Requirements

• Must have a minimum of a high school education or the equivalent (GED)
• Must complete an approved 20-hour Medication Aide Training Program (MATP)           

 Approved Medication Aide Training Programs

Delegating Nurse Responsibilities

• Must ensure that the nursing assistant has met all training and competency requirements.
• Is accountable to delegate the medication administration tasks according to the delegation and supervision requirements in ARSD 20:48:04.01:01 and 20:48:04.01:02.

Medication tasks a nurse may delegate to a qualified, trained medication aide:

• Administering scheduled medications by the following routes: oral, sublingual, eye, ear, nasal, rectal, topical, transdermal, vaginal, and inhalation;
• Measurement of a prescribed amount of liquid medication or crushing a tablet for administration, if a licensed nurse, physician, or pharmacist has calculated the dose; and
• Administration of schedule II controlled substances that are prescribed and labeled in a container for a specific client.

Employer Responsibilities

• Accountable to maintain documentation of employee training and competency on file and accessible to nursing staff.