Advanced Unlicensed Assistant (AUA)

In 1996, legislation was passed for the Oklahoma Board of Nursing to regulate Advanced Unlicensed Assistants (AUAs) in acute health care settings in Oklahoma. An Advanced Unlicensed Assistant (AUA): 

• Performs in an assistive role to licensed nurses in acute care settings.
• Has completed a 200-hour training program that is approved by the Oklahoma Board of Nursing, or equivalent training.
• Is certified by the Board of Nursing, after successful completion of a written and a skills examination.
• Can perform clinical skills included on an Approved Skills List for Performance by Board- certified AUAs, if the skill is included in the employee’s job description; and a licensed nurse has made an assessment and determined that it is safe to delegate the task to the AUA.
• Must renew the certification every two years, just as RNs and LPNs renew their professional licenses.