Purpose of Your Job Position

The primary purpose of your job position as a full-time staff member is to provide daily direct care needs to the residents as set forth in the Individualized Service Plan as a Resident Assistant for residents in the Assisted Living center of the facility.

Delegation of Authority

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

Job Functions

Every effort has been made to identify the essential functions of this position. However, it in no way states or implies that these are the only duties you will be required to perform. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or is an essential function of the position.

Miscellaneous Information

Information explaining the Essential Functions, Safety Factors, and the Competency Evaluation columns, as well as the Risk Exposure Category legend is provided in the “Job Position Analysis Information” section located on the last page of this job description. (Note: The number assigned to each individual column corresponds to that same number in the “Analysis” section.)

Duties and Responsibilities

Administrative Functions

• Become familiar with the facility’s administrative structure as introduced in the pre-training orientation session.
• Use the wristband or photo card file to identify residents before administering treatments, serving meals, etc., as necessary.
• Report all accidents and incidents you observe on the shift that they occur.
• Use only authorized abbreviations established by this facility when recording information.
• Report all changes in the resident’s condition to the Nurse Supervisor/Charge Nurse as soon as practical.
• Record all entries on flow sheets, notes, charts, etc., in an informative, descriptive manner.
• Agree not to disclose assigned user ID code and password for accessing resident/facility information and promptly report suspected or known violations of such disclosure to the Administrator.
• Agree not to disclose resident’s protected health information and promptly report suspected or known violations of such disclosure to the Administrator.
• Report any known or suspected unauthorized attempt to access facility’s information system.

Nursing Service Functions

• Bathes or assists residents in bathing (Bed bath, tub bath, shower, sitz bath) according to the established schedule.
• Provides or assists with resident's daily oral hygiene and denture care.
• Provides or assists with brushing and/or combing resident's hair daily and shampooing hair as instructed.
• Encourages and/or assists residents in dressing neatly in their own clothing.
• Removes clothing that is damages or missing buttons to the designated area for repair.
• Participate in and receive the nursing report as instructed.
• Follow established policies concerning exposure to blood/body fluids.
• Make beds as instructed.
• Put extra covers on beds as requested.
• Weigh and measure residents as instructed.
• Measure and record temperatures, pulses, and respirations (TPRs) of residents, as instructed.
• Answer resident calls promptly.
• Ensure that residents who are unable to call for help are checked frequently.
• Check residents routinely to ensure that their personal care needs are being met.
• Turn all medications found in the resident’s room/possession over to the Nurse Supervisor/Charge Nurse.
• Watch for and report any change in room temperature, ventilation, lighting, etc.
• Assisting in transport to and from dining area, serving meals, prompting or assisting residents per meal card instructions, taking tray to residents in rooms and removing tray afterward)
• Assist/prompts in toileting of residents (includes assist in transport to and from bathroom, changing of clothing as needed, collecting urine and stool specimens as indicated, emptying and recording drainage from colostomies and catheter bags and reporting information as direct)
• Assist residents with identifying food arrangements (i.e., informing resident with sight problem of foods that are on his/her tray, where it is located, if it is hot/cold, etc.).
• Record the resident’s food/fluid intake. Report changes in the resident’s eating habits to the Nurse Supervisor/Charge Nurse.
• Keep residents’ water pitchers clean and filled with fresh water (on each shift), and within easy reach of the resident.
• Serve between meal and bedtime snacks as instructed.
• Perform after meal care (i.e., remove trays, clean resident’s hands, face, clothing, etc.).
• Check rooms for food articles (i.e., food in proper container, unauthorized food items, etc.).

Personnel Functions

• Perform all assigned tasks in accordance with our established policies and procedures, and as instructed by your supervisors.
• Follow work assignments, and/or work schedules in completing and performing your assigned tasks.
• Cooperate with inter-departmental personnel, as well as other facility personnel to ensure that nursing services can be adequately maintained to meet the needs of the residents.
• Create and maintain an atmosphere of warmth, personal interest and positive emphasis, as well as a calm environment throughout the unit and shift.
• Report defective equipment to the Nurse Supervisor/Charge Nurse.
• Inform the Nurse Supervisor/Charge Nurse of your equipment and supply needs.
• Report occupational exposures to blood, body fluids, infectious materials, and hazardous chemicals in accordance with the facility’s policies and procedures governing accidents and incidents.
• Report known or suspected incidents of fraud to the Administrator.
• Ensure that departmental computer workstations left unattended are properly logged off or the password protected automatic screen-saver activates within established facility policy guidelines.

Budget and Planning Functions

Report suspected or known incidence of fraud relative to false billings, cost reports, kickbacks, etc.

Resident Rights

• Maintain the confidentiality of all resident care information including protected health information. Report known or suspected incidents of unauthorized disclosure of such information.
• Ensure that you treat all residents fairly, and with kindness, dignity, and respect.
• Ensure that all nursing care is provided in privacy.
• Knock before entering the resident’s room.
• Report all grievances and complaints made by the resident to the Nurse Supervisor/Charge Nurse.
• Report all allegations of resident abuse and/or misappropriation of resident property.
• Honor the resident’s refusal of treatment request. Report such requests to your supervisor.