Nursing Home Medication Aides in Wisconsin

Introduction | Rules_&_Regulations | Forms | Providers | Contacts | What's_Happening | Publications | Related Sites

The following regulations allow unlicensed personnel to administer medications to nursing home residents if they have taken a Department of Health and Family Services approved medication administration program:

• 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 483.60
• Wisconsin Administrative Code HFS 132.60(5)(d)1

Currently there are four approved medication administration programs, refer to Approved Nursing Home Medication Aide Courses (PDF, 24 KB). One program is available to each Wisconsin Technical College in order to provide access throughout the State.

Blue boxes in the PDF file are links to take viewers to the colleges' websites.

• Information for Course Instructors

For detailed information about each program please contact the individual listings. Each program will have information regarding the times it is offered, the schedule, the cost, and how to enroll.

Individuals who are eligible to take the program and become a medication aide must meet the following requirements:

1. be at least 18 years of age,
2. have a high school diploma or high school equivalency diploma,
3. be current on the State of Wisconsin nurse aide directory,
4. be current on the federal nurse aide directory,
5. have at least 2000 hours experience in direct patient care within the last 3 years,
6. have worked a minimum of 40 hours, within the last 90 days, with the residents to whom the student will be administering medications,
7. be recommended in writing by the director of nursing and the administrator of the agency in which the student will be working during the clinical experience, and
8. be recommended in writing by 2 licensed charge nurses under whose licenses the aide will be administering medications.

Each individual approved program may request additional information beyond the basic requirements. Refer to Criteria for State Approved Medication Assistant Course (PDF, 17 KB).

Training Exemptions:

Some individuals may have training and experience that may exempt them from medication aide training. Examples of potential exemptions include:

1. Nursing students.
2. Graduate nurses who do not hold a license.
3. Nurse aides who have been medication aides in nursing homes in other states.

Individuals who wish to be a medication aide for nursing homes and may meet a training exemption should review and complete the Challenge Exam Application.

• Challenge Exam Application Nurse Aide / Medication Aide DDE-2586 (PDF, 27 KB)

• Sample cover letter sent with application (PDF, 16 KB).

If the medication training that was received is equivalent to the medication aide training course, individuals may be exempt from the training course and will be required to take only a written exam.

The following are links to other information about medication aides in Wisconsin.

• Medication Administration in Nursing Homes, BQA memo 01-055

• Employment Requirements for "Nurse Technicians" and Student Nurses Who Work as Nurse Aides, BQA memo 01-021

• Criteria for Medication Aides in Nursing Homes, BQA memo 00-055

If you have further questions about medication aides in Wisconsin Nursing Homes please E-mail Doug Englebert or call 608-266-5388.

PDF: The free Acrobat Reader^® software is needed to view and print portable document format (PDF) files. Learn more.

Last Updated: June 30, 2008