baths and provide daily range of motion exercises.
  • Record data as instructed; turn bedfast residents at least every two hours.
  • Perform special treatments as instructed.
  • Observe disoriented and comatose residents; record and report data as instructed.
  • Turn in all medications found in resident’s room/possession to the supervisor/charge nurse.
  • Provide residents with reality orientation as instructed.
  • Report changes in room temperature, ventilation, lighting, etc.
  • Provide nursing ambulation as required and document the same.
• Food Service Functions
  • Prepare residents for meals (take to bathroom, wash hands, comb hair, position tables, place clothing protector).
  • Serve food trays and assist with feeding as indicated (cutting food, feeding, dining room supervision).
  • Assist residents with identifying food arrangements (informing sight-impaired residents of food location, temperature).
  • Record resident’s food/fluid intake and report changes in eating habits.
  • Keep water pitchers clean, filled with fresh water, and within easy reach.
  • Serve between-meal and bedtime snacks.
  • Perform after-meal care (remove trays, clean resident’s hands, face, clothing, assist to bathroom, brush teeth, clean dentures).
  • Check rooms for unauthorized food items or improperly stored food.
• Staff Development
  • Attend and participate in scheduled training and educational classes to maintain certification.
  • Attend and participate in scheduled orientation programs and activities.
  • Attend annual OSHA and CDC in-service training for hazard communication, TB management, and Bloodborne Pathogens Standard.
  • Attend advance directive in-service training programs as scheduled.
• Safety and Sanitation
  • Restrain residents in chair/bed as instructed; check restrained residents at least every 30 minutes.
  • Release restraints at least every 2 hours for range of motion exercises, bathroom use, etc.
  • Maintain a record of restrained residents, release times, and duration.
  • Participate in in-service training for tasks involving potential exposure to blood/body fluids.
  • Wash hands before and after performing any service for the resident.
  • Keep the nursing call system within easy reach of the resident.
  • Immediately notify Nurse/Supervisor of any resident leaving or missing from the facility.
  • Follow established safety precautions in performing all duties.
  • Keep resident’s personal possessions off the floor and properly stored.
  • Keep floors dry and report spills immediately.
  • Store excess supplies and equipment in designated areas.
  • Wash wheelchairs, walkers, etc., as instructed.
  • Clean, disinfect, and return all resident care equipment to designated storage after each use.
  • Perform routine housekeeping duties (clean bed rails, overhead table, nightstand).
  • Store all tools, equipment, and supplies before leaving work area for breaks or at the end of the day.
  • Report all hazardous conditions and equipment to the Nurse Supervisor/Charge Nurse immediately.
  • Report all safety violations and follow established smoking regulations.
  • Report any communicable or infectious disease to the Director of Nursing Services or Infection Control Coordinator.
  • Follow established isolation precautions and procedures; wash hands before entering and after leaving isolation areas.
  • Follow procedures for the use and disposal of personal protective equipment.
  • Wear/use safety equipment (back brace, mechanical lifts) when lifting or moving residents.
  • Report missing or illegible labels and MSDSs to the supervisor.
• Equipment and Supply Functions
  • Use only equipment you have been trained to use and operate it safely.
  • Use only necessary equipment and supplies; avoid wastefulness.
  • Report defective equipment to the Nurse Supervisor/Charge Nurse.
  • Inform the Nurse Supervisor/Charge Nurse of equipment and supply needs.
• Care Plan Functions
  • Review care plans daily to determine changes in the resident’s daily care routine.
  • Inform the Nurse Supervisor/Charge Nurse of any changes in the resident’s plan.
  • Ensure notes reflect that the care plan is being followed.