Nurse Aide Training: High School

Foundational Standards

Basic Nursing Skills

Personal Care Skills

Mental Health and Social Services

Care of Residents with Cognitive Impairments

Basic Restorative Services

Residents’ Rights

Incorporate safety procedures in handling, operating, and maintaining tools and machinery; handling materials; utilizing personal protective equipment; maintaining a safe work area; and handling hazardous materials and forces. 

Demonstrate effective workplace and employability skills, including communication, awareness of diversity, positive work ethic, problem-solving, time management, and teamwork. 

Explore the range of careers available in the field and investigate their educational requirements and demonstrate job-seeking skills including resume-writing and interviewing. 

Advocate and practice safe, legal, responsible, and ethical use of information and technology tools specific to the industry pathway. 

Participate in a Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) to increase knowledge and skills and to enhance leadership and teamwork.

Demonstrate effective infection control techniques as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and The Joint Commission guidelines.

Outline the communications structure in the skilled nursing facility. 

Describe physical changes that occur during the aging process. 

Assess and record vital signs, including blood pressure measured manually. 

Measure and record height and weight.

Assess the safety and cleanliness of the residents’ environment according to the facility's policy. 

Report changes in residents’ physical, mental, and emotional status to a supervising nurse. 

Describe stages in death and dying and explain procedures associated with caring for a person who is dying.

Complete Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.

Bathe residents according to established procedures, including catheter, perineal, hand, and foot care. 

Provide grooming care, including oral hygiene and denture care.

Dress residents using approved procedures. 

Assist residents with toileting safely. 

Assist residents with eating and hydration, utilizing industry-approved techniques and adaptive equipment

Provide skincare, following industry best practices to prevent skin breakdown. 

Transfer, turn, and position residents safely for activities of daily living (ADLs), using appropriate ergonomics and body mechanics.

Identify and describe psychological changes associated with the aging process.

Tailor behavior and communication to residents’ behavior, using therapeutic techniques to respect patients’ rights.

Explain and utilize practices that allow residents to make personal choices. 

Describe and implement ways in which staff can protect the resident’s dignity. 

Describe ways a resident’s family can support the resident’s well-being. 

Demonstrate techniques for addressing the unique needs and behaviors of individuals with dementia to minimize the effects of cognitive impairment.

Describe effective means of communicating with residents who have cognitive impairments.

Describe and demonstrate ways to respond appropriately to the behaviors of residents who are cognitively impaired.

 Describe practices involved in maintaining a resident’s abilities for self-care. 

Use assistive devices to help residents with transferring, ambulating, eating, and dressing.

Perform passive range of motion exercises on a resident, including shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, and ankle. 

Identify and describe complications resulting from inactivity. 

Turn and position residents in bed and chair using approved procedures to minimize skin breakdown and complications resulting from inactivity

Outline steps for bowel and bladder retraining.

Demonstrate care and use of prosthetic and orthotic devices. 

Summarize residents’ rights to make personal choices regarding their needs. 

Outline the steps involved in the residents’ grievance process.

Provide assistance to residents participating in family groups and social activities.