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What Do Nursing Assistant Do?
Nursing Assistant Definition 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.
Life As a Nursing Assistant
- Apply clean dressings, slings, stockings, or support bandages, under direction of nurse or physician.
- Transport specimens, laboratory items, or pharmacy items, ensuring proper documentation and delivery to authorized personnel.
- Remind patients to take medications or nutritional supplements.
- Observe or examine patients to detect symptoms that may require medical attention, such as bruises, open wounds, or blood in urine.
- 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.
- Review patients’ dietary restrictions, food allergies, and preferences to ensure patient receives appropriate diet.
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Things a Nursing Assistant Should Know How to Do
These are the skills Nursing Assistants say are the most useful in their careers:
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Active Listening: 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.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Certified Nurses Aide (CNA)
- Nursery Technician
- Health Aide
- Inpatient Nursing Aide
- Hospital Medical Assistant
What Kind of Nursing Assistant Job Opportunities Are There?
In the United States, there were 1,510,300 jobs for Nursing Assistant in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 11.5% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 173,400 new jobs for Nursing Assistant by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 195,100 job openings in this field each year.
The states with the most job growth for Nursing Assistant are Arizona, Utah, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in Connecticut, Wisconsin, or Vermont. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Salary for a Nursing Assistant
The typical yearly salary for Nursing Assistants is somewhere between $21,290 and $39,560.
Nursing Assistants who work in Alaska, New York, or Hawaii, make the highest salaries.
How much do Nursing Assistants make in different U.S. states?
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $24,110 |
| Alaska | $39,830 |
| Arizona | $31,450 |
| Arkansas | $25,080 |
| California | $35,220 |
| Colorado | $32,610 |
| Connecticut | $33,390 |
| Delaware | $30,780 |
| District of Columbia | $33,510 |
| Florida | $26,840 |
| Georgia | $25,870 |
| Hawaii | $35,770 |
| Idaho | $27,400 |
| Illinois | $28,810 |
| Indiana | $27,210 |
| Iowa | $29,120 |
| Kansas | $26,210 |
| Kentucky | $26,800 |
| Louisiana | $22,750 |
| Maine | $28,710 |
| Maryland | $31,310 |
| Massachusetts | $33,630 |
| Michigan | $30,130 |
| Minnesota | $33,710 |
| Mississippi | $23,100 |
| Missouri | $25,930 |
| Montana | $29,110 |
| Nebraska | $28,730 |
| Nevada | $35,130 |
| New Hampshire | $32,200 |
| New Jersey | $30,380 |
| New Mexico | $28,310 |
| New York | $37,010 |
| North Carolina | $25,570 |
| North Dakota | $33,990 |
| Ohio | $27,570 |
| Oklahoma | $25,690 |
| Oregon | $33,230 |
| Pennsylvania | $30,630 |
| Rhode Island | $31,340 |
| South Carolina | $25,390 |
| South Dakota | $26,820 |
| Tennessee | $26,400 |
| Texas | $27,030 |
| Utah | $27,880 |
| Vermont | $30,730 |
| Virginia | $28,770 |
| Washington | $32,130 |
| West Virginia | $26,410 |
| Wisconsin | $29,590 |
| Wyoming | $30,910 |
What Tools do Nursing Assistants Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Nursing Assistants:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- MEDITECH software
- Medical procedure coding software
- Epic Systems
- Medical condition coding software
- Billing software
- GE Healthcare Centricity EMR
- PointClickCare
- Medical record charting software
How to Become a Nursing Assistant
Education needed to be a Nursing Assistant:
How Long Does it Take to Become a Nursing Assistant?
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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