Auxiliar de enfermería restauradora

Working Schedule
Restorative Nursing Assistants may work part-time or full-time. Shifts may include nights, weekends, or holidays.

Typical Duties
“An RNA is an advanced CNA [Certified Nursing Assistant],” writes Indeed. Thus there can be some overlap of duties between the two professions, depending on the setting and situation.

• Assist with therapeutic range-of-motion exercises, ambulation training, and other activities prescribed by physical or occupational therapists
• Support patients with personal hygiene (i.e., bathing, grooming, using the toilet) and dressing as they work toward independence and rehabilitation goals
• Serve meals and help patients eat, paying attention to the dietary needs of their care plan
• Help patients transfer between beds and wheelchairs. Assist with walking and repositioning for comfort and therapeutic benefit
• Monitor, record, and track patients’ progress in activities and exercises, noting changes in abilities or conditions
• Report any patient condition changes to the supervising nurse for appropriate action
• Provide companionship, support, and encouragement to patients working on restorative activities
• Document responses to restorative treatments, exercise progress, and health concerns
• Ensure effective communication between patients and healthcare professionals, including physical and occupational therapists, to ensure a cohesive approach to care
• Advocate for patient needs and preferences
• Suggest resources to learn more about nutrition and safety so patients can live healthier lives after being discharged
• If trained and authorized, RNAs may also: 

1. Ayudar con procedimientos médicos no invasivos, como vendar heridas.
2. Remind patients to take prescribed medications 
3. Assist with the collection of urine or stool samples 
4. Transporte de pacientes a las citas

Responsabilidades adicionales

• Assist with training new RNAs, sharing knowledge and techniques specific to restorative care
• Help set up and maintain equipment used for restorative exercises and activities
• Participate in interdisciplinary team meetings to discuss and plan patient care
• Ayudar con la lavandería, los recados y la programación de citas.
• Ayuda para dar de alta a los pacientes 

Habilidades sociales

• Trato en la cama
• Compasión
• Compostura
• Fiabilidad
• Orientación al detalle
• Resiliencia emocional 
• Empatía
• Integridad 
• Habilidades interpersonales 
• Observador
• Paciencia
• Resistencia física
• Creación de relaciones
• Fiabilidad
• Seguridad 
• Buen juicio 
• Gran capacidad de comunicación
• Trabajo en equipo y colaboración

Competencias técnicas

• Knowledge of rehabilitation and restorative care techniques (i.e., exercises, mobility assistance, cognitive activities, etc.)
• Understanding how to encourage independence during rehabilitation
• Familiarity with hygiene, sterilization practices, and infection control in rehabilitation or long-term care settings
• Proficiency in using/maintaining equipment for restorative care
• Expertise in documenting and maintaining patient records 
• Knowledge of common medical conditions in long-term care/rehabilitation settings
• Understanding the roles of rehabilitation professionals such as physical and occupational therapists

• Acute care hospitals
• Centros de Alzheimer
• Centros de vida asistida
• Centros comunitarios de día para adultos
• Comunidades de jubilados
• Agencias sanitarias gubernamentales y comunitarias
• Centros de cuidados paliativos
• Unidades de rehabilitación hospitalaria
• Centros de cuidados (centros de enfermería especializada)    
• Residencias de ancianos y centros de cuidados de larga duración
• Centros ambulatorios
• Centros de rehabilitación
• Specialized care facilities
• Therapy departments

Restorative Nursing Assistants play a crucial role in the rehabilitation and ongoing care of patients facing challenges due to age, disability, or chronic conditions. RNAs help implement and monitor tailored restorative care plans, sometimes for multiple patients each day. This requires excellent organizational and prioritization skills, along with diligent record-keeping.

Assisting patients with mobility and therapeutic exercises can be physically demanding. Meanwhile, daily interactions with recovering or ill patients can be stressful and emotionally taxing at times. Thus, resilience, patience, and empathy are always necessary.

RNAs frequently work night, weekend, and holiday shifts, requiring adaptability and a flexible schedule. They must also find time to decompress and manage appropriate self-care to maintain their own mental and physical well-being and avoid burnout.

The healthcare sector, especially in long-term and rehabilitative care, is facing a shortage of trained professionals—including RNAs. This is partially due to America’s aging population living longer and thus needing more years of specialized care.

The shortage is exacerbated by millions of nurses retiring or preparing to retire, creating a shortage of teaching staff to train their own replacements. As a result, RNA training program applicants should be persistent and keep applying to programs if they happen to get turned down at first.

Online educational programs are doing their part to make learning more flexible and reduce barriers to accessible training. In the meantime, the rising workload is stretching the current nursing workforce thin, raising the importance of self-care to prevent fatigue, stress, or burnout. 

RNAs may have always been interested in physical activities and wanted to teach others about the long-term health benefits of exercise. In their younger years, they could have assisted loved ones who needed help due to age, injury, or illness. RNAs usually have a strong desire to make a difference in the lives of others, and the ability to motivate patients to stick with their care plans and overcome obstacles.