At the hospital elevator the nursing assistant smells smoke coming from the evelator shaft. What should she do

She (or he) has to go through proper channels. Upon hiring, there is a training program which covers what do to in the event of an emergency. A student nurse, nurses aid, or nursing assistant may be instructed to inform their immediate supervisor. Her immediate supervisor would be the head nurse on the floor, most likely. If that nurse is nowhere to be found, then she must contact another person in charge. The nursing assistant cannot simply pull the fire alarm without having Security or Maintenance check it out first. She didn't SEE smoke. The smell could be coming from a trash can in or next to the elevator and, in turn, be confined to just the trash can. Can you imagine the pandemonium of having patients who are confined to bed with IVs, etc. being moved? And to make matters worse, not being able to use the elevator? Think about it...
To back up what I'm saying, I found this website. It's the Emergency Procedures Manual from Edison Community College http://www.edisonohio.edu/911/Emergency%...
If you smell smoke or a burning odor, take this action:
1. Contact the switchboard operator
a. Pick up a hallway emergency phone which automatically dials the switchboard operator
b. Tell the operator what you smell and the location
c. The operator will contact Maintenance
d. Maintenance will then investigate and take appropriate action

pull the fire alarm and get patients away.

call 911

Inform the nurse.