Nurses may only delegate medication administration tasks to a registered medication aide for patients/residents who are in a skilled nursing facility, nursing home, or hospital.
- To promote safe care, a nurse must follow the delegation and supervision requirements in ARSD 20:48:04.01:01 and 20:48:04.01:02.
- Nurses who delegate medication administration in a hospital setting must provide direct supervision, as defined in ARSD 20:48:01:01.
- Annual skills competency validation should be completed; use the Board's checklist or a facility specific checklist.
The following medication administration tasks may be delegated to a registered UMA:
- Administration of scheduled medications by the following routes:
- oral, sublingual, eye, ear, nasal, rectal, topical, transdermal, vaginal, and inhalation;
- Measurement of a prescribed amount of liquid medication or crushing a tablet for administration, if a licensed nurse, physician, or pharmacist has calculated the dose; and
- Administration of schedule II controlled substances that are prescribed and labeled in a container for a specific client.
Initial Registration
Each applicant must take the South Dakota Board of Nursing's UMA Exam prior to registration.
Registration Renewal
UMA registrants may renew 90 days or less prior to expiration.
Lapsed Registration
Once a UMA registration has lapsed, it must be reinstated. Find forms and instructions.
Registration by Endorsement
UMAs that are registered in another state may be eligible to register by endorsement.
Medication Aides Not Required to be Registered
Any trained medication aide not employed in a skilled nursing facility, assisted living facility, or hospital.
Training Program Information
See the requirements and instructions for approved UMA training programs.
Exam Information
Find UMA exam information, including time, number of questions and more.
Proctor Information
UMA applicants must have oversight by an approved Proctor when sitting for the exam.