如何成为一个
生活辅助护士

Assisted living is one of the long-term care options for elderly individuals 和 those with disabilities. 对许多老年人来说, assisted living communities can help with the transition to a new phase of life, one in which they need more assistance with daily activities 和 management of their personal health.

在辅助生活社区, nurses 和 other healthcare professionals provide 24-hour supervision 和 a variety of personal care 和 health services for residents. 随着对长期医疗保健服务需求的增加, many assisting living providers are dealing with workforce shortages, 尤其是注册护士的角色.

如果你对长期护理工作感兴趣的话, 你可能会考虑从事辅助生活工作. 这里是你需要知道的关于这种增长 护理专业:

谁可以在辅助生活中工作?

有 护士的种类很多 谁可以在辅助生活环境中工作，包括 注册护士(RNs), 持牌执业护士, certified nursing assistants (CNAs) 和 even nurse practitioners (NPs).

Some assisted living communities might serve residents with specific medical conditions, such as 阿尔茨海默氏症或痴呆症. 结果是, nurses who work in a long-term care setting might choose to specialize in a particular area of care, 比如老年护理或疼痛管理.

生活辅助护士的职责是什么?

Assisted living communities do not provide the same level of skilled nursing care as a nursing home or hospital. In an assisted living setting, nurses typically help residents with daily activities, such as:

• 个人护理. A nurse or CNA can help disabled or physically impaired residents with daily needs such as bathing or dressing.
• 药物管理. 护士可以帮助住院医生监测和控制他们的疼痛程度. 他们也可以协助药物管理, or supervise residents to ensure they take their medications as prescribed.
• 记忆保健. Nurses may provide individualized care for residents with Alzheimer’s, 痴呆, 或相关疾病. 这可能包括疼痛管理和精神护理, as well as general assistance during meals 和 social activities.
• 锻炼和整体健康. A nurse might help residents create a wellness program to maintain or improve their health or mobility. They may also assist residents with physical therapy or rehabilitation exercises, 这是理疗师的处方.
• 与家庭成员通信. Nurses may also regularly correspond with a resident’s family members. They help the family underst和 their loved one’s evolving needs 和 level of care 和 keep them informed in the event of any emergencies.

在辅助生活中工作需要哪些技能?

软技能, 比如批判性思维和沟通能力, 是你在长期护理环境中取得成功的关键吗.

“Our nurses need to be exceptional communicators 和 emotionally intelligent, as they often have to have difficult conversations with residents 和 their families,Pam Klein说。, Fresh Coast Partners的联合创始人, 他是基诺沙社区的辅助生活提供者, 威斯康辛州. “软件下载也在寻找能解决问题的人. We have to be able to pivot to a new approach when current strategies are not working.”

耐心和同情心也很重要. 一些病人可能正在处理 慢性疼痛 或痴呆症或阿尔茨海默氏症等疾病, 而且可能容易易怒, 结果是焦虑和抑郁. Nurses can help minimize these negative experiences for their patients by remaining calm in difficult situations 和 underst和ing the daily challenges their patients are facing.

辅助生活有发展的机会吗?

是的. 随着越来越多的新护士加入工作队伍, experienced nurses will have the opportunity to move into specialized roles 和 领导职位.

“There will certainly be a growing need for leaders in the healthcare industry, 特别是在辅助生活领域,克莱因说. “Nurses can play important roles as leaders 和 can benefit from further education to help them hone those skills.”

Graduate degree programs can help nurses exp和 their careers into advanced practice nursing, 护士教育与护士管理. Herzing大学提供三种 硕士学位途径，还有两个 邮政硕士证书选项 为那些想把自己的职业生涯提升到一个新的水平的护士.

我该如何为从事辅助生活事业做准备?

一般来说，注册护士有 护理学理学士 will have better job prospects than those without one, according to the 劳工统计局. A h和s-on BSN program that exposes you to a range of clinical settings can help you determine if assisted living is the right nursing environment for you.

Herzing大学 alum Kim Bonn honed her clinical skills in geriatric 和 community health nursing through clinical rotations at the Milwaukee VA Center 和 Horizon Hospice in Menominee Falls, 威斯康辛州. 通过这些经历, she developed a passion for working with seniors 和 learned valuable skills that would prepare her for a career in long-term care.

“My courses 和 clinical experience helped me develop the critical thinking skills that allowed me to be successful,波恩说. “I’ve been able to take on new responsibilities 和 become more autonomous in my current role, 那是因为我得到了住院医生的信任.”