Medication Aide

Course Overview

Questions

If you have questions about the medication aide online training program, please contact us.

Email: averasolutions@avera.org
Phone: 605-668-8475
Business Hours
Mon.– Fri. 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Annual Review

The SD Medication Administration Annual Review DVD can purchased. Call 605-668-8475 for details.

This course is designed to prepare an Unlicensed Medication Assistant (UMA) for employment and to meet the qualifications for administering medication in approved health care facilities in South Dakota.

Program Design

  • Educate Med Aides to understand their role in the nursing process, including appropriate acceptance of delegated tasks with legal and ethical implications.
  • Help Med Aides expand their skills with interpersonal interactions and assist them in ensuring patient/resident rights are met.
  • Provide Med Aide training regarding body structure, function, and life span considerations.
  • Instruct Med Aides in basic pharmacology, medication administration, as well as safety and infection control while administering authorized medications.
  • Instruct Med Aides in basic pharmacology, medication administration, as well as safety and infection control while administering authorized medications.
  • Provide Med Aides with a variety of learning modes.

Benefits

Benefits

This program addresses the need for employee retention and quality care in addition to preparing the Med Aide to safely and accurately administer medications. The content is designed to comply with federal and state requirements for the role of Med Aide in a variety of health care settings.

For the Student/Employee

  • Reduce stress— use techniques that enhance positive interactions in the workplace while providing students with the skills to ethically and legally manage challenging health care situations
  • Prepare for Medication Administration— through content that incorporates safety as well as infection prevention and control
  • Prepare for the future—present students with the concepts that help bring wisdom and compassion to the workplace

For the Organization

  • Increase retention—educate Med Aides using contemporary teaching/learning methods
  • Increase creativity and innovation—encourage Med Aides to engage in life-long learning
  • Improve service—embed customer service, medication safety, and medication training in all aspects of Med Aide training
  • Improve safety—provide training with safety in medication administration
  • Inspire passion and engagement—personalize the role the nursing assistant plays in caring for patients and residents

Requirements

Required Materials

For this course each student will need the following materials:

  • Textbook: (Anderson, Karen. 2023), Mosby’s Textbook for Medication Assistants, Mosby’s Inc.: Second Edition. ISBN: 9780323790505

  • On-Line access to Avera Med Aide On-Line Training Program© Self-Paced Classroom

  • Med Aide Facility Training Documentation form
  • 1:1 Clinical Skills Checklist
  • On-Line (in program) printable materials, including printable course grades: located under the “forms” tab at www.averasolutions.org or within the program at www.averaeducation.org, at the top of both Units 1 and 2. located on the website.
  • High School Diploma or equivalent documentation submitted to the Facility RN Instructor

Course Requirements

This self-paced On-Line course is divided into 36 learning chapters. Students are guided through the course material via a course Syllabus and On-Line learning prompts. The entire program is progressive; therefore the student must successfully complete each component. The On-line Curriculum Components include: Unit 1 and Unit 2 with narrated activities that follow the corresponding textbook chapters, 12 Module Quizzes, a one-hour On-Line lab and quiz, along with timed, proctored Unit and Final Exams. On-Line activities are to be completed within 90 day of being issued a username and password. (Paid extensions are available.) To complete a 20-Hour Training Program, students then participate in an in-person 3-hour (minimum) lab and 1:1 Skills Performance Evaluation with their facility RN instructor. Independent students complete the in-person 3-hour (minimum) lab and 1:1 Skills Performance Evaluation with the AESS RN instructor.

Facility students must be registered On-Line at www.averasolutions.org to begin the program. The Facility RN Instructor or designee will be responsible for registering their students for this course and maintaining student username and passwords, and a secure Exam code. Independent students register themselves On-Line (or contact AESS) for the course and communicate with AESS to schedule times to take Exams and complete the 3-hour lab and 1:1 Skills Performance Evaluation with the AESS RN instructor.

The On-Line curriculum is located at www.averaeducation.org.

Upon Completion of Each Online Module Quiz

Record On-Line Quiz results for each Module (12) of Unit 1, Unit 2, and the On-Line Lab onto the Avera Med Aide Training Documentation Form. (Quizzes may be repeated until a score of at least 85% is achieved)

NOTE: Unit Exams are time limited, requiring student to complete all questions within the Exam time limitations as follows: Unit 1 Exam = 1.5 hours; Unit 2 Exam = 2 hours; Final Exam 1.75 hours. Students have two attempts per exam to achieve at least 85%. Exams are closed book and proctored.

Step 1

After completing Unit 1 (Text Chapters; On-Line modules 1-4, 6-7, and 9-14; and Quiz - with results of at least 85% on each), the student must complete the On-Line Unit 1 Exam as proctored by the Facility RN Instructor or designee. The Unit 1 Exam may be repeated once after first attempt (the student may review missed questions), to achieve a required score of at least 85%. Facility RN Instructor or designee is responsible for logging in the student to take the exam, using the Exam code (student is NOT to have access to the Exam code at any time). If the retake is unsuccessful the student must restart the program as a new student, submitting new program payment to AESS. Upon successful completion of Unit 1, students may advance to Unit 2. Unit 1 Exam results are to be recorded on the Training Documentation Form. Exam time limitation for Unit 1 is 2.0 hours. All Exam questions must be answered within the required Exam limit time. Exams are closed book

NOTE: All Unit Exams for facility students working at nursing homes, assisted living centers and hospitals (Registered) must be proctored by a SD Board of Nursing approved proctor. To become an approved proctor, visit the SD Board of Nursing website. For "Not-Registered" Med Aides, complete and return the AESS proctor form. Independent students consult AESS for exam scheduling.

