What Do Nursing Assistants Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Nursing Assistants provide basic patient care under direction of nursing staff. Perform duties such as feed, bathe, dress, groom, or move patients, or change linens. May transfer or transport patients. Includes nursing care attendants, nursing aides, and nursing attendants. They also answer patient call signals, signal lights, bells, or intercom systems to determine patients’ needs.

Other tasks include:

• Turn or reposition bedridden patients.
• 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.
• Review patients’ dietary restrictions, food allergies, and preferences to ensure patient receives appropriate diet.
• Measure and record food and liquid intake or urinary and fecal output, reporting changes to medical or nursing staff.
• Record vital signs, such as temperature, blood pressure, pulse, or respiration rate, as directed by medical or nursing staff.
• Gather information from caregivers, nurses, or physicians about patient condition, treatment plans, or appropriate activities.

We asked Nursing Assistants how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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72% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 78% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Nursing Assistants remind patients to take medications or nutritional supplements. They restock patient rooms with personal hygiene items, such as towels, washcloths, soap, or toilet paper.

A typical day for a Nursing Assistant will also include:

• Prepare or serve food trays.
• Review patients’ dietary restrictions, food allergies, and preferences to ensure patient receives appropriate diet.
• Clean and sanitize patient rooms, bathrooms, examination rooms, or other patient areas.
• Gather information from caregivers, nurses, or physicians about patient condition, treatment plans, or appropriate activities.
• Observe or examine patients to detect symptoms that may require medical attention, such as bruises, open wounds, or blood in urine.

We asked some Nursing Assistants a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	60% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	71% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	85% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	37% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	27% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	59% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Nursing Assistants also record height or weight of patients. They may also collect specimens, such as urine, feces, or sputum.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Nursing Assistants Stock or issue medical supplies, such as dressing packs or treatment trays. They might also Wash, groom, shave, or drape patients to prepare them for surgery, treatment, or examination.

In addition, they Provide information such as directions, visiting hours, or patient status information to visitors or callers.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Explain medical instructions to patients or family members.

To some Nursing Assistants, it is also their responsibility to Apply clean dressings, slings, stockings, or support bandages, under direction of nurse or physician.

Working life

Less than 40 hours per week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Nursing Assistant, you can expect to work less than 40 hours per week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others..

They also like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/healthcare/nursing-assistants.htm

http://www.nahc.org/