Nursing Assistant Schools and Certificate Programs
A nursing assistant, also called a nurse aide or orderly, is a medical support specialist who provides basic bedside care and light clinical assistance to patients in hospitals, nursing homes and other medical settings. They are not as advanced in training as a licensed practical nurse or registered nurse, but the profession is often used as a stepping stone by people moving toward those occupations.
The duties of a nurse assistant range from simple bedside care such as changing sheets and helping with feeding and dressing, to minor clinical tasks such as taking vital signs.
Some common tasks include:
- Eating, bathing and dressing assistance
- Answering calls for help
- Answering questions
- Serving meals
- Making beds
- Tidying up rooms
- Taking temperature
- Taking pulse and other vital signs
- Escorting patients to treatment
- Reporting to nursing staff
Nurse Assistant Degrees
Nursing assistants and nurse aides may have a diploma or certificate in nursing, or in some cases may have an associate’s degree. These programs usually take a few months to a year or two to complete. They can be taken at a health care college, career institute or hospital training course, though the latter is becoming more often replaced by standard classroom courses.
Typical subjects covered in nurse assistant courses are:
- Nutrition
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Infection Control
- Patient Care
- Patient Rights
- Communication Skills
