School CNA 1:1 Elementary Student Tracheostomy Care

School CNA 1:1 Elementary Student Tracheostomy Care

Community Leadership Academy, a successful, award-winning charter elementary school, is seeking a compassionate, dependable, and highly attentive Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) to provide 1:1 health and safety support for an elementary student with a tracheostomy during the school day.

The primary responsibility of this position is to remain available to the assigned student throughout the school day and provide tracheostomy-related care and other authorized health services within the CNA's scope of practice and under appropriate nursing supervision and delegation.

This is an excellent opportunity for a CNA who enjoys working with children and wants to help a student with significant medical needs safely and successfully participate in the full school experience.

Primary Responsibilities

• Provide continuous 1:1 health and safety support to the assigned elementary student throughout the school day.
• Monitor the student closely for changes in breathing, airway status, secretions, respiratory distress, or other signs requiring intervention.
• Provide tracheostomy care and suctioning when appropriately trained, authorized, and delegated.
• Recognize and respond immediately to airway obstruction, respiratory distress, mucus plugging, increased secretions, accidental decannulation, or other emergencies.
• Follow the student's individualized health care plan, emergency care plan, physician/provider orders, and nursing instructions.
• Maintain immediate access to required emergency tracheostomy and respiratory supplies.
• Ensure necessary equipment and supplies accompany the student to classrooms, specials, lunch, recess, assemblies, field trips, and other school activities.
• Check required equipment and emergency supplies daily and immediately report missing, damaged, expired, or inadequate supplies.
• Follow infection-control procedures, universal precautions, hand-hygiene requirements, and appropriate cleaning procedures.
• Provide other authorized and delegated student-specific health services.
• Maintain accurate documentation of tracheostomy care, suctioning, health observations, interventions, medications when applicable, and other required services.
• Immediately communicate significant changes in the student's health status to the supervising nurse and appropriate school personnel.
• Maintain the student's dignity, privacy, confidentiality, and independence.
• Help the student participate safely and naturally in classroom instruction and school activities.
• Assist with mobility, positioning, transitions, and other needs identified in the student's individual plan.
• Participate in required training, competency verification, emergency preparation, and student-specific health training.

Tracheostomy-Specific Training and Competency

The selected CNA must be willing and able to demonstrate competency in applicable procedures, including:

• Routine tracheostomy care
• Tracheostomy suctioning
• Respiratory observation and monitoring
• Recognition of respiratory distress
• Response to mucus plugging or airway obstruction
• Emergency response to accidental decannulation
• Student-specific respiratory equipment
• Emergency tracheostomy procedures identified in the student's health care plan
• CPR/BLS and emergency response
• Infection prevention and universal precautions
• Safe positioning and mobility
• Documentation of respiratory observations and interventions

All procedures must be performed within the employee's authorized scope of practice and in accordance with appropriate nursing assessment, delegation, supervision, provider orders, and the student's individualized health and emergency care plans.

Eligible full-time employees are offered:

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Life insurance
• Short- and long-term disability
• Paid time off
• Paid holidays
• PERA Colorado Public Employees' Retirement Association
• 401(k) option, as applicable

Qualifications

• Current Colorado CNA certification
• Pediatric tracheostomy experience strongly preferred
• Experience with tracheostomy suctioning and respiratory monitoring preferred
• Current CPR/BLS certification or ability to obtain required certification
• Ability to successfully complete student-specific tracheostomy training and competency verification
• Previous experience working with children preferred
• Ability to remain calm and respond quickly during a respiratory or medical emergency
• Excellent attendance and reliability
• Strong communication and documentation skills
• Ability to maintain strict student confidentiality
• Bilingual English/Spanish preferred
• Successful CBI/FBI background clearance

This is an in-person, school-based position within Community Leadership Academy's elementary school. Although the CNA works within an educational environment, the employee's primary responsibility is the health, safety, and school access of the assigned student.

The CNA will work collaboratively with the supervising nurse, classroom teachers, school administrators, special education personnel, related-service providers, and the student's family to ensure the student can safely participate as fully and independently as possible in the school day.

Victory Preparatory Academy High State Charter School