Apprentice Nurse Skills List
An Apprentice Nurse is an employee of an agency who is currently enrolled in a prelicensure RN or PN nursing program. The Apprentice Nurse works at a health care facility providing nursing care following a Board-approved skills list (below). As Apprentice Nurses progress through their nursing programs, their ability to perform more of the approved skills increases. The Apprentice Nurse Program offers students the opportunity to practice their clinical skills and to acclimate to the role of the licensed nurse.
It is the responsibility of the hiring facility Director of Nursing to:
- *Ensure the student (in-state or out-of-state) is currently enrolled in a program of nursing that is approved by that state’s board of nursing or appropriate state agency authorized to approve nursing programs.
- *Ensure the nursing program (out-of-state) is also nationally accredited through either the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
- *Ensure the student (in-state or out-of-state) is currently enrolled in a program of professional nursing and maintains enrollment during participation as an Apprentice Nurse.
- *Verify the apprentice nurse’s competence to perform the skills and that the skills are on the Board-approved skills list.
Accountability for compliance with all program requirements remains with the Director of Nursing, as this individual has responsibility for all nursing activities within the facility.
A student’s eligibility to participate in the Apprentice Nurse Program ends upon graduation or failure to progress in the program for any reason. Upon graduation, the student becomes a graduate nurse and must possess an Interim Permit to practice nursing. It is the responsibility of the Director of Nursing to ensure that after graduation, the student no longer practices nursing as an Apprentice Nurse. It is also the responsibility of the Director of Nursing to ensure that all graduate nurses have active Interim Permits authorizing the practice of nursing.
| Skill | Apprentice RN | Apprentice PN |
| Advanced Directives | Documentation and teaching | Documentation |
| AM Care/Activities of Daily living | Includes shaving | Includes shaving |
| Ambulation of Patients | Performs | Performs |
| Admission and ongoing assessment | Assists in data collection | Contributes to data collection, reports information, and records objective and subjective data |
| Back Rubs | Performs | Performs |
| Bathing patients | Bed, assist, sponge, tub, shower, whirlpool | Bed, assist, sponge, tub, shower, whirlpool |
| Bathroom | Assist with commode, bedpans, urinals | Assist with commode, bedpans, urinals |
| Bed making | Performs | Performs |
| Bili-lights | Assist RN with care of infants under light | No |
| Breast feeding | Reinforcement education | No |
| Bowel and bladder | Assist with retraining | Assist with retraining |
| Call lights | Answer | Answer |
| Cast care | Routine cast care with RN assist | Routine cast care with RN assist |
| Catheters, Foley | Insertion, site care, care of patient with, emptying drainage bag, discontinuation, retention | Insertion under supervision of licensed nurse, site care, care of patient with, emptying drainage bag, discontinuation, retention |
| Catheters, intermittent | Insertion, site care, care of patient | Site care, care of patient |
| Catheters, suprapubic | Site care, care of patient, empty drainage bag | Site care, care of patient, empty drainage bag |
| Charting, flow sheets | Graphic/vital signs record, profile, admission database, I&O, outpatient, pre-op | Graphic/vital signs record, profile, I&O, outpatient |
| Circulation, movement, sensation assessment | Performs | No |
| Code | As appropriate with basic CPR | As appropriate with basic CPR |
| Croup tent | Care of patient in | No |
| Discharge of patients | Performs | Assists with |
| Douche | Administration | No |
| Dressing and undressing | Performs | Performs |
| Dressing changes (sterile and nonsterile) | Surgical, simple (uncomplicated), moist, nonsterile, wet to dry | Surgical, simple (uncomplicated), moist, nonsterile, wet to dry |
| Education, patient | Reinforcement of established written teaching plan | Reinforcement of established written teaching plan |
| EKG, 12-lead | Task only, no interpretation | No |
| Enema | Fleets, Harris Flush, oil retention, soap suds | Fleets, Harris Flush, oil retention, soap suds |
| Errands as directed | Supplies and equipment | Supplies and equipment |
| Elastic stockings | Measuring and application | Measuring and application |
| HS and PM care | Performs | Performs |
| Hair care | Shampoo, brush, and comb | Shampoo, brush, and comb |
| I&O | Adult/pediatric | Adult/pediatric |
| Impaired mobility management | Positioning and transferring | Positioning and transferring |
