Appendix K
Curriculum Outline
If your state requires that you obtain approval in advance of using the How To Be a Nurse Assistant training series, this curriculum outline may provide all the required information. It is provided here for you to download and adapt to address the specific requirements of your state and/or facility.
Chapter 1
Where You Work: The Long Term Care Facility
Curriculum Outline
Content / Behavioral Objective / Suggested ActivitiesWhat is long term care?
Medical care
Nursing and rehabilitative care
Personal care
Residential care
Why are people admitted to long term care?
The long term care population
Who provides care in a long term care facility?
How is care paid for?
Medicare
Medicaid
Personal resources
Managed care plans
Long term care insurance
Who oversees long term care? / Describe the different types of long term care facilities
List 4 services provided in long term care
List the types of care offered in long term care
Give 2 reasons why people are admitted to long term care
Define the roles of the interdisciplinary health care team
Explain how care is paid for
Describe the agency that oversees long term care / Lecture; discussion
Lecture; discussion
Lecture; discussion
Lecture; discussion
Lecture; discussion
Chapter 2
Starting Your Job: What to Expect
Curriculum Outline
Content / Behavioral Objective / Suggested ActivitiesProviding care
Providing the best care possible
Mindful caregiving
Understanding residents’ routines
Values and culture
Ethics
Developing trust
The interdisciplinary team
Developing a relationship with the charge nurse
Developing relationships with co-workers
Daily assignments
Approaches to care
Factors that influence care
Job functions
Taking care of yourself
Coping with stress
Coping with your emotions / Explain what is meant by mindful caregiving
List 5 questions to ask when learning about a resident’s routine
Define ethical decisions
Describe the nursing team
Explain the importance of developing a trusting relationship with the charge nurse and co-workers
List 4 questions to ask when receiving an assignment
Describe the approach to care used in your facility
List at least 3 factors that influence care
Describe 5 essential job functions common in nurse assistant job descriptions
Describe 2 ways to take care of yourself / Lecture; discussion; group activities
Lecture; discussion; group activities
Lecture; discussion
Lecture; discussion
Lecture; discussion
Lecture; discussion
Lecture; discussion
Lecture; discussion
Lecture; group discussion
Chapter 3
Understanding Each Resident
Curriculum Outline
Content / Behavioral Objective / Suggested ActivitiesPsychosocial wellbeing
Discovering the resident
Gaining an understanding of residents
Erickson’s 8 stages of psychosocial development
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
Physical needs
Safety and security needs
Social needs
Self-fulfillment needs
Other needs of residents
Sexual needs
Spiritual needs
Cultural and values differences
Meeting different needs
Understanding a resident’s history / Define how you get to know a resident
List Erickson’s 8 stages of psychosocial development
Define Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
List ways to meet resident’s needs
Describe how resident’s basic needs are similar to your own
Describe at least 2 changes that occur with aging / Lecture; discussion
Lecture; flip chart; discussion; group activity
Lecture; flip chart; discussion; group activity
Lecture; flip chart; group discussion
Lecture; flip chart; group discussion
Chapter 4
Understanding Resident’s Rights
Curriculum Outline
Content / Behavioral Objective / Suggested ActivitiesLegal rights
Right to exercise one’s rights
How to assist residents to exercise their rights
Rights to privacy and confidentiality
How to protect resident’s rights to privacy
Rights to information
Your responsibilities for providing information
Rights to choose
How to help residents exercise their right to choose
Rights to notification of change
When to notify residents of change
Protection of resident’s personal funds
Your responsibility regarding resident’s funds
Grievance rights
Your responsibility regarding resident grievances
Transfer and discharge rights
Your role in transfers and discharges
Right to be free from restraint and abuse
What you can do to be free from abuse
Ombudsman program / Define rights
List the rights in the Residents’ Bill of Rights
Define terms used for abuse
List what is required in an abuse program
Define the role of the ombudsman / Lecture; group discussion
Lecture; group discussion & activity
Lecture; group discussion & activity
Chapter 5
The Nurse Assistant’s Role in Quality of Life
Curriculum Outline
Content / Behavioral Objective / Suggested ActivitiesWhat is dignity?
How perception influences dignity
Changing a resident’s self-perception
Honoring a resident’s life
Who is Anna Mae Halgrim Seaver?
What difference does promoting dignity make?
Considering the resident as a customer
How to add customer service into your caregiving
Activities
A different way to provide care / Describe why treating a resident with dignity is important
Describe what a customer service focus means for a nurse assistant
Explain the importance of activities for residents
Describe the principles of the Eden Alternative / Lecture; discussion
Lecture; discussion; role play
Lecture; discussion
Chapter 6
The Role of the Family
Curriculum Outline
Content / Behavioral Objective / Suggested ActivitiesWhat is family?
