Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz
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Nursing Assistants
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.
Table of contents
What they do
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.
- Answer patient call signals, signal lights, bells, or intercom systems to determine patients’ needs.
- 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 the patient receives an appropriate diet.
Typical day
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 the patient receives an 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 the urine.
Other responsibilities
Besides their typical day, Nursing Assistants also record the 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 the direction of a nurse or physician.
Freedom to make decisions
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Structured vs unstructured work
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Featured Schools
What is the job like
Job satisfaction
Is this job meaningful
72% said they were satisfied with their job and 78% said they found their job meaningful.
I am a Certified Nursing Assistant.
A typical workday is an eight-hour shift in which I put residents to bed and perform evening care. The care provided is dependent on the resident, as everybody has their nightly routine. I’ll give showers and brush their teeth as well.
In my job, you meet people from all over the world. The stories they tell are fascinating, and I’ve learned so much from the people I’ve cared for. So giving them a listening ear and just being a friend to them is priceless. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Pros
The pros of being a CNA are that the hours are readily available and being able to help others live better lives is rewarding.
Working per diem for IntelyCare is great because I can fill my schedule in a way that works best for me and my family. I know many people choose to take holidays off. But still, I love to spend holidays with my family and then go to the facility for the off shift. I can go to work when my kids are asleep, and it’s just a great feeling to put smiles on the resident’s faces on the holidays.
Cons
A con is that the workload is different at every facility, so I always have to be ready for a lot of responsibilities.
The most complicated part of nursing is that not everyone’s stories have happy endings. Sometimes my patients don’t make it, and that’s the toughest part of the job for me – seeing them in their final days. But life is too short to let it impact the way I give care to the next patient. And I know the people I’ve taken care of wouldn’t want me to be down or depressed.
Blailin Baker
IntelyCare
Pros
Suitable for people who like to help and teach others.
Suitable for people who value relationships between co-workers and customers and want to work in a friendly non-competitive environment.
This career is perfect for people who love to work indoors.
It is easy to get into this career. Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for this career.
Short working hours (Less than 40 hours per week).
Cons
Not suitable for people who like to work with designs.
One of the lowest paying jobs.
How much do they make
Average salary
Average hourly wage
Entry-level Nursing Assistants with little to no experience can expect to make anywhere between $22,750 to $26,650 per year or $11 to $13 per hour.
| Salary by experience | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Highest (Top 10%) | $42,110 | $20 |
| Senior (Top 25%) | $36,990 | $18 |
| Median | $30,850 | $15 |
| Junior (Bottom 25%) | $26,650 | $13 |
| No experience (Bottom 10%) | $22,750 | $11 |
This table shows the top 10 highest paying industries for Nursing Assistants based on their average annual salary.
| Salary by industry | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Junior Colleges | $49250 | $23.68 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $44870 | $21.57 |
| Federal Executive Branch | $41210 | $19.81 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services | $39630 | $19.05 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | $38420 | $18.47 |
| Technical and Trade Schools | $36970 | $17.78 |
| Religious Organizations | $36620 | $17.60 |
| State Government | $36290 | $17.45 |
| Insurance Carriers | $35470 | $17.05 |
| Special Food Services | $35370 | $17.01 |
View more salary by industries here.
Where can they work
Where can Nursing Assistants work? Here is a table showing the top 10 largest employers of Nursing Assistants including the average salary in that industry.
| Employers | Total Employed | Annual Salary | Hourly Wages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) | 527480 | $31000 | $14.90 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 374770 | $33660 | $16.18 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly | 151540 | $30600 | $14.71 |
| Home Health Care Services | 77300 | $29750 | $14.30 |
| Individual and Family Services | 40850 | $29550 | $14.21 |
| Employment Services | 36490 | $32330 | $15.54 |
| Specialty Hospitals | 26260 | $34240 | $16.46 |
| Local Government | 25730 | $34360 | $16.52 |
| Offices of Physicians | 19330 | $33580 | $16.15 |
| Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities | 16490 | $29750 | $14.30 |
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What is the work day like
Working hours
Working schedule
Work with group or team
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Deal with external customers
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Manage or lead others
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Telephone
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Group discussions
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Public speaking
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Frequency of conflict situations
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Dealing with angry people
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Dealing with physically aggressive people
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Level of competition
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Repetition in this job
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Impact of decisions on co-workers or company results
What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the reputation or financial resources of your employer?
Frequency of decision making
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Responsibility for others’ health and safety
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Responsibility for outcomes and results
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What is the work environment like
Office-style environment
Indoors in an environmentally controlled condition
Warehouse-style environment
Indoors in a non-controlled environmental condition such as a warehouse
Outdoors
Outdoors exposed to all weather conditions
Outdoors – Under Cover
Outdoors but under cover (e.g. structure with roof but no walls)
How to become one
Difficulty to become one
Required level of education
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Relevant work experience
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On The Job Training
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Should you become one
Best personality type for this career
People with this personality type likes to work with people and in teams. They prefer work that allows them to build relationships with others.
People with The Builder personality type likes practical and hands-on work. They prefer working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
People with The Thinker personality likes to work with ideas that require an extensive amount of thinking. They prefer work that requires them to solve problems mentally.
People with The Artist personality likes to work with designs and patterns. They prefer activities that require self-expression and prefer work that can be done without following a clear set of rules.
People with The Helper personality type likes to work with people and in teams. They prefer work that allows them to build relationships with others.
People with The Leader personality likes to start and work on projects. They also like leading people and making many decisions.
People with The Organizer personality type likes to follow set procedures and routines. They prefer working with data and details more than with ideas.
You can read more about these career personality types here.
People who are suitable for this job tend 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.
Take this quiz to see if this is the right career for you.
Work Values
Which values are the most important to a person’s satisfaction for this job?
You are someone who is results oriented. You prefer work that allows you to utilize your skills and abilities while at the same time giving you a sense of accomplishment.
You are someone who values job security, steady employment, and good working conditions. You also prefer work that keeps you busy all the time with something different to do every day.
You are someone who values job advancement and leadership roles. You prefer work that receives recognition for the work you do and jobs that are looked up to by others in the company and your community.
You are someone who likes to provide a service to others. You prefer a work environment where you can work with your co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.
You are someone who values a company that stands behind their employees. You prefer a work environment where everyone is treated fairly and is being supported by the company.
You are someone who likes to work on your own and make your own decisions. You prefer work that requires little supervision and are allowed to try out your own ideas.
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