To be a hospital orderly you need a quick-thinking brain, thick skin (as in not easily offended) and a lot of brawn. Orderlies are typically males, while nursing assistants are typically females. They both work in hospitals, nursing homes, extended care facilities, and clinics doing the same jobs. Some patients feel more comfortable with certain tasks if the care giver is a male rather than female. This job entails lots of heavy lifting as well as gentle care.
Use these tips to learn about the nursing assistant duties that orderlies are responsible for. Here’s how to become an orderly.
What exactly is an orderly?
An orderly is a member of the hospital staff who works under the direct supervision of licensed personnel. They assist in transporting patients from location to location, for example from the patient’s room to x-ray; provide standby assistance to doctors and nurses; and run medical tests and results to the necessary department. An orderly also carries medical equipment and supplies to wherever it is needed, wheels the deceased to the hospital mortuary, and help take patients from the ER to the ICU. Often, working as an orderly means being exposed to and coming face-to-face with blood and bodily fluids so this is not for someone who cannot stomach these things. Additionally orderlies bathe patients, set up food trays, walk post operative patients, reposition patients, and generally assist the licensed nursing staff with tasks.
What educational and personal background is needed to become an orderly?
- Complete high school or its equivalent GED. GED is an acronym for General Educational Development, which includes subjects in language, writing, science and mathematics. Make sure you get your diploma. Accurate documentation and the ability to find supplies with complex names is a daily part of the job so excellent reading and writing skills are essential.
- Steer clear of trouble. You must not have a police or criminal record to your name if you want to work in these nursing assistant jobs.
- Apply for an orderly postion. Rest assured that everything you need to know will be gained in a hospital setting. On-the-job training will include the basics of nursing care, hospital regulations and standards on hygiene and sterilization. Medical ethics, medical terms, health and safety, patient transport procedure, handling equipment safely, excellent customer service, patient care, basic computer management and data entry, and emergency response procedure will also be taught. Many orderlies will want to go on to be certified after their on-the-job training is completed.
How do you get certified?
Orderly’s can become certified by taking online classes. Classes are also available at community colleges. Some states require this certification to be able to work in extended care facilities. Certified Nurse’s Aide (CNA) is the title conferred, and generally takes about 120 hours of class work to be eligible to take the test. Certification will always make an orderly more marketable even if your present work situation does not require it. However, more facilities are now requiring certification as a condition of continued employment.
Are there specializations involved in this job classification?
Different areas of the hospital will hire orderlies who then specialize in those areas. For instance, surgical orderlies train to help the operating room (OR) staff with moving and positioning patients, cleaning rooms after surgery, cleaning and sterilizing equipment and stocking supplies. These orderlies will have specialized training in sterile protocol that other orderlies will not require. Emergency Room (ER) orderlies will have a different set of skills as will those working in Intensive Care Units (ICU).
Orderlies make around $16,000 to $35,000 a year but this salary can go up depending on location, experience and certification. The need for orderly positions is expected to grow as the population ages. Also this position tends to be an entry-level position in healthcare. People start as orderlies and then decide to return to school to become a LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse), or RN (Registered Nurse) or any number of other allied health professionals.
Being an orderly is a challenging career with many different areas to work. The ER, OR, ICU, psychiatric floors, surgical floors and medical floors all use orderlies. If you are thinking about a career in health care, being an orderly is a great way to learn about all areas of the hospital.