Rhode Island Code of Regulations › Title 216 - Department of health › Chapter 40 - Professional licensing and facility regulation › Subchapter 05 - Professional Licensing › Part 22 - Nursing Assistants, Medication Aides, and the Approval of Nursing Assistant and Medication Aide Training Programs › Section 216-RICR-40-05-22.5 - General Requirements: Nursing Assistants and Medication Aides

Current through June 14, 2024
A. No person shall be employed in this State
				  as a nursing assistant or medication aide unless he or she holds a license as a
				  nursing assistant in accordance with the provisions of the Act and this
				  Part.
B. No person shall assume the
				  title of "nursing assistant" or such similar title or use any abbreviations or
				  any other words, letters, signs, figures, or devices to indicate that the
				  individual using same is a nursing assistant as set forth in these Regulations,
				  unless he or she holds a license as a nursing assistant issued by the
				  Department. The only abbreviation that a nursing assistant may use in this
				  State is "N.A."
C. All nursing
				  assistants and medication aides shall assess patient pain in accordance with
				  the Rules and Regulations Related to Pain Assessment promulgated by the
				  Department of Health, Part
				  20-15-2 of this Title.
D. All nursing assistants and medication
				  aides must notify the Department of all changes of home address and all changes
				  of employment within ten (10) days of any such change. Failure to provide
				  notice will result in sanctions.
22.5.1
Supervision
A. Nursing assistants must be supervised by a
				  licensed nurse, physician, or other appropriate health professional who is duly
				  licensed and/or certified as required by law. The type of supervision, either
				  direct or indirect, shall be determined by the licensed health care facility as
				  defined in R.I. Gen. Laws §
											23-17-2(8).
				  Provided, however, those duties listed in §22.12.1(B) of this Part shall
				  be discharged only under direct supervision of a licensed nurse, physician, or
				  other appropriate health professional who is duly licensed and/or certified as
				  required by law.
B. A medication
				  aide must be supervised by a licensed nurse, physician, or other appropriate
				  health professional who is duly licensed and/or certified as required by law.
				  The type of supervision, either direct or indirect, shall be determined by the
				  licensed health care facility as defined in R.I. Gen. Laws §
											23-17-2(8),
				  provided, however, those duties listed in §22.12.1(B) of this Part shall
				  be discharged only under direct supervision of a licensed nurse, physician, or
				  other appropriate health professional who is duly licensed and/or certified as
				  required by law.
C. For the first
				  three (3) months of employment, a licensed nurse designated by the health care
				  facility, adult day services program, or assisted living residence, as
				  appropriate, shall conduct and document monthly evaluations (in accordance with
				  the evaluation checklist on the Department website) of a medication aide who
				  administers medication. After the first three (3) months, the evaluation shall
				  be conducted no less than quarterly. Copies of said evaluations shall be placed
				  in the medication aides' personnel records.
D. Persons who are actively enrolled in a
				  bachelor of science program in nursing, associate degree program in nursing,
				  accredited licensed practical nursing program, or registered nurse course of
				  study in a National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, Inc., or a
				  Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accredited nursing program,
				  and have completed two (2) clinical courses, including a Fundamentals of
				  Nursing course, and who provide written documentation from the clinical
				  supervisor indicating that the student is prepared to serve as a nursing
				  assistant, are exempt from completing a Nursing Assistant Training Program and
				  from sitting for the National Nurse Assistant Assessment Program Skills
				  portion.