Which professional role requires the assessment of residents in a long-term care setting?

The role that requires the assessment of residents in a long-term care setting is performed by a nurse. Nurses are trained and qualified to carry out comprehensive assessments of residents’ health status, which includes evaluating their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. This assessment process is crucial in developing individualized care plans and ensuring that residents receive appropriate medical treatment, support, and interventions based on their specific needs.

Nurses take vital signs, assess medical history, observe for changes in condition, and communicate any updates or concerns to the healthcare team. Their expertise and training enable them to identify potential health issues early, thus improving outcomes for residents.

While other professionals like dietitians and social workers play important roles in the care of residents—focusing on nutrition and social support, respectively—they typically do not conduct the comprehensive health assessments that nurses do. Nursing assistants assist with daily care but do not have the training or responsibility for formal assessments of health conditions. Thus, the nurse is clearly the professional responsible for conducting assessments in this context.