Nursing Assistants
Overview
SaveJob Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Experience
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Education
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Examples
These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include hydroelectric production managers, desktop publishers, electricians, agricultural technicians, barbers, court reporters and simultaneous captioners, and medical assistants.
Provide or assist with basic care or support under the direction of onsite licensed nursing staff. Perform duties such as monitoring of health status, feeding, bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, or ambulation of patients in a health or nursing facility. May include medication administration and other health-related tasks. Includes nursing care attendants, nursing aides, and nursing attendants.
Yearly Salary
| High: | $42K |
| Median: | $30K |
| Low: | $22K |
Demand
Core Tasks
- Turn or reposition bedridden patients.
- Answer patient call signals, signal lights, bells, or intercom systems to determine patients' needs.
- Feed patients or assist patients to eat or drink.
- Measure and record food and liquid intake or urinary and fecal output, reporting changes to medical or nursing staff.
- Position or hold patients in position for surgical preparation.
- Document or otherwise report observations of patient behavior, complaints, or physical symptoms to nurses.
- Provide physical support to assist patients to perform daily living activities, such as getting out of bed, bathing, dressing, using the toilet, standing, walking, or exercising.
- Remind patients to take medications or nutritional supplements.
- Lift or assist others to lift patients to move them on or off beds, examination tables, surgical tables, or stretchers.
- Observe or examine patients to detect symptoms that may require medical attention, such as bruises, open wounds, or blood in urine.
- Review patients' dietary restrictions, food allergies, and preferences to ensure patient receives appropriate diet.
- Supply, collect, or empty bedpans.
- Undress, wash, and dress patients who are unable to do so for themselves.
- Communicate with patients to ascertain feelings or need for assistance or social and emotional support.
- Gather information from caregivers, nurses, or physicians about patient condition, treatment plans, or appropriate activities.
- Record vital signs, such as temperature, blood pressure, pulse, or respiration rate, as directed by medical or nursing staff.
- Set up treating or testing equipment, such as oxygen tents, portable radiograph (x-ray) equipment, or overhead irrigation bottles, as directed by a physician or nurse.
- Prepare or serve food trays.
- Wash, groom, shave, or drape patients to prepare them for surgery, treatment, or examination.
- Change bed linens or make beds.
- Exercise patients who are comatose, paralyzed, or have restricted mobility.
- Administer medications or treatments, such as catheterizations, suppositories, irrigations, enemas, massages, or douches, as directed by a physician or nurse.
- Assist nurses or physicians in the operation of medical equipment or provision of patient care.
- Clean and sanitize patient rooms, bathrooms, examination rooms, or other patient areas.
- Restock patient rooms with personal hygiene items, such as towels, washcloths, soap, or toilet paper.
- Record height or weight of patients.
- Apply clean dressings, slings, stockings, or support bandages, under direction of nurse or physician.
- Stock or issue medical supplies, such as dressing packs or treatment trays.
- Transport patients to treatment units, testing units, operating rooms, or other areas, using wheelchairs, stretchers, or moveable beds.
- Collect specimens, such as urine, feces, or sputum.
- Explain medical instructions to patients or family members.
- Transport specimens, laboratory items, or pharmacy items, ensuring proper documentation and delivery to authorized personnel.
- Provide information, such as directions, visiting hours, or patient status information to visitors or callers.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Customer and Personal Service
79%
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Administration and Management
67%
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
English Language
66%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Public Safety and Security
64%
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Medicine and Dentistry
63%
Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Education and Training
62%
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Therapy and Counseling
61%
Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Psychology
59%
Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Sociology and Anthropology
55%
Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
Personnel and Human Resources
54%
Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Top 10 Skills
Service Orientation
80%
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Active Listening
73%
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Social Perceptiveness
73%
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Monitoring
65%
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Coordination
63%
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Critical Thinking
63%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension
63%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Speaking
63%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Learning
58%
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Judgment and Decision Making
58%
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Top 10 Abilities
Oral Comprehension
78%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Problem Sensitivity
78%
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Near Vision
75%
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Oral Expression
75%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Speech Recognition
70%
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Static Strength
65%
The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
Deductive Reasoning
63%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Extent Flexibility
63%
The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Information Ordering
63%
The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Trunk Strength
63%
The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
Top 10 Work Activities
Assisting and Caring for Others
92%
Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
Getting Information
84%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
83%
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Documenting/Recording Information
81%
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
79%
Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Performing General Physical Activities
77%
Performing general physical activities includes doing activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
75%
Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
74%
Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
73%
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Developing and Building Teams
72%
Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
Detailed Work Activities
- Adjust positions of patients on beds or tables.
- Provide basic information to guests, visitors, or clients.
- Answer telephones to direct calls or provide information.
- Feed patients.
- Record vital statistics or other health information.
- Assist patients with daily activities.
- Monitor patients to detect health problems.
- Analyze patient data to determine patient needs or treatment goals.
- Assess physical conditions of patients to aid in diagnosis or treatment.
- Dispose of biomedical waste in accordance with standards.
- Interview patients to gather medical information.
- Collect medical information from patients, family members, or other medical professionals.
- Clean patient rooms or patient treatment rooms.
- Administer therapy treatments to patients using hands or physical treatment aids.
- Stock medical or patient care supplies.
- Operate medical equipment.
- Assist practitioners to perform medical procedures.
- Move patients to or from treatment areas.
- Collect biological specimens from patients.
- Hold patients to ensure proper positioning or safety.
- Prepare medical instruments or equipment for use.
- Give medications or immunizations.
- Administer basic health care or medical treatments.
- Apply bandages, dressings, or splints.
- Explain technical medical information to patients.
- Transport biological or other medical materials.
Education
Interests
Social
82%
Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.
Realistic
66%
Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.
Conventional
61%
Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.
Investigative
39%
Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.
Enterprising
26%
Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.
Artistic
15%
Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts, applied arts and design, performing arts, music, creative writing, media, or culinary art.
Work Values
Relationships
81%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Support
67%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Working Conditions
46%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Achievement
43%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Independence
34%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Recognition
34%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Majors
Colleges
SAGE Scholars Member Schools that offer majors leading to this career.
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