| Intravenous Therapy | Start and remove peripheral line or peripheral access device, administer IV fluids w/o additives or medications, peripheral and central venous IV site care, flush lock | Start and remove peripheral access device with needles that are no longer than 3", administer IV fluids w/o additives or medications, peripheral and central venous IV site care, flush lock |
| Isolation | Technique following guidelines (Standard Precautions, Body Substance Isolation) | Technique following guidelines (Standard Precautions, Body Substance Isolation) |
| Jejunostomy | Gavage of existing tube | Gavage of existing tube |
| K-pad | Administration and monitoring | Administration and monitoring |
| Linen | Emptying | Emptying |
| Medications | Administration of oral, intra-muscular, subcutaneous, otic, ophthalmic, nasal, or tube | Administration of oral, intra-muscular, subcutaneous, otic, ophthalmic, nasal, or tube |
| Medications not allowed | IV medications (PCA, push, piggyback, additives) or epidural | IV medications (PCA, push, piggyback, additives) or epidural |
| Nutrition | Appropriate for age and diagnosis, feed patient, verifying diet, feed with regular or thumb-controlled syringe, assist with menus, pass trays | Appropriate for age and diagnosis, feed patient, verifying diet, assist with menus, pass trays |
| Nutrition, GT/PEG feeding | Care of patient, administer tube feeding | Care of patient, administer tube feeding |
| Nutrition, nasogastric tube | Care of patient, insertion, gavage with existing tube, gastric suctioning, | Care of patient, insertion, gastric suctioning, may not feed with weighted tip tube |
| Observe condition or change in condition | Performs | Performs |
| Oral hygiene (conscious and unconscious patient) | Brush, floss, denture care | Brush, floss, denture care |
| Orthopedic devices | Care of patient with knee immobilizer, cervical collar, sling, crutches, CPM | Care of patient with knee immobilizer, cervical collar, sling, crutches, CPM |
| Ostomy | Change bag and skin care | Change bag and skin care |
| Orientation of patients to room/unit | Performs | Performs |
| Oxygen therapy | Care of patient and application of mask, nasal cannula, hood, blow-by | Care of patient and application of mask, nasal cannula, hood, blow-by |
| Perineal care | Performs | Performs |
| Positioning patient in bed | Performs | Performs |
| Post-mortem care | Assist with care, consent forms, required request | Assist with care only |
| Pre-procedure shave/skin prep | Performs | Performs |
| Pulse oximetry | Performs | Performs |
| Range of Motion exercises | Simple | Simple |
| Rectal digital stimulation (not on new paraplegics or quadriplegics) | Performs | Performs under RN direction only |
| Restraints/safety devices | Apply, release, care of patient | Apply, release, care of patient |
| Safety | Fall prevention, care of patient, patient education and documentation, reporting | Fall prevention, care of patient, reporting |
| Seizure care | Precautions and management | Precautions and management |
| Sequential compression stocking | Application and care of patient | No |
| Skin care | Pressure ulcer prevention, turning, collecting skin-care related data | Pressure ulcer prevention, turning, collecting skin-care related data |
| Specialty beds | Care of patient | Care of patient |
| Specimen collection and handling (nonmanipulated) | Respiratory secretions and sputum, throat, rectal, stool, urine, diaper | Respiratory secretions and sputum, throat, rectal, stool, urine, diaper |
| Specimen collection and handling (manipulated) | Wound drainage, indwelling catheter | Wound drainage, indwelling catheter |
| Staples/suture | Removal only | Removal with assist of licensed nurse |
| Steri-strips | Application and removal | Application and removal |
| Suctioning and care of patient | Tracheal, oral, and nasal | Tracheal, oral, and nasal |
| Suctioning, bulb (infants) | Only with OB/RN instruction | No |
| Surgical drains | Care of Jackson Pratt, J-Vac, JT-tube | Care of Jackson Pratt, J-Vac, JT-tube X |
| Tracheotomy | Care and suctioning | Care and suctioning |
| Traction equipment | Set up (trapeze only), assist RN/LPN/PT with initial application and care of patient, may reapply traction | Set up (trapeze only), assist RN/LPN/PT with initial application and care of patient, may reapply traction |
| Transportation of patients and equipment | Performs | Performs |
| Transcription of orders | Limited to provider order processing–eg, transfer of order to MAR; may not accept telephone and/or verbal orders | No |
| Vaporizer–cool mist | Performs | No |
| Valuables | Appropriate care and documentation | Appropriate care and documentation |
| Vital signs | Perform | Perform |
| Weights/heights | May measure and weigh patient (standing/chair/bed, scale/sling) | May measure and weigh patient (standing/chair/bed, scale/sling) |