The purpose of the Washington Nurse Aide Registry is to maintain a database of individuals who meet the federal requirements to provide care giving to residents in skilled nursing facilities in Washington State. The registry also informs nursing home staff, through an inquiry process, of persons who are ineligible to work in a skilled nursing home due to findings of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation of property.
For each Nursing Assistant Certified (NAC) the registry contains basic identifying information, care giving work history, eligibility status for working in a nursing facility and findings of abuse, neglect or misappropriation of property if any. The registry also contains identifying information for persons who are ineligible to work as caregivers.
The Nurse Aide Registry inquiry process enables skilled nursing facilities to check the registry status of each prospective NAC employee during the hiring process. This check fulfills a Federal regulation that says that nursing facilities must inquire of the Nurse Aide Registry before employing any certified nursing assistant.
The second purpose of this process is to provide nursing facility staff an opportunity to update the NAC’s care giving work history on the registry. When care giving work history information is included with the inquiry the individual's registry work status is updated. Registry status results are emailed back to the inquiring HR usually within 24 to 48 hours of receipt.