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-40-05-22.7 - Requirements Pertaining to Nursing Assistant Training Programs

Current through June 14, 2024
22.7.1
Application for and Approval of
				  Training Programs
A. Approval of
				  training programs shall be granted for two (2) years, if the program is found
				  to meet the requirements of this Part, and such approval may be renewed
				  biennially unless approval has been sooner revoked or suspended.
B. Any person desiring to conduct a training
				  program for the preparation of individuals to provide nursing assistant
				  services shall apply to the Department for approval by submitting a completed
				  application on forms provided by the Department accompanied by documentation
				  pertaining to no less than the following:
1.
				  Evidence of support and fiscal administration accountability;
2. Sources and locations of potential
				  students, faculty, classrooms, conference rooms, clinical laboratory for
				  practical experience and other resources;
3. Names and qualifications of
				  instructors;
4. Copy of the
				  curriculum including provisions for the practical experience;
5. Written statements of purpose, philosophy
				  and objectives;
6. Organization
				  with clearly defined authorities and responsibilities and a chart showing the
				  relationships and channels of communication of the program to other agencies,
				  programs, etc.;
7. Practical
				  experiences related to areas of instruction of the didactic segment of the
				  program; and
8. Written policies
				  and procedures pertaining to the nursing assistant training
				  program.
C. The
				  application fee for a training program certification shall be as set forth in
				  the Fee Structure for Licensing, Laboratory and Administrative Services
				  Provided by the Department of Health (Part
				  10-05-2 of this Title). Any
				  nursing assistant training program within a facility administered and operated
				  by the State of Rhode Island shall be exempt from this fee.
1. Nursing Assistant Training program sites
				  that are not inspected by the Board within four (4) weeks of approval by the
				  Board, will be inspected by the Department.
D. Standards for Nursing Assistant Training
				  Program Approval
1. The nursing assistant
				  training program shall consist of no less than one hundred twenty (120) clock
				  hours including no less than forty (40) hours of practical training integrated
				  with the classroom topics and under supervision in accordance with the
				  definition of "supervision" in §
												22.3(A)(22)   of this Part.
a. Online nursing assistant training programs
				  may offer the required eighty (80) hours of didactic training via the Internet.
				  The forty (40) hours of practical training shall be provided by the employing
				  facility.
2. A nursing
				  assistant training program conducted in a health care facility shall be
				  completed within ninety (90) days.
3. Paperwork and scheduling required for a
				  candidate to sit for the State Nursing Assistant examination shall be prepared
				  by the nursing assistant training program, and testing scheduled with the
				  testing provider within ten (10) days after the applicant's completion of the
				  program. The nursing assistant training program is required within that time to
				  file an application for nursing assistant license with the Department, and is
				  required to contact the testing provider to schedule a date for
				  testing.
4. The course of
				  instruction shall be designed to prepare students to perform all the nursing
				  assistant duties listed in §22.12.1 of this Part. At least sixteen (16)
				  hours of classroom instruction shall be required prior to a trainee's direct
				  involvement with patients. Such instruction shall be consistent with the
				  curriculum outline of §22.12.2 of this Part.
E. Personnel
1. Program Coordinator
Each nursing assistant training program shall have a
					 coordinator who shall be responsible for the management of the instructional
					 and practical portions of the program. The program coordinator must be a
					 registered nurse with a minimum of two (2) years of nursing experience, one (1)
					 of which must be in the provision of long term care services; and must have
					 documented evidence of teaching and/or appropriate supervisory experience.
					 Directors of nursing in nursing facilities are prohibited from performing
					 actual training, but may supervise clinical training.
2. Instructors
Competent resource personnel from various areas of the
					 health field may participate as program instructors at the discretion of the
					 program coordinator. Such personnel may include: licensed registered nurses
					 (RNs)/practical nurses (LPNs) with one (1) year of nursing experience,
					 dietitians; pharmacists; or physical therapists. Instructors shall have
					 completed a course in teaching adults or have experience in teaching adults, or
					 supervising nursing assistants, and shall have at least one (1) year of
					 experience in their respective fields.
F. Policies and Procedures
1. Each nursing assistant training program
				  shall have available for students written policies pertaining to no less than
				  the following:
a. Admission, re-admission,
				  retention, dismissal and course completion requirements;
b. The identification of the resource
				  facilities for the practical experience in a long-term care or appropriate
				  acute care facility;
c. Management
				  of any unique online program issues, such as internet and equipment
				  access;
d. The supervision
				  requirement of nursing assistants in all settings in accordance with the
				  definition of "supervision" in this Part; and
e. Such other provisions as may be deemed
				  appropriate.
f. Licensed Nursing
				  Assistant training programs shall submit all required documentation for
				  students who have successfully completed a nursing assistant training program
				  within one (1) month to the Department or shall be subject to disciplinary
				  action in accordance with §22.10.1 of this
				  Part.
G.
				  Resources and Facilities
1. Each nursing
				  assistant training program shall have resources/facilities consistent with the
				  philosophy, purposes, objectives and policies of the nursing assistant program.
				  Such resources/facilities shall include no less than:
a. Classroom, offices, and conference rooms
				  accessible to and adequate for the number of students;
b. Sufficient instructional materials to meet
				  the needs of students and instructor, including clinical supplies;
c. Furnishings of appropriate size and
				  numbers as may be required for the instructional program and for the number of
				  students;
d. An adequate number of
				  service resources to provide the kinds of practical learning experiences as
				  required to meet the curriculum objectives;
e. Adequate financial support to implement
				  and operate the nursing assistant program;
f. Compliance with all applicable licensing
				  laws and regulatory requirements.
