Applied Practice Experiences 1

NOTE: All skills are taught in such a way that both facility and community contexts are recognized.

 Problem-solving when carrying out care-giving procedures

• Planning and implementing care based on the person’s needs, the established care plan and facility/agency policies.
• Assessing the client/resident and the situation prior to commencing care
• Identifying unsafe environments or situations.
• Seeking assistance if necessary in order to maintain the safety of the client/resident and/or the care provider.
• Organizing equipment and supplies in order to efficiently complete tasks.
• Checking equipment for safety and functionality.
• Reporting equipment malfunction.
• Performing the procedure(s).
• Maintaining client/resident privacy and dignity.
• Encouraging independence and self-care as much as possible.
• Cleaning equipment after use and returning to appropriate place.
• Tidying the resident/client’s environment.
• Evaluating effectiveness of the procedure.
• Reporting and recording actions, results and observations.

Asepsis and Prevention of Infection

• Standard and routine precautions.
• Hand Washing.
• Gloving.
• Isolation Precautions.

Promoting personal hygiene

• Oral hygiene.
• Bathing – bed bath, tub baths and showers.
• Providing perineal care.
• Assisting with grooming and dressing.
• A.M. and h.s. care.
• Back massage and skin care.
• Using pressure relieving devices.

Moving, positioning and transferring a client/resident

• Body mechanics in the home and facility.
• Turning a person in bed.
• Using positioning devices.
• Assisting with transferring and moving a person in a hospital bed and a regular bed.
• Transferring a person to a stretcher.
• Moving a person to the side of a bed and assisting him/her to sit.
• Transferring a person from bed to chair or wheelchair and back.
• Transferring a person from a wheelchair to a bath chair or toilet.
• Using mechanical lifts including ceiling lifts.
• Assisting the individual to use a walker safely.

Bedmaking

• Making closed, open, and occupied beds.

Promoting exercise and activity

• Bed rest.
• Assisting with ambulation.
• Assisting with walking devices – especially safe use of walkers with resting seat.
• Assisting with wheelchairs.
• Dealing with falls.

Promoting healthy nutrition and fluid intake

• Preparing simple, nutritionally sound meals (in the home).
• Practicing safe food handling and storage.
• Using food preparation equipment.
• Serving meals in ways that encourage normalizing interactions.
• Assisting clients/residents with eating and drinking.
• Utilizing safe eating assistance techniques with individuals who are experiencing difficulty biting, chewing and/or swallowing.
• Cleaning equipment, dishes, and utensils after use.
• Observing and recording intake and output.

Promoting urinary and bowel elimination

• Using bedpans and urinals.
• Toileting techniques.
• Using commodes.
• Assisting the person with urinary and bowel incontinence.
• Using urinary incontinence products.
• Assisting the person with condom catheter drainage.
• Assisting the person with an established catheter.
• Emptying drainage bags.
• Collecting urine specimens.
• Factors affecting bowel elimination.
• Assisting with bowel training.
• Administering enemas and suppositories.
• Assisting the person with an established ostomy.
• Collecting stool specimens.

Heat and cold applications

• Knowing policies and procedures of facility/agency
• Administering cold packs under supervision of RN.

Assisting with Medications

• Assisting vs. Administering in relation to parameters of practice.
• Roles and responsibilities, legal implications of actions.
• Observing resident/client for untoward effects (i.e. recognizing what is not normal and reporting it).
• General types of medications (capsules, tablets, ointments, suppositories, liquids, drops).
• Common abbreviations used with medications.
• Label reading.
• Critical “rights” of assisting with medications.
• Individual’s right to refuse medication.
• Assisting with pre-packaged, pre-measured oral medications.
• Assisting with oral, eye and transdermal medications.
• Assisting with metered dose inhalers.
• Assisting with topical application of ointments.

Documentation