What is the role of unlicensed staff who support nursing care tasks?

The role of unlicensed assistive personnel (AP) is to support nursing care tasks by performing specific activities that fall within the framework of nursing care but do not require the level of training or licensure that nurses possess. This includes tasks such as bathing, grooming, feeding, and helping patients with activities of daily living.

Unlicensed assistive personnel work under the supervision of a registered nurse or licensed practical/vocational nurse, allowing for efficient care delivery and enabling licensed staff to focus on more complex clinical duties. Their contributions are essential, as they help enhance patient comfort, support recovery processes, and ensure that nursing staff can manage a larger patient load effectively.

In contrast, registered nurses have a broader scope of practice that includes assessing patients, developing care plans, and administering medications, while licensed practical/vocational nurses are also licensed and take on more responsibilities than unlicensed personnel. Case managers play a role in coordinating patient care and navigating health care systems, but they do not primarily engage in direct patient care tasks like unlicensed assistive personnel do.