The commission may approve alternative programs for individuals credentialed as home care aides-certified to successfully complete in order to qualify to take the nursing assistant-certified competency evaluation.
(1) An alternative program shall:
(b) Have a competency based curriculum composed of learning objectives and activities. The curriculum content shall include:
(i) Measuring vital signs, height and weight, fluid and food input and output.
(ii) Developmental tasks associated with developmental and age specific processes.
(iii) Use and care of prosthetic devices.
(iv) Provision of adequate ventilation, warmth, light, and quiet for the client.
(v) Principles of good body mechanics for self and clients to lift and move clients or heavy items.
(vi) Achieving competence in reading, writing, speaking and understanding English at the level necessary to:
(A) Use terminology accepted in health care settings.
(B) Accurately record and report observations, actions and information in a timely manner.
(vii) The scope of practice of nursing assistant-certified.
(viii) The workers right to know law.
(ix) The Uniform Disciplinary Act, including RCW
18.130.180.
(c) Have a program director:
(i) Who is currently licensed as a registered nurse (RN) in good standing in the state of Washington and has a minimum of three years of experience as an RN with at least one year of experience in direct patient care; and
(ii) Who has successfully completed a training course on adult instruction or can demonstrate that he or she has one year experience teaching adults, unless the program director works exclusively in a secondary educational setting.
(A) The training course on adult instruction must provide instruction in understanding the adult learner, techniques for teaching adults, classroom methods for teaching adults and audio-visual techniques for teaching adults.
(B) Acceptable experience does not include in-service education or patient teaching.
(iii) Who has a minimum of one year experience within the past three years in caring for the elderly or chronically ill of any age or both if also acting as an instructor.
(2) The program director may select instructional staff to assist in the teaching of the course. Instructional staff must meet the following requirements:
(a) Hold a current Washington state license to practice as a registered or licensed practical nurse in good standing; and
(b) Have a minimum of one year experience within the past three years in caring for the elderly or chronically ill of any age.
(3) Instructional staff may assist the program director in development of curricula, teaching modalities, and evaluation. The instructor must be under the supervision of the program director at all times.
(4) A guest lecturer or individual with expertise in a specific course unit may be used in the classroom setting for teaching without commission approval, following the program director's review of the currency of content. The guest lecturer, where applicable, must hold a license, certificate or registration in good standing in their field of expertise.