|
N.C.
Nurse Aide I Frequently
Asked Questions for prospective and
practicing Nurse Aide Is and their employers |
N.C. DHHS/Division of Health Service Regulation Health Care Personnel Registry Section Center for Aide Regulation and Education 2709 Staff: 919-855-3969/9 a.m.
- 3 p.m., M-F 24 hour: 919-715-0562 Fax: 919-733-9764 HCPR
website: www.ncnar.org |
1.
What registries are
maintained by the Health Care Personnel Registry (HCPR) Section?
The HCPR Section is responsible for the Nurse
Aide I Registry, N.C. Medication Aide Registry, and the Health Care Personnel
Registry. The Center for Aide
Regulation and Education (CARE) Branch provides regulatory oversight for aide
registry, training and competency, and for providing registry listing
verification to health care employers.
The Investigations Branch is responsible for investigating and listing
allegations and findings on the Health Care Personnel Registry.
Note: The Nurse Aide II Registry is maintained by
the N.C. Board of Nursing, and can be reached by calling 919-782-7499 or online
at www.ncbon.org.
1.
What is the N.C. Nurse
Aide I Registry and who must be listed?
The N.C. Nurse Aide I Registry is a federally
mandated registry that lists all individuals who meet federal and state
training and competency requirements to perform Nurse Aide I activities. Anyone who desires to work as a nurse aide in
a
2.
How does one become
listed on the N.C. Nurse Aide I Registry?
To become a Nurse Aide I, one must successfully
complete a state-approved Nurse Aide I Training Program and the state-approved
Nurse Aide I Competency Evaluation, or for individuals with previous or
equivalent training (such as nursing students, nurse aides from other states,
and nurse aides who have allowed their listings to expire) the state-approved
Nurse Aide I Competency Evaluation.
Licensed nurses may be listed with no additional
training or testing if they are or have been employed in health care during the
past 24 months and have a current, unrestricted license to practice in
3.
How long does it take to
be listed on the Nurse Aide I Registry after completing the exam?
Successful Nurse Aide I candidates (those who
pass both portions of the exam) are typically listed on the registry within two
to four business days after completing the exam. New listings can be verified online and
through the automated Voice Response System after one business day. See question 21 below.
4.
What is the listing
period of a Nurse Aide I (how long is the listing valid)?
A Nurse Aide I listing is valid for a 24-month
period only. The 24-month listing period
begins when the individual passes the state-approved competency evaluation, and
can be reinstated based on reported qualified employment dates. See questions 7 through 9 below.
5.
How is the Nurse Aide I
listing expiration date calculated?
Initially, Nurse Aide I listings expire 24 months
after the date the aide passes competency evaluation. Exams taken by
6.
How does a Nurse Aide I
renew listing?
Nurse Aide I listings are renewed based on
qualified work (see questions 8 and 9 below) performed by the Nurse Aide I
during each 24-month listing period.
Approximately 2 to 3 months before the expiration date, eligible aides
are automatically mailed a renewal application and instructions for reporting
their qualified employment to the registry.
To avoid a lapse in listing, the Nurse Aide I is
responsible for 1) ensuring that his or her employment will meet the renewal
criteria during each listing period, 2) reporting name/address changes to the
registry, 3) knowing when his or her listing will expire, and 4) ensuring
that the completed renewal application is returned to the registry before the
listing expires, even if the automatic mailing is not received*. To allow time for processing, it is
recommended that the renewal application be returned at least 4 to 6 weeks
before the listing expires.
Level I nurse aides who perform no qualified work
during a 24-month period must complete a new state-approved Nurse Aide I
Training Program and the state-approved Competency Evaluation Program or the
state-approved Nurse Aide I Competency Evaluation Program to be relisted.
*If the automatic mailing is not received at
least two months prior to expiration, the Nurse Aide I should contact the
registry to request an application form be mailed to them. (A request for
mailing can be obtained from the website and faxed or mailed to the registry.)
7.
What is qualified work
for the Nurse Aide I renewal?
Qualified work for a Nurse Aide I is employment
that meets ALL FOUR (4) of the following criteria:
1) The employment must be for monetary compensation
2) The employment must be as either:
a) a nurse aide, performing direct patient care OR
b) an RN-supervised medication aide, performing medication
administration tasks
3) The work must be delegated and supervised by a registered nurse
4) Total time worked during the aide’s 24-month listing period equals
8 hours or more
8.
