Training Laboratory
The HOE/AHSII nurse aide training laboratory must be dedicated space set up similar to a resident’s room, complete with equipment and supplies normally found in a resident’s room, as well as those items needed for skills instruction, practice and return
demonstration. This simulated resident unit must contain a minimum of 100 square feet for one bed or a minimum of 80 square feet for each bed for two or more beds per federal regulations. Below is an example of an 80 square foot patient unit. It is highly recommended that square footage beyond the minimum be dedicated to enhance teaching and learning.
The average size for basic furniture found in a resident care unit is as follows.
Hospital Bed: 7 feet long, 3 feet 5 inches wide Over bed Table: 30 inches long, 16 inches wide
Wheelchair or some other type of patient chair: 25 inches wide, depth 25 inches plus leg room for lounge chairs or wheelchair legs when raised.
Bedside Cabinet: 1 foot 8 inches long, 1 foot 8 inches wide Curtains
Each bed must have ceiling suspended curtains which extend around the bed to provide total visual privacy in combination with adjacent walls and curtains. Example, if a bed is in the corner of a room, curtains will be needed only on two sides as existing walls provide the visual privacy needed on the other two sides. If the head of the bed is at the wall and the bed is not in a corner, curtains would be needed on three sides to provide total visual privacy. It is acceptable to suspend curtains from a wall mounted device as long as the curtain is freely movable as though it was suspended from the ceiling. The curtains should be over five feet in height to prevent visualization of the patient. Screens may not be substituted for suspended curtains.
Hospital Bed
Each hospital bed that is considered a part of a resident care unit must be fully functional.
It does not matter if the bed is electric or manual but it must be functional and safe with appropriate bedding and comfortable mattress. The bed must have side rails that work.
The bed height must be able to be raised and lowered. The head of the bed and the knees must be able to be raised and lowered. The bed must have functional bed locks that can be locked and released.
Patient Closet Space
In a real resident care unit, the patient must be provided with clothes racks and shelves accessible to the resident. There must be some storage space in the training laboratory that simulates this patient storage space.
Toilet and Bathing facilities
Each resident room must be equipped with or located near toilet and bathing facilities. A bedside commode labeled “toilet” may be substituted for a flushable toilet in the training lab. A simulated shower should be constructed from PVC pipes or by other creative means.
Samples of simulated Showers:
Debbie Sousa, RN – North Rowan
Regina Alford, RN – Watauga HS Elizabeth Ingle – Clyde Erwin
Resident Call System
The nurse’s station must be equipped to receive resident calls through a communication system. In the training laboratory, each bed must have a “signal or call bell” but it does NOT have to function. Any close simulation may be used but students must understand that the simulated device represents a “signal or call bell.” An old computer mouse makes a good “signal or call bell.”
Sink
The training laboratory must have at least one sink equipped with hot and cold running water, soap, paper towels, and a trash can. The sink needs to be IN the room where the simulated resident unit is located.
Equipment and Supplies
Other equipment and supplies required by NC DHSR/CARE (listed in the nurse aide handbook 2009-2010) should have a storage space where equipment/supplies can be easily organized, accessible, kept clean, and safe. Consumable items should be reordered as needed to assure availability for student learning.
Nurse Aide Classroom
Classroom space should be dedicated space and not shared with laboratory space.
Valuable teaching time is wasted in transforming a classroom setting into laboratory space!
The classroom space should have tables and chairs or desks to accommodate learners comfortably, include adequate lighting, and provide an atmosphere conducive to full student participatory learning and testing. The classroom should contain a chalk/dry erase board, smart board, or some other technological equipment that can be used to present information to a whole class. The classroom should contain reference materials for instruction and student use.
1-22-2009 awm, revised 6-2-2010
Functional hospital bed with rails
Over bed table 1 per bed
Bedside stand 1 per bed
Bedside chair / may use a standard straight back chair 1 per bed 1 per bed
1 per bed
1 per lab
Paper towel dispender/soap 1 per sink
IV pole with IV bag/tubing 1 per bed
Bedside commode 1 per bed
Bottom sheet / flat or fitted 6 per bed
Top sheet 6 per bed
Blankets for warmth 2 per bed
Bedspreads 2 per bed
5 per bed 1 per bed Incontinence pads / disposable pads or reusable fabric 6 per bed
Paper cups as needed
Toothpaste 1 per bed
Tongue blade 1 per student
Toothbrush 1 per student
Tissues 1 box per bed
Straws 1 box per bed
Dental floss 1 yard per student
Dentures 1 denture plate per bed
Denture cup 1 per bed
Denture cleaning tablets 1 box per bed
Mouthwash 1 bottle per bed
Prepared swabs/toothettes 2 per student
Water soluble lubricant
Call signal / does not have to function / computer mouse works
disposable packets as needed Students may bring toothpaste, toothbrushes, and dental floss from home for instruction on mouth care and mass practice. However, these items must be available in the lab for distributed practice.
Oral Care Supplies
Sink with hot and cold running water. The sink needs to be IN the room where the simulated resident unit is located.
Pillows / two for head of bed and three for patient positioning Laundry bag or container / this may be a plastic trash that is labeled "Dirty Laundry"