Admission, Discharge, Surgical and Postmortem Care

Admission and Room Transfer Procedures

A smooth admission sets a welcoming tone for a resident's stay. The nurse aide prepares the resident room before arrival by ensuring clean linens, supplies, and admission equipment are ready. When the resident arrives, the aide warmly welcomes the new resident and family and introduces themselves. The aide then demonstrates how to use the call light system and places it within the resident's reach to ensure immediate safety.

Orientation helps ease anxiety in a new setting. The nurse aide orients the resident to the room, bathroom, dining area, and facility routine. As directed by the nurse, the nurse aide measures and records admission vital signs, height, and weight. While assisting with admission care, the aide notes visible redness or skin breaks and promptly reports them to the nurse. The aide also observes and reports how the resident moves, responds, and behaves.

Managing personal possessions is another vital admission duty. The nurse aide assists the resident with unpacking and completing a personal belongings inventory. To prevent loss, the aide ensures personal items such as dentures, glasses, and clothing are properly labeled with the resident's name.

When a resident must change rooms, similar care is required. The nurse aide assists with transferring a resident to a new room by gathering and safely packing all personal belongings. Before completing the transfer, the aide checks the resident's belongings against the personal inventory list. The aide helps transport the resident using a wheelchair or stretcher as directed by the nurse and according to facility policy. Finally, the aide helps orient the transferred resident to the new room and staff, introducing roommates when appropriate and with their consent.