What is not qualified
work for Nurse Aide I renewal?
The following types of work cannot be
considered for Nurse Aide I listing renewal:
a.
Work that is not delegated and supervised by an RN
b.
Less than 8 hours of cumulative qualified employment during the
listing period
c.
Employment dates on which the aide did not actually work, even if
on payroll (e.g., on medical leave)
d.
Volunteer work - work with no monetary compensation
e.
Sitter work
f.
Periods of orientation where no direct patient care or medication
administration tasks are performed
g.
Work that the RN supervisor cannot support with written documentation
or facility records, or by personal supervision on (and thereby knowledge of)
the employment date.
h.
Work that is not within the scope of a Nurse Aide I or Medication
Aide
9.
Does the state charge a
listing or renewal fee?
No.
10.
Is a notification sent
once the Nurse Aide I renewal is complete?
Renewed listing expiration dates are added each
business day at www.ncnar.org and at 919‑715‑0562. Aides and facilities may register online to
receive a courtesy email notification to alert when the registry has received a
renewal form and also when a listing expiration date has been changed. (To register, visit www.ncnar.org, click on Verify Listings, and
enter your email address and the social security number for which you wish to
receive notification, then click submit.
The registration will be valid for 12 months.) It is important to complete this registration
before submitting the renewal application to the registry to receive
notification. Note: The registry does
not guarantee delivery of email. No
other notifications are sent verifying the renewal.
11.
Why wasn’t my listing
expiration date extended for two more years upon renewal?
See question 6 above for an explanation of how
expiration dates are calculated. The
reported qualified employment date on the Nurse Aide I renewal application,
determines the date on which the next 24-month listing period starts. The new listing period does not start on the
last expiration date. If the employment
date is prior to November 2005, the new expiration date will be calculated 24
months out from the exact day. An
8-hour qualified employment date occurring in November 2005 or later qualifies
as employment held during the entire month, and the 24-month period is extended
24 months out to the end of the month.
12.
How does a Nurse Aide I
report changes (name, address, etc.) to the registry?
Address and phone number changes may be made
either in writing or by phone during registry office hours, which are
Name change requests must be submitted in writing
and must include:
1) a copy of the official court document*
(e.g., state-issued marriage license, state-issued birth certificate, divorce
decree stating the resumption of a prior name, etc.) that demonstrates the name
change or correction, AND
2) a copy of the signed social security card*,
with the new name on it. For
convenience, a change of address or name form may be obtained at www.ncnar.org.
*Please do not send original documents through
the mail. Copies are sufficient. All copies provided to the registry must be
made from official and legal documents; documents may be subject to
verification with the issuing source.
13.
Where are state-approved
Nurse Aide I Training Programs taught?
State-approved Nurse Aide I Training Programs (75
hours or longer) are offered at most community colleges and at various nursing
homes, hospitals, home care agencies, and private companies. For
assistance locating state-approved Nurse Aide I Training Programs in your area,
visit www.ncnar.org,
or contact registry staff. Since
admission policies and class schedules vary, individuals should contact the
Program Coordinator at an approved location for information specific to that
site.
Note: Some community colleges offer Nurse
Aide I refresher courses, as well as Nurse Aide I transition courses for EMTs,
paramedics, surgical technicians and medical office assistants. While
these are not considered state-approved Nurse Aide I Training Programs, they
were designed to prepare individuals with prior training for competency. Contact your local community college for
information.
14.
Is completion of a
state-approved Nurse Aide I Training Program required?
No. However, training is
recommended for anyone seeking listing as a Nurse Aide I and prior to
attempting competency evaluation.
Nursing students, nurse aides from other states, and nurse aides who
have allowed their listings to expire may wish to attempt the state-approved
Competency Evaluation Program without taking any additional training. Completion of a state-approved Nurse Aide I
Training Program is required if an individual fails three consecutive
competency examination attempts.
15.
Is it important for a
test candidate to indicate completion of a state-approved Nurse Aide I Training
Program on the application for competency evaluation?
Yes. For
example, training verification may be requested by other state registries for
nurse aides seeking reciprocity from
16.
Where and how does one
apply for the state-approved N.C. Nurse Aide I Competency Evaluation?
