Certified Medication Assistant

1
Certified Medication Assistant

• Starting a Program
• Pamela K. Randolph RN MS
• Associate Director Education and EBR
• Arizona State Board of Nursing

2
Objectives

• Identify qualifications of students, facilities,
  and faculty eligible to participate in CMA
  education
• List CMA course requirements
• Explicate the steps involved in starting a CMA
  program
• Discuss the importance of a culture of safety
  when implementing the CMA role

3
Eligible Providers

• Accredited by the Private Post Secondary
  Boardpost-secondary institution
• Regionally or nationally accredited
  post-secondary institution
• Licensed long-term care facility

4
Faculty qualifications

• Must be RN with
• Unrestricted license and
• At least 40 hours of experience administering
  medications to long-term residents

5
Student qualifications

• Students must
• Have completed High School
• Demonstrate English language proficiency if
  educated in foreign country
• Be 18 years or older
• Be a CNA in good standing and
• Have worked as a CNA for at least 6 months
• Demonstrated ability in math and reading
  comprehension

6
Program Completion

• Either Complete
• Approved AZ CMA program
• Equivalent CMA program in another state
• Equivalent portion of RN or LPN program
• Successfully pass a 45 hours pharmacology course
• 40 hours of medication administration in a
  licensed long term care facility
• Successfully completed a nursing clinical course

7
Testing

• Pass written and manual skills test administered
  by D and S technologies

8
Curriculum

• 100 hours
• 45 hours theory
• 15 hours skill practice
• 4 unit tests plus a comprehensive final
• 75 on each test and 80 on final
• 40 hours of progressive clinical practice
• 11 for first 12 hours with instructor
• 13 for next 12 hours
• 16 hours under general supervision of instructor
  at 15 ratio or less

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Course GuideBoard provided

• General Policies provided
• Medication administration protocols provided
• Objectives and content provided

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Steps to Success

• Decision to providefeasibility safety
• PartnersCommunity college/facility outside
  entity
• Secure qualified instructor
• Facility contract
• Extra instructors at facility to help with
  clinical
• Review guidelines and curriculum
• Select text and other resources
• Determine appropriate reading for each unit
• Prepare didactic sessions
• Develop item pool for examskeep secure

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Steps to Success--Continued

• Develop course policies
• Set tuitionfinancial policies
• Select screening tool and passing standardTABE
  is used at community collegespartnership could
  be developed for centralized screening
• Submit course application to State Board of
  Nursing

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Questions ?

• PSMT sites must re-apply to be a CMA siteMay
  finish any training in progress
• Suggested textbooks in course guidelines

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Safety

• It is not a question of is the CMA safe
• It is a question of under what conditions can a
  licensed nurse safely delegate to a CMA?

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Conditions

• Culture of the organization
• Is safety a priority?
• How do you currently ensure that residents are
  administered medications safely?
• How rapid is the response from your pharmacy?
• How involved will licensed nurses be in the
  oversight of medication administration?
• Is efficiency prized above safety?

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Oversight

• All medications must be delegated by licensed
  nurse
• Cannot delegate
• PRNs except OTC analgesics/bowel meds at the
  direction of the nurse following assessment
• The first dose of a new med or if a currrent med
  has changed the dose
• Parenteral medications including patches and
  sublingual medications
• Medications inserted into G or NG tubes
• Oxygen/inhalant medications
• Any medication that requires mathematic
  conversion between dosage systems
• Where delegation would pose a risk

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Delegating Nurse

• Must be made aware of
• Omitted medications that are not available from
  pharmacy
• Refused medications
• Crushing of tablets (must approve)
• Requests for PRNs and document an assessment and
  evaluation of response

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Summary

• Course, instructor and student requirements are
  prescribed in statute
• Programs must test prospective students and
  develop assignments/tests related to curriculum
• A culture of safety in the institution will
  protect residents/nurses/ and CMAs

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Contact

• Pamela Randolph
• Associate Director Education and Evidence-based
  Regulation
• prandolph_at_azbn.gov
• 602-771-7803