Wherever there is a need for personal care, nursing assistants (NA), or nurses’ aides, are there. Nursing assistants work in nursing homes, home care, assisted living, hospice, hospitals, community based long-term care, correctional institutions, and other long-term care settings.

Nursing assistants help patients of all ages perform the most basic daily tasks. They work under a licensed nurse’s supervision. Because they have extensive daily contact with patients, nursing assistants play a key role in the lives of their patients and in keeping the nurse up to date on vital information about the patients’ conditions.

DNIAH Philosophy of Nurse Assistant Education

The philosophy of the Nurse Assistant education program flows from the mission of the institution to provide the opportunity for individuals to learn and use nursing knowledge and skills which allows them to become valued licensed members of the healthcare team. The curriculum is designed to integrate the art and science of nursing as nursing assistant assist individuals to attain, maintain and retain wellness. Inherent in this belief are the following concepts:

Nursing Assistant: applies the art and science requiring the treatment of human response to actual or potential health problems. Nursing involves a holistic, goal-oriented approach by responding to economic, social and other environmental influences. The nurse is an integral part the health care team. The Nursing Assistant functions in this role, utilizing the nursing process under the direction and guidance of the licensed practical and registered nurse. They consider the basic nursing care needs of individuals experiencing well-defined acute and long-term physical and mental health problems or illnesses.

Humans: are individuals who exist in society and are diverse, complex beings, each having physiological, psychological, socio-cultural and spiritual needs.

Health: is a dynamic state of being viewed holistically and promoted through understanding, caring, adaptive coping, and appropriate system/illness management.

Environment: is comprised of dynamic surroundings in which humans exist. Environments consist of family, social and work groups as well as members of the global community. The environment includes those forces, internal and external, which may have a positive or negative influence on individuals and their state of health.

Teaching/Learning Process: is a planned process of interaction that promotes behavioral changes and facilities growth and development. It is essentially an interactive process between teacher and student.  A variety of teaching strategies are employed to maximize learning as contemporary technology is incorporated. The faculty is responsible for designing learning experiences that promote current/competent nursing practices based on evidenced based practices within the curriculum. Each student has the right to an educational climate that will enhance his/her ability to learn. Students also have the responsibility and accountability for participating in the process by using learned information as a basis to expand their individual knowledge and skills while improving their aptitude.

Organizing Framework:

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Basic Needs serves as the basis for the organizing framework as the faculty believes that health occurs on a continuum from wellness to illness with humans constantly striving to attain and maintain health. The curriculum design progresses from basic to complex and guides the learner to build on prior course, material, skills, and experience. This framework provides the foundation upon which students will care for individuals of all ages, in a variety of settings, across the lifespan.