Hi all, from Ireland. I want to ask you all about the role of the nursing assistant in your facility. I have been in nursing now for twenty one years and have worked in Ireland, the US, UK, Spain and now I am back in Northern Ireland. The first notable difference I found when returning here after all these years is the role of the NA. Here in the hospital I work they are not permitted to
Take Vitals
Blood Glucose
Draw Labs
EKGs
Etc Etc
On some wards they are not even permitted to take patient report!!! I know I know, how unsafe is that!
I ask because in every other country NAs at a minimum took Vitals and Accu checks at a minimum and depending on the unit could be trained to do more if that NA was deemed competent and wanted to.
What are CNAs allowed to do and not do these days in the US?
I intend to write a paper about my experiences as a nurse in different countries.
A CNA works at an extended care facility. They have to be certified so the faculty can get reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid. In my area anyway, a CNA does not work in a hospital setting. They are Patient Care Technicians and what can be done varies by hospital.
At my hospital anything having to do with sterile technique can not be done by a tech. They can do ekgs, bladder scans, draw labs doing a peripheral stick, place an IV, remove a foley, and empty a foley bag. They can also do ADLs with patients and oral suctioning. They can also do accuchecks and take vitals.
Our techs though are usually so busy getting other things done, we don’t get to utilize them they way we should to be hugely beneficial to the nurses. There’s just too much to be done.
Hi all, from Ireland. I want to ask you all about the role of the nursing assistant in your facility. I have been in nursing now for twenty one years and have worked in Ireland, the US, UK, Spain and now I am back in Northern Ireland. The first notable difference I found when returning here after all these years is the role of the NA. Here in the hospital I work they are not permitted to
Take Vitals
Blood Glucose
Draw Labs
EKGs
Etc Etc
On some wards they are not even permitted to take patient report!!! I know I know, how unsafe is that!
I ask because in every other country NAs at a minimum took Vitals and Accu checks at a minimum and depending on the unit could be trained to do more if that NA was deemed competent and wanted to.
What are CNAs allowed to do and not do these days in the US?
I intend to write a paper about my experiences as a nurse in different countries.
Thanks ?
Bri
When I worked in the hospital as a nursing assistant, aside from ADLs, we took vitals, drew labs, checked blood glucose and performed EKGs. We emptied Foleys, removed Foleys and removed IVs. Emptied drains as well. We had training directly through the hospital. The only certification I had was as a CNA. We were trained in what values to immediately report to the nurse. My job title was patient care technician. However, I was NOT certified as such. You CAN get certified through programs, but that particular hospital as well as a few clinical sites did not require PCT certification. Just CNA. Job title was PCT I until training for blood draws and EKGs was completed. Then you were a PCT II.
In long term care, the CNAs do vital signs and change ostomies. (Changing ostomies can vary) Only at one facility did I find it was against policy for CNAs to do v/s. I find that pretty ridiculous as a certified nursing assistant is specifically trained to do so.
I HAVE encountered numerous times that a CNA did not report to me in a timely matter an abnormal v/s. But I look at that as more of an individual problem, not a CNA problem as a whole.
LovingLife123
1,592 Posts
A CNA works at an extended care facility. They have to be certified so the faculty can get reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid. In my area anyway, a CNA does not work in a hospital setting. They are Patient Care Technicians and what can be done varies by hospital.
At my hospital anything having to do with sterile technique can not be done by a tech. They can do ekgs, bladder scans, draw labs doing a peripheral stick, place an IV, remove a foley, and empty a foley bag. They can also do ADLs with patients and oral suctioning. They can also do accuchecks and take vitals.
Our techs though are usually so busy getting other things done, we don’t get to utilize them they way we should to be hugely beneficial to the nurses. There’s just too much to be done.