Pearson Vue is the state-approved vendor for
North Carolina Nurse Aide I Competency Evaluations. The Nurse Aide
Competency Evaluation Service (NACES) works with Pearson Vue to schedule and
administer the examinations. Approved training programs may assist their
students with exam scheduling.
Individuals who wish to schedule an exam may obtain a candidate
handbook, application and test schedules at www.pearsonvue.com (Test Taker Information, North
Carolina Nurse Aide I & Medication Aide), or by calling NACES at 1‑888‑282‑6904.
17.
When is retraining or retesting required for
the Nurse Aide I?
Level I nurse aides who do not hold qualified
employment (see questions 8 and 9 above) for at least 8 hours in a 24‑consecutive-month
period (two full years) must complete either a new state-approved Nurse Aide I
Training and the state-approved Nurse Aide I Competency Evaluation Program or
the state-approved Nurse Aide I Competency Evaluation Program to be relisted.
18.
What is the Health Care
Personnel Registry?
The
Health Care Personnel Registry is a state-mandated registry (NC G.S. 131E-256;
10 NCAC13O) that contains the names of health care personnel who have pending
investigations of allegations or substantiated Findings by the department of
resident abuse, resident neglect, misappropriation of resident or facility
property, fraud against a resident or facility, or diversion of drugs belonging to a resident or
facility. The Health Care Personnel
Registry includes all of the Findings contained in the Nurse Aide I Registry
(resident abuse, resident neglect, or misappropriation of the property of a
resident in a nursing facility by a nurse aide) under NC G.S. 131E‑255. Before hiring health care personnel into a
health care facility or service, health care facility employers as defined in
NC G.S. 131E‑256(b) must access the Health Care Personnel Registry and
note each incident of access in their business files.
A listing on the Health Care Personnel Registry
does not indicate completion of any type of training or competency evaluation. A listing on the Health Care Personnel
Registry only indicates that the individual is either under investigation or
has had a substantiated Finding placed on the registry as noted above.
Nurse aides who have substantiated Findings of
resident abuse, resident neglect, or misappropriation of resident property in a
nursing home listed against them on the North Carolina Nurse Aide Registry (or
on any state’s Nurse Aide Registry) are prohibited from working in a nursing
facility [42 U.S.C. Section 1395i-3(g)(1)(C); 42 U.S.C. Section 1396r(g)(1)(C);
42 CFR 483.13 (c)(1)(ii)(B)].
Additionally, medication aides who have any type of substantiated
Finding listed on the Health Care Personnel Registry are prohibited from working
in a nursing facility per NC G.S. 131E-270(C).
Employment prohibitions unique to other health care employers may also
apply. Health care employers needing
guidance on prohibitions specific to them can contact their respective survey
or licensure section within the Division of Health Service Regulation or other
appropriate regulatory agency.
19.
What is the N.C. Medication Aide Registry and
how can I obtain additional information?
The N.C. Medication Aide Registry contains the
names of all health care personnel in North Carolina who have successfully
completed a medication aide training program approved by the North Carolina
Board of Nursing and have passed the state-approved Medication Aide Competency
Exam administered through Pearson Vue.
To work in a skilled nursing home as a medication aide, an individual
must be listed on the N.C. Medication Aide Registry. Note: The N.C. Medication Aide Registry
does not include listings for Medication Aides who work in Adult Care Homes. Further information can be obtained at www.ncnar.org.
20.
How can employers access
the N.C. Nurse Aide I Registry, N.C. Medication Aide Registry, or the N.C.
Health Care Personnel Registry for listing verification?
Registry access is provided 24 hours/day at www.ncnar.org and at 919-715-0562.
Staff-assisted verifications are available at 919-855-3969, weekdays from
To obtain listing verification, an individual’s
social security number is required. No other
number can be used to obtain verification.
TAX ID NUMBERS ARE NOT VALID FOR USE WITH THESE SYSTEMS.
Listing verification through any of these methods
will include information from the N.C. Nurse Aide I Registry, N.C. Medication
Aide Registry*, and the N.C. Health Care Personnel Registry. Printed listing verifications are available
only through the website.
Updates to the registries appear on the Voice
Response and website after one business day.
*Important:
The North Carolina Medication Aide Registry verification provided by these
verification systems does not apply to Medication Aides working in Adult Care
Homes. Employers of Medication Aides working in Adult Care Homes must verify
listing by calling (919) 733-7615.
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