License: Paid Dining Assistant

Nebraska Dept. of Health & Human Services external site

P.O. Box 94986

Lincoln, NE 68509

(402) 247-4322

<h3>Occupational Description</h3><br>A Paid Dining Assistant (PDA) assists nursing in the feeding of residents in a nursing home. This is a single-function role; PDAs assist in feeding residents only. The role of a PDA is supervised by the nurse (RN or LPN) who is on duty. The PDA feeds residents who have no complicated feeding problems based on the resident’s latest assessment and plan of care.<br><h3>Licensure Requirements</h3><br>Applicants must: 1. Be at least 16 years of age; 2. Be able to speak and understand English or a language understood by the nursing home resident being fed; 3. Have no adverse finding on the Nurse Aide Registry or the Adult Protective Services Registry; and no adverse finding on the Child Central Registry if the nursing home has at any one time more than one resident under the age of 19 years. 4. Have successfully completed a state-approved course of training for paid dining assistants, which must include: Feeding techniques; Assistance with feeding & hydration; Communication & interpersonal skills; Appropriate responses to resident behavior; Safety & emergency procedures, including the abdominal thrust maneuver; Infection control; Resident rights; Recognizing changes in residents that are inconsistent with their normal vehavior and the importance of reporting those changes to the supervisory nurse; Special needs; Abuse & neglect, including the responsibility to report suspected abuse or neglect. <br><h3>Fees</h3><br>No fee for placement on the Paid Dining Assistant registry. Training course sponsors may or may not charge fees for the training course and competency evaluation.<br><h3>Renewal</h3><br>None.