Thomas Rest Haven is a city owned facility celebrating 50 years of serving the residents of the Coon Rapids, IA area. This facility is a 57 bed skilled/nursing care facility that offers short or long term care, respite care, and has a Veteran's care contract. The facility also has a 12 unit assisted living attached, provides inpatient and outpatient therapy services, and has a physician's office on campus. TRH offers an excellent benefit package including life/health insurance, IPERS, and many more.

GENERAL JOB SUMMARY:

The medication aide works under the supervision of the charge nurse and administers oral and topical medications, skin treatments and performs other duties as required in the care of the resident that are assigned and fall within the scope of practice for medication aides. Additionally, the medication aide is a nurse aide who may be responsible for providing personal care and assistance in the facility. Nurse aides may be called upon to help residents in and out of bed, and with dressing, grooming, personal hygiene, toileting, feeding and bathing. Nurse aides will be called upon to provide certain basic treatments and take resident vital signs as requested by the Charge Nurse. Nurse aides are responsible for observing and reporting changes in residents’ physical and emotional conditions to the supervisors. Excellent communication and team skills are needed. May be required to work a variety of shifts depending on resident needs.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Passes routine oral medications as ordered by the resident’s physician.
• May apply topical medications to the skin as routinely ordered unless aseptic technique is required.
• May administer specifically ordered rectal, ophthalmic, optic and nasal medications.
• May administer prn medications only by instruction of a licensed nurse.
• Documents all medication administration in accordance with facility procedure.
• Observe and report to the Charge Nurse all reactions and side effects of medications that are observed.
• Take and record vital signs prior to administration of medications, which could affect or change the vital signs and reports any abnormalities of such to the Charge Nurse.
• Bathe or assist residents in bathing via a bed bath, tub, shower or whirlpool.
• Perform or assist residents with personal grooming needs such as shaving, hair care, oral hygiene, denture care, skin care, toileting, and cosmetics.
• Assist residents in dressing and undressing as needed in clothing appropriate to the time of day and season of the year.
• Assist resident in caring for and securing personal articles, labeling clothing, etc.
• Change bed linen.
• Assist residents with before and after meal routines such as washing face and hands, transporting to and from the dining area or preparing bedside environment for in room dining.
• Provide prompt meal-time assistance (checking diet card for accuracy, position food and utensils for resident convenience, help with cutting foods, buttering bread, pouring liquids, etc.)
• Provide partial or total feeding assistance and encouragement as needed.
• Report appetite changes and request substitutions when necessary.
• Record observations on meal intake records.
• Provide adequate hydration such as passing ice, fresh drinking water, and other fluids.
• Asist resident in all elimination needs (bedpan urinal, commode or bathroom assistance.)
• Participate in the facility incontinence program.
• Perform perineal care after each toileting or episode of incontinence per facility protocol.
• Perform catheter care per facility protocol.
• Record bowel habits and urine outputs as directed.
• Collect specimens as directed.
• Reposition immobile residents at time and in a manner as instructed.
• Assist residents in transferring from bed, chair, wheelchair, toilet, etc. using appropriate equipment and following the principles of proper body mechanics according to the care plan instructions for each resident.
• Assist residents in exercise (active/passive range of motion, ambulation, etc.) as indicated by the supervisor and individualized care plan.
• Help restore independence through teaching and encouragement in ADL skills (eating, dressing, ambulation, toileting, etc.)
• Help prevent complications of decubitus ulcers and contractures by the replacement of positioning aids, protective padding, etc.
• Ability to reasonably conform to all rules and policies of this facility.
• Other duties as assigned.

Completion of an accredited 60-hour certified medication aide course is required.

***ATTENDANCE BONUS***TUITION ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE***

All of your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.