Student Training Rights Effective Date: August 4, 2010
1. Purpose: To ensure compliance with all Federal and State regulations and UNAR policy governing Nursing Assistant programs statewide. To provide a safe and supportive learning opportunity for all certified nursing assistant candidates.
2. Policy: It is the policy of the Utah Nursing Assistant Registry (UNAR) to maintain the integrity of Nursing Assistant Training programs and to monitor the requirements and rights for nursing assistant students.
3. Procedure
a. All students must be 16 years of age prior to beginning any CNA program in the state of Utah.
b. All students must complete 80 hours(includes clinical hours) of training to be permitted to obtain vouchers for the state competency exams
c. All students must complete at least 16 hours of supervised practical training in a long-term care facility, and complete all skill curriculum and skills competencies prior to training in any facility. Students who provide services to residents must be under the direct supervision of a licensed nurse who is a UNAR-approved clinical instructor, who is present at all times at the clinical site and whose clinical time is separate from her facility employment.
d. All students must demonstrate competency in the following areas:
i. Basic Nursing Skills
ii. Basic Restorative Services
iii. Mental Health and Social Service Skills
iv. Resident’s Rights
v. Communication and Interpersonal Skills
vi. Infection Control
vii. Safety and Emergency Procedures
viii. Promoting Resident’s Independence
e. Each program must have a student-to-instructor ratio of 12:1 for clinical instruction and shall not exceed a 30:1 ratio for theory instruction. UNAR requires an instructor assistant when the program has more than 20 students.
f. Each program must provide a classroom that has adequate space and equipment for the student enrollment.
g. Every student has the right to have an atmosphere conducive to learning.
h. Each student must be oriented to the nursing facility where they are employed or prior to beginning clinicals for those students who are not employed by a nursing facility. This must include information on building layout, safety and evacuation procedures and the use of equipment in the facility. Orientation hours are not included in the required 80 hours of training.
i. Each student must wear name badges while in the clinical setting.
j. Each student will be instructed in professionalism (dress and speech) and will conduct themselves accordingly while in the classroom and clinical setting
k. Each student must have HIPPA training
l. Every student must have knowledge regarding the procedure on reporting Elder Abuse or other issues
m. All rules, regulations and policies of the CNA program, UNAR and the clinical facility will be followed during class and clinical hours;
n. Any infraction of this policy may result in student withdrawal from program.
UTAH NURSING ASSISTANT REGISTRY SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITIES
A nursing assistant may provide care in many health care areas while under the supervision of a licensed nurse. As a Certified Nursing Assistant you must follow certain legal, ethical and moral standards. Unprofessional conduct may result in disciplinary action on your CNA certificate and includes, but is not limited to:
1. Failing to follow policies and procedures at your place of employment
2. Documenting false information on a patient’s chart
3. Taking away a patient’s rights
4. Abandoning a resident; leaving an assignment that has been accepted, without notifying the appropriate authority and allowing reasonable time for replacement; -leaving your shift before you are done or refusing to show up for your shift or quitting without notice
5. Physical Abuse
6. Verbal Abuse
7. Sexual abuse
8. Stealing a resident’s property
9. Stealing a resident’s medications
10. Illegal drug use
11. Accepting money from a resident
12. Threatening a resident
13. Engaging in CNA practice while using a false name
14. Allowing another person to use your certification
You should be competent in all basic nursing skills. This is considered your scope of duties or responsibilities, the skills that you were taught in your state approved Certified Nursing Assistant program. Normally you would not do anything outside of these skills. In the state of Utah, there is a Nurse Practice Act in which a licensed nurse may ‘delegate’ certain tasks to the CNA. It is very long and you may not really understand all the language, but the point being is that you do not do anything that you are not trained to do or know how to do. You must be competent at any skill that you perform.
To sum up the delegation of tasks:
1. Do not do anything that you are not trained to do (certain facilities may require extra training for the job they want you to do)
2. Do not do anything that you do not feel comfortable performing
3. Do not do anything without the proper supervision
4. Do not do anything that requires nursing judgment
5. Do not do anything that requires an assessment
6. Do not do anything that you do not know how to do, even if the skill was part of your CNA training.
7. Do not do anything that you are not competent to do.
If you have any questions, please call the UNAR at 801-547-9947