A Nurse’s Aide (NA) is a trained professional who assists Registered and Licensed Nurses in providing quality patient care in a timely manner. In the nursing hierarchy, a nurse’s aide is one step below a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN); both of these take direction from the Registered Nurse (RN). The difference between nurses and nurses' aides is that nurses are licensed to practice nursing and nurses' aides are certified to assist with the patients' Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). This position is very important in healthcare, as they provide personal care, assistance with eating, walking and answering call lights. It is also a very rewarding position as they provide most of the direct hands on care to the patient and spend a lot of time with them.
Job Description
A nurse’s aide works under the supervision of an RN or a LPN and has the following responsibilities:
- Assisting patients in maintaining personal hygiene while the patient is undergoing treatment in a hospital, rehabilitation center, assisted-living facilities, and convalescent hospitals or at the patient’s home.
- Checking on the patient’s health and status at periodic intervals and following instructions given by the supervising nurse and physician; making a record of vital signs such as temperature, pulse, blood pressure, etc.
- Assisting the patient with eating and drinking, if necessary. Recording the amounts of food and fluids taken in during the day and how many times the patient uses the restroom.
- Lifting and turning patients who cannot turn themselves to prevent skin breakdown. Also, assisting patients into a wheelchair and taking them where they need to go within the facility.
- Responding promptly to call lights from patients while on duty.
- Helping patients with walking, exercises (range of motion) or therapy.
It is the nurses' aide’s job to assist patients with all their Activities of Daily Living. This allows the RN or LPN to work on clinical tasks. Nurses' aides are also referred to as nursing assistants, patient care technicians or orderlies. A nurse’s aide with certification from a recognized professional body can use the designation Certified Nurse’s Aide (CNA) or Certified Nursing Assistant. If these duties sound interesting to you, then continue reading to discover how to become a nurse’s aide.
Training and Certification
Formal educational requirements for a nurse’s aide vary from state to state, but at a minimum you should have earned a high school diploma or other approved GED equivalent. Next, enroll in a nursing assistant training program. You can check with local community colleges, adult schools and private schools. You may also want to look into some hospitals because they have in-house training programs. There are also online schools that offer this course; although, you will have to find a hospital to do your clinical hours for certification.
The study program for nursing assistants should include a minimum of 75 hours of classroom training in theory and 16 hours of supervised clinical practice. Once you have successfully passed the course and certification test, you can apply for work as a Certified Nursing Assistant, provided you meet the following criteria:
- You need to be 18 years or older.
- Have no criminal record and submit to a background check.
- Undergo medical screening and a tuberculosis (TB) test.
- Successfully complete a training program with the minimum number of hours.
- Achieve a passing score in the state CNA examination.
- Register with the state-managed Nurse’s Aide registry.
In addition to the above certified nursing assistant training and courses, a current cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certificate is also required by employers. This training is usually included with your training program.
Develop Your Skills
A nurse’s assistant should be healthy and physically fit. You will be turning and lifting patients, doing a lot of walking and possibly working 10-12 hour shifts. It helps to have a good ability to work closely with others and be a team player. Also, you will be attending most of the personal needs of the patient including helping them use the restroom. A tolerance for natural body odor is important. A nurse’s assistant will be spending a lot of time with their assigned patients and must be compassionate, empathetic and professional.
Wages and Opportunities for Growth
There are many job opportunities as a nurse’s aide. This job has ample job openings at many facilities, mostly due to the fact that nurse’s aides usually move on to become nurses. The wages are relatively low, but range from $17,000 to $32,000 a year. Once certified, a nurse’s aide has the opportunity to enter a nursing program and study to become a Licensed Vocational Nurse or a Registered Nurse.
If you like working closely with people and have the ability to care for them with gentle compassion, then becoming a nurse’s aide will be a rewarding career for you. It is also a great start to entering the nursing field to see if you would like to further your education towards becoming a licensed nurse.