Step 2

Once Unit 2 is completed (Text Chapters; On-Line modules 5, 8, and 15-36; and Module Quizzes - with results of at least 85% on each), the student must complete the On-Line Unit 2 Exam as proctored by the Facility RN Instructor or designee. The proctored On-Line Unit 2 Exam and Final Exams may be repeated once after first attempts (the student may review missed questions), to achieve a required score of at least 85%. Facility RN Instructor or designee is responsible for logging in the student to take the exams, using the Exam code (student is NOT to have access to the Exam code at any time). If a retake is unsuccessful the student must restart the program as a new student (starting with Unit 1), submitting new program payment to AESS. Unit 2 and Final Exam results are to be recorded on the Training Documentation form. Exam time limitation for Unit 2 is 2 hours. Time limit for the Final Exam is 1.75 hours. All Exam questions must be answered within the Exam limit time.

Step 3

Print On-Line Completion Certificate. Ensure all Module Quizzes and Exam scores are recorded onto the Training Documentation Form. Quiz and Exam scores are available in the student's On-Line account. Student completes curriculum evaluation On-Line.

Step 4

The student then complete the in-person, 3-hour (minimum) Lab and the 1:1 Skills Performance Evaluation (mock medication pass) with an instructor at a time convenient for the Instructor at the facility. The Facility RN Instructor may choose to complete the 1:1 Skills Performance Evaluation, which can be done by using Lab or clinical methodology. The Instructor is required to document the 1:1 Skills Performance Evaluation using the 1:1 Clinical Skills Checklist, as required and provided by the South Dakota Board of Nursing. If the student does not show competence, the 1:1 Skills Performance Evaluation may be repeated once. If unsuccessful, the student must restart the program as a new student (again starting with Unit 1). Consult AESS on submitting program payment for retakes.

NOTE: All fields of the 1:1 Clinical Skills Checklist must be completed. If the student does not have an opportunity to complete all routes of medication administration in the clinical setting, the student may ‘simulate’ and explain the procedure to the Facility RN Instructor, as in a Laboratory setting.

Step 5

With all documentation submitted and verified, the Facility RN Instructor will issue a certificate of completion. For independent students, the AESS Instructor will issue a certificate of completion.

Steps 6

For those students working in nursing homes, assisted living centers and hospitals, the med aide needs to successfully complete the State Med Aide Registry Computer Exam and be listed on the State Registry before independently administering medications. To register for the exam visit SD Board of Nursing. The SD BON Med Aide Registry Exam may be repeated twice.

Once passed, the student may be placed on the SD BON Registry for Med Aides. To view Exam Content Outline visit SD Board of Nursing.

The SD BON does not charge for the registry exam. If the student wishes to have AESS Proctor the SD BON UMA Exam, there is an associated fee, contact AESS for details. At any time if the student is unsuccessful in passing an Exam or the 1:1 Skills Performance Evaluation, the Training Documentation Form and/or 1:1 Clinical Skills Checklist must be completed and signed/dated and maintained at the facility, per SD Board of Nursing requirement.

For those students not working in nursing homes, assisted living centers and hospitals, the med aide is not required to be registered or to take the SD BON Med Aide Registry Exam. See the visit SD Board of Nursing for details. Consult the BON with questions on requirements for your students.

All med aides must complete an approved 20-hour training program. At a minimum, an RN must re-validate competency of the Med Aide annually. Maintain copies of all training documentation in the student’s personnel file or training file. Maintain an ongoing AESS Enrolled Student Log Form available at the SD BON website. Medication Aide Training Program Requirements including the log form: https://doh.sd.gov/media/4p4hhjqf/matp-program-requirements.pdf

Study

Study

  • Self-paced On-Line Chapters are designed to complement the Textbook: Sorrentino, S. & Remmert, L. 2009), Mosby’s Textbook for Medication Assistants, Mosby: St. Louis, MO.
  • Students must read the textbook chapter and then complete the accompanying selfpaced On-Line Chapter.
  • Study guides for the Exams are available.

Drug Reference

Drug Reference

Copyright

A Word About Copyright

All materials are to be used ONLY by the participants of the Avera Med Aide On-Line Training Solutions© program.

  • The materials and recordings are for educational purposes only. Avera Education & Staffing Solutions and their representatives do not render any legal, medical or professional advice.
  • No portion of this program may be reproduced without prior written permission. This applies to all computer files, documents, and recordings.
  • The accompanying video material is protected by U.S. and international copyright laws. Duplication of video content is illegal. IT MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED in any part without prior written permission. Participating in or allowing duplication is prohibited by law.

The video devices are to be used by the organization which leased or purchased it ONLY. It may not be RESOLD, ALTERED, REVERSE ENGINEERED, LOANED OR RENTED. The video and any On-Line recordings may not be used for broadcast, satellite, cable or closed circuit-television.