The family as customer
Why is family important?
What happens to families when residents get admitted?
The adjustment process
Guilt
Anger
Uncertainty
Sadness
Loss of control
Relief
Your relationship with the family
Involving the family in care
Communicating effectively with family members
Family visits
Managing family members’ expectations
When families express distress
You as a family member / Define family
State why family is important
Define the family’s adjustment process
Describe how to make the resident’s family feel part of the health care team
Explain how to develop a relationship with the family / Lecture, discussion
Lecture, discussion
Lecture, group activity
Lecture, role play
Group discussion
Lecture, group discussion
Chapter 7
Communication
Curriculum Outline
Content / Behavioral Objective / Suggested ActivitiesHow we communicate
Verbal communication
Nonverbal communication/body language
Touch
Listening
Validating communication
Promoting effective communication
Ending a conversation
Problems of ineffective communication
Special communication needs
Communicating with demanding residents
Communicating with residents who need encouragement
Communicating with residents with visual impairment
Communicating with residents with hearing impairment
Communicating with residents who are depressed
Communicating with residents with cognitive impairment
Communicating with residents with speech impairment
Communication and inappropriate behavior
Responding to sexual advances
Responding to sexual abuse
Conflict resolution
Understanding yourself
Reactions to conflict
Nondefensive communication
Effective communication when conflict occurs
Steps for conflict resolution
Communicating about yourself / List ways to make verbal communication effective
Explain the importance of nonverbal communication, touch, and listening
List general guidelines for good communication and active listening
Explain ways to communicate with residents with special communication needs
Describe ways to handle residents’ inappropriate behavior or aggression
Describe how to resolve conflicts
Explain when it is OK to talk about yourself with residents / Lecture, discussion
Lecture, discussion
Role playing
Lecture, discussion, role plays, & simulations
Discussion
Lecture, discussion
Lecture, role plays
Lecture, discussion
Chapter 8
Documentation Principles and Procedures
Curriculum Outline
Content / Behavioral Objective / Suggested ActivitiesGathering information about residents and their care activities
Residents
The resident’s chart
Other communication devices
Other people
Facility policies and procedures
The difference between objective and subjective information
Resident assessment
Quality indicators
Resident care plan
Your role in the care plan meeting
How to report information
Routine reporting
Immediate reporting
“By a certain time” reporting
Incident reports
Your role in documentation
Guidelines for documentation
Correcting a mistake in documentation
Common medical terms and abbreviations / Name all the locations where resident information can be found
Explain the difference between objective and subjective information
Explain your role in the care planning process
Explain when and how to report and document information
Identify medical terminology and abbreviations / Lecture, discussion, flip charts
Lecture, group activity
Lecture
Lecture, group activity
Lecture, group activity
Lecture, individual activity
Lecture
Chapter 9
Prevention and Control of Infection
Curriculum Outline
Content / Behavioral Objectives / Training Methodologies & ToolsHow microorganisms cause infections
How microorganisms are transmitted; the chain of infection
The microorganism
The reservoir
Portal of exit from the reservoir
Modes of transmission from the reservoir
Direct transmission
Indirect transmission
Airborne transmission
Portal of entry into susceptible host
Susceptible host
Strategies for breaking the chain of infection
Handwashing and other strategies
Breaking the chain at the mode of transmission link
Breaking the chain at the susceptible host link
Handwashing
Using barriers
Gloves
Gowns and plastic aprons
Gowns
Disposable plastic aprons
Eye protection
Protecting yourself from bloodborne infections
Standard precautions
Handwashing
Gloves
Mask, eye protection, face shield
Gown
Resident care equipment
Environmental control
Linen
Occupational health and bloodborne pathogens
Resident placement
OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard
Preventing needlesticks
Exposure control plan
Engineering and work practice controls
Personal protective equipment
Housekeeping
Hepatitis B vaccination and post-exposure evaluation and follow-up
Information and training requirements
Information about bloodborne pathogens
HIV and AIDs
Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C
Nurse assistant tasks involving exposure to blood
Special equipment and supplies for infection prevention and control
Wastes requiring special handling
Isolation precautions
Transmission-based precautions
Airborne precautions
Droplet precautions
Contact precautions
Applying isolation precautions
Psychosocial needs of residents on isolation precautions
Cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization
Cleaning
Disinfection
Sterilization
Designated clean and dirty areas of the facility / State how microorganisms are transmitted
Describe how the body responds to infection
Define your role in identifying the signs, symptoms, and clues of infection
Demonstrate the skill of handwashing
Demonstrate the proper way to put on and remove gowns, aprons, gloves, masks, and eye protection
Explain standard precautions
Define the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens standard
Explain your facility’s policies and procedures related to isolation precautions
State your role in cleaning objects and disposing of items in the resident’s environment / Lecture, flip charts
Lecture, flipcharts
Lecture, flipcharts
Lecture, video, demonstration, practice, skills check-off
Lecture, demonstration, return demonstration
Lecture; discussion
Lecture, discussion
Lecture, discussion
Lecture, discussion
Chapter 10
Injury Prevention
Curriculum Outline
Content / Behavioral Objective / Suggested ActivitiesErgonomics
Mindful decision making: injury prevention
Common sense rules
Residents
Nurse assistant
Environment
Body mechanics
Principles of body mechanics
Step 1: things to consider
Step 2: prepare yourself
Step 3: determine how to move
Preventing resident falls
Why residents fall
Preventing falls
Devices and equipment used to prevent falls
Environmental awareness
Wet floor
Electrical safety
Chemical safety
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
Container labeling
Emergency first aid for chemical exposures
The “Right to Know” law
Safety around oxygen
Disaster preparedness
Weather
Fire
If you are first to notice a fire
If a fire alarm sounds on another wing or unit
If an evacuation is ordered
Incident reporting / Define ergonomics
List at least 10 common sense rules for preventing injury
Demonstrate good body mechanics
Describe how to prevent resident falls
Discuss your role in preventing injuries in the long term care environment
Describe your role in disaster preparedness / Lecture
Lecture, discussion
Demonstration, return demonstration
Lecture, demonstration
Lecture, discussion
Lecture, discussion
Lecture
Chapter 11
The Aging Process and Disease Management
Curriculum Outline
Content / Behavioral Objective / Suggested ActivitiesLearn how residents feel about aging
Avoid labeling
Acute versus chronic problems
Cancer
Infection
Localized responses
Whole body responses
Silent responses
Identifying signs and symptoms of common infections
Clues to infection in older adults
Putting together clues to infection
Integumentary system (skin)
Structures
Functions
Aging changes
Abnormal signs and symptoms
Observations to report
Common chronic illnesses, diseases, and problems of the integumentary system
Dry skin
Signs and symptoms of dry skin
Nurse assistant’s role in observation and intervention
Goals of care
Interventions or skills for care
Contact dermatitis
Signs and symptoms of contact dermatitis
Nurse assistant’s role in observation and intervention
Goals of care
Interventions or skills for care
Musculoskeletal system
Structures
Functions
Aging changes
Abnormal signs and symptoms
Observations to report
Common chronic illnesses, diseases, and problems of the musculoskeletal system
Arthritis
Signs and symptoms of arthritis
Nurse assistant’s role in observation and intervention
Goals of care
Interventions or skills for care
Osteoporosis
Signs and symptoms of osteoporosis
Nurse assistant’s role in observation and intervention
Goals of care
Interventions or skills for care
Respiratory System
Structures
Functions
Aging changes
Abnormal signs and symptoms
Observations to report
Common chronic illnesses, diseases, and problems of the respiratory system
Cold and flu
Signs and symptoms
Nurse assistant’s role in observation and intervention
Goals of care
Interventions or skills for care
Sputum specimens
Pneumonia
Signs and symptoms of pneumonia
Nurse assistant’s role in observation and intervention
Goals of care
Interventions or skills for care
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Signs and symptoms of COPD
Nurse assistant’s role in observation and intervention
Goals of care
Interventions or skills for care
Circulatory system
Structures
Functions
Aging changes
Abnormal signs and symptoms
Observations to report
Common chronic illnesses, diseases, and problems of the circulatory system
Congestive heart failure (CHF)
Signs and symptoms of CHF
Nurse assistant’s role in observation and intervention
Goals of care
Interventions or skills for care
Peripheral vascular disease
Signs and symptoms of peripheral vascular disease
Nurse assistant’s role in observation and intervention
Goals of care
Interventions or skills for care
Coronary artery disease
Signs and symptoms of coronary artery disease
Nurse assistant’s role in observation and intervention
Goals of care
Interventions or skills for care
Cerebral vascular accident (CVA)
Signs and symptoms of CVA
Nurse assistant’s role in observation and intervention
Goals of care
Interventions or skills for care
Digestive system
Structures
Functions
Aging changes
Abnormal signs and symptoms
Observations to report
Common chronic illnesses, diseases, and problems of the digestive system
Constipation