What is an example of an unlicensed assistive personnel?
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Today, nursing care delivery requires effective management of unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP). With capitation, each member of the care delivery team is critical to assuring quality patient outcomes. Yet, staff nurses may not fully understand how to maximize the performance of these workers. To be effective managers, nurses must understand how learning styles, cultural diversity, and multicultural team building improve the performance of UAP and the entire care delivery team. These variables are critical elements in effective communication, delegation, supervision, behavior modification, and team building with UAP. Show The nursing care paradigm is shifting from a primary care delivery model back to one involving more teamwork. With health care restructuring, managed care and capitation are affecting not only nursing practice delivery but also the type of skills and knowledge needed by nurses. in acute, long-term, and home care, unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP), who are nonprofessional workers called personal care assistants or certified nursing assistants (CNAs), are assuming more of the manual task-based physical bedside nursing care. The purpose of this article is to explore how nurses can work more effectively with UAP to improve patient outcomes. To maximize quality and cost effectiveness while meeting the needs of patients, families, institutions, and agencies, nurses need a broad knowledge base that includes understanding the learning style and educational needs of the unlicensed worker (Miller, 1992). According to American Nurses Association (ANA) standards of clinical practice, nurses are accountable for assigning and delegating care based on patients' needs and the knowledge and skill of the care provider (ANA, 1994). Nurses must "assess the knowledge, skills, and judgment of the nonprofessional staff before assignments are made" (Barter & Furmidge, 1994, p. 38). To be effective care managers and supervisors of nonprofessional workers, staff nurses must appreciate differences in learning styles, cultural diversity, and concepts of multicultural team building. Knowledge in all of these areas is essential in communicating, delegating, and supervising assistive personnel who will be providing direct task-based patient care for which the nurse is ultimately accountable (Miller, 1992). Unfortunately, most nurses who direct unlicensed personnel have few skills, and have limited knowledge of how to efficiently and effectively manage nonprofessional workers (Jung, 1991). Learning Needs Unlicensed workers and their supervising professional nurses are all people who may come from significantly different educational and cultural backgrounds. Often this diversity may be even more dramatic depending on whether the health care institution is located in an urban or a suburban environment. In urban institutions, the nonprofessional workers may be more heterogeneous with varied cultural, age, work, and educational backgrounds. In some cases, unlicensed staff may have basic skills issues related to the ability to read, write, or understand English (Huber, Blegen, & McCloskey, 1994). Frequently, older skilled and unskilled workers who have been outplaced must turn to an unlicensed position to re-enter the workforce. Middle-aged women, migrant, or older minority workers often take care assistant jobs to enter the job market for the first time. These older, minority, and immigrant workers may have had little... Get Full Access Gale offers a variety of resources for education, lifelong learning, and academic research. Log in through your library to get access to full content and features! Assessment | Biopsychology | Comparative | Cognitive | Developmental | Language | Individual differences | Personality | Philosophy | Social | Industrial & Organisational : Introduction : Personnel : Organizational psychology : Occupations: Work environment: Index : Outline Unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) is an umbrella term to describe a job class of paraprofessionals who assist individuals with physical disabilities, mental impairments, and other health care needs with their activities of daily living (ADLs) and provide bedside care — including basic nursing procedures — all under the supervision of a Registered Nurse, Licensed Practical Nurse or other health care professional. They provide care for patients in hospitals, residents of nursing facilities, clients in private homes, and others in need of their services due to effects of old age or disability. UAPs, by definition, do not hold a license or other mandatory professional requirements for practice, though many hold various certifications. They are collectively categorized under the group "Personal care workers in health services" in the International Standard Classification of Occupations, 2008 revision.[1] Contents
Types of assistive personnelThe Nursing Assistant, Nursing Auxiliary, Auxiliary Nurse, Patient Care Assistant, Patient Care Technician, Home Health Aide/Assistant, Geriatric Aide/Assistant, Psychiatric Aide, Nurse Aide, or Nurse Tech are all common titles that are considered to be UAPs in many countries. In the United States, the Certified Nursing Assistant typically works in a nursing home or hospital, and performs everyday living tasks for the elderly, chronically sick, or rehabilitation patients who cannot care for themselves. There are some differences in scope of care across UAPs based on title and description. Typically, government certification indicates a more in-depth training and qualification that covers a wider scope of responsibility.[2][3] These certification exams are distributed by the state. Classes to study for these exams are provided by the American Red Cross as well as other providers. The courses offered by the American Red Cross encompass all facets that are addressed in the state exams from communication to health terms to sensitivity. Similar titles in the United Kingdom and elsewhere include Healthcare Assistant, Healthcare Support Worker, or Clinical Support Worker, who usually work in hospitals or community settings under the guidance of a qualified healthcare professional.[4] Personal Support Worker is the title for a similar type of health worker in Canada. Some of the responsibilities and duties of a Personal Support Worker include, but are not limited to:[5]
Surgical technologists are considered UAPs in the US, where they are also sometimes called "Scrub tech". However the title can mean different things in different countries. For example in Mozambique, surgical technologists are medical professionals trained and registered to perform advanced clinical procedures including emergency surgery.[6] Birth assistants, such as doulas, childbirth educators and other persons providing emotional support and general care and advice to women and families during pregnancy and childbirth, are also typically considered UAPs. They are distinguished from midwives, physicians, nurses, and other professionals who are trained and licensed to provide basic and emergency pregnancy and childbirth-related health care services and manage complications. Training and practiceUnlicensed assistive personnel are important members of the health care team who often hold a high level of experience and ability. While they do not require extensive health care training to practice their profession, a high level of manual dexterity and good interpersonal communication skills are usually necessary. They often undergo some formal education, apprenticeship or on-the-job training in areas such as body mechanics, nutrition, anatomy and physiology, cognitive impairments and mental health issues, infection control, personal care skills, and records-keeping.[1][2][4][7] Most community colleges offer CNA training in one semester. However, there are other sources that offer accelerated programs. Many nursing homes will actually pay for their employees to take CNA training on the premise that once completed the student will then work for them. In the context of aging populations and health care reform, UAPs are in growing demand in many countries. However, without formal health professional qualifications, UAPs are often unable to perform some tasks due to issues of liability and legality. Attempts to regulate, control, and verify education have been made in some places. This allows an employer to verify experience and knowledge as well as to assist in preventing individuals who have been "struck off" (had registration/certification invalidated) from continuing to work in healthcare roles. For example in the UK, the credibility of the Healthcare Assistant and other social care workers is intended to be strengthened by their compulsory registration from 2009 with the General Social Care Council in England or its Scottish or Welsh equivalents. In the United States, Family's and Employers can verify a UAPs certification in accordance to State and Local law's by checking with a Family Care Safety Registry (FCSR). A Family Care Safety Registry was established by law to promote family and community safety. The registry helps to protect children, seniors, and the disabled by providing background information on that individual. Families and employers can call the registry's toll-free line by phone, fax or E-mail to request background information on registered child care, elder care, and personal care workers or to request licensure status information on licensed child care and elder care providers at no-cost at all to the requestor . See also
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