2. Online nursing assistant training programs
				  must ensure that each student enrolled in the program has internet connection,
				  a computer and/or laptop with a webcam, microphone, and speakers to complete
				  the course(s).
H.
				  Curriculum
The objectives of the nursing assistant training program
					 shall be consistent with  42 C.F.R. §
													483.152  incorporated at §
												22.2   of this Part and the
					 curriculum outline of §22.12.2 of this Part and shall promote the
					 provision of quality health care services by nursing assistants who are able to
					 perform competently the duties listed in §22.12.1 of this
					 Part.
I. Evaluation of
				  Curriculum
1. A systematic plan for on-going
				  evaluation of the curriculum shall be established and include evaluation
				  provisions pertaining to no less than:
a. The
				  implementation of the curriculum design;
b. The relationship of the curriculum to
				  current needs of patients in health care facilities and current standards of
				  practice;
c. Revisions and/or
				  modifications of curriculum as may be necessary based on evaluation data,
				  unique online students' requests, and/or other Federal and State
				  requirements.
J. Examinations
1. An examination shall be administered that
				  tests the knowledge and competency of a person to carry out the duties of a
				  nursing assistant as defined in these Regulations.
2. The nursing assistant program shall
				  determine a person's skill, knowledge levels, and competency through a manual
				  skills (practical) examination. Such examination shall test no less than the
				  following:
a. Communication and interpersonal
				  skills;
b. Infection
				  control;
c. Safety emergency
				  procedures;
d. Promotion of
				  patients' independence;
e.
				  Respecting patients' rights;
f.
				  Basic nursing skills;
g. Mental
				  health/social service needs;
h.
				  Care of cognitively impaired patients;
i. Basic restorative
				  services.
3. In addition,
				  the nursing assistant program shall test specific manual skills as set forth in
				  §22.12.1 of this Part. Where appropriate, skills demonstration shall be
				  performed on a real patient, or "pseudo-patient," but shall not be performed on
				  a mannequin.
K. Standards
				  for Medication Aide Training Program Approval
1. Medication aide training programs shall be
				  offered by a college or university that is approved by an appropriate
				  accrediting authority. Correspondence courses and on-line learning programs
				  shall not be approved.
2. Approval
				  of a medication aide training program shall be granted for two (2) years, if
				  the program is found to meet the requirements of this Part, and such approval
				  may be renewed biennially unless approval has been sooner revoked or
				  suspended.
3. Training programs for
				  medication aides that are approved by the Department shall include the
				  following components:
a. Require written
				  documentation for entry into the medication aide training program from a
				  director of nursing or an administrator at an adult day services program,
				  nursing facility, or assisted living residence licensed in Rhode
				  Island;
b. A minimum of forty-five
				  (45) hours of classroom instruction in a medication administration training
				  program that includes theoretical and practical instruction;
c. Skills demonstration, performed within one
				  (1) year of successful completion of the medication aide training program,
				  under the supervision of a registered nurse and approval of a registered nurse
				  in the employing facility;
d.
				  Written guidelines, policies, and procedures that define the specific tasks the
				  medication aide shall be expected to perform;
e. A stipulation of how the medication aide's
				  competency is to be assessed (i.e., examination and
				  practicum).
L.
				  Curriculum for a Department-approved Training Program for Medication Aides
1. Training programs for medication aides
				  that are approved by the Department shall include, but not be limited to, the
				  following course content:
a. Legal
				  constraints;
b. Dose
				  forms;
c. Laxatives, vitamins, cold
				  and cough remedies, and other over-the- counter drugs;
d. Psychiatric medications;
e. Antidiabetic and antiemetic
				  drugs;
f. Asthma and chronic
				  obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD);
g. Hormones (including steroids);
h. Antibiotics;
i. Systems of measurement and medical
				  abbreviations;
j. Anti-Parkinson
				  drugs and muscle relaxers;
k.
				  Cardiac drugs;
l. Seizures and
				  pain;
m. Communication
				  techniques;
n. Security and safety
				  of drugs;
o. Glossary of
				  terms;
p. Drug orders;
q. Over-the-counter and legend
				  medications;
r. Common side effects
				  of drugs;
s. Drug administration
				  preparation;
t.
				  Prescribers;
u. Directions for
				  use;
v. Commonly-used abbreviations
				  and symbols;
w. Number of dosage
				  units;
x. Strengths and systems of
				  measurement;
y. Routes of
				  administration;
z. Frequency of
				  administration;
aa. Interpreting
				  directions for use;
bb. Infection
				  control procedures;
cc. Patient
				  instruction;
dd. Calculations and
				  conversions;
ee. Administration of
				  topical medications;
ff. Patient
				  monitoring of health indicators;
gg. "Five rights" of medication
				  administration: right patient, right drug, right dose, right time, and right
				  route of administration;
hh. Proper
				  documentation in patient medication records;
ii. Accurate administration of the
				  appropriate quantity of drug product.
M. Personnel for a Department-approved
				  Training Program for Medication Aides
1. All
				  instructors in a Department-approved training program for medication aides
				  shall be licensed pharmacists (R.Ph) with no less than a bachelor's degree in
				  pharmacy. Provided, however, pharmacist instructors may engage competent
				  resource personnel from other health fields, such as nursing, to deliver
				  discrete lectures in their area(s) of expertise.
2. Instructors shall have completed a course
				  in teaching adults or have experience in teaching adults and shall have at
				  least one (1) year of experience in their respective fields.
N. Unless otherwise stated, the
				  provisions of §
											22.7   of this Part pertain to
				  both classroom and online nursing assistant training
				  programs.