What is the primary role of a nursing assistant in long-term care?

The primary role of a nursing assistant in long-term care is to provide personal care and assistance with daily living activities for residents. This encompasses a variety of tasks aimed at supporting residents' basic needs, which include helping with bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, and eating. Nursing assistants play an essential role in fostering the health, dignity, and well-being of residents, many of whom may have physical or cognitive limitations that hinder their ability to perform these tasks independently.

While medication administration, management of prescriptions, and scheduling recreational activities are important functions within the healthcare team, these duties typically fall outside the direct responsibilities of nursing assistants. Medication administration is typically handled by licensed nurses, who are trained to understand the complexities of pharmacology and patient care. Similarly, managing medications involves a level of oversight not typically within the nursing assistant role. Conducting recreational activities may be supervised by a recreational therapist or activities director, rather than the nursing assistant, whose focus remains primarily on personal care. By providing essential daily support, nursing assistants help ensure a higher quality of life for residents in long-term care settings.