How to become a nursing assistant

Help nurses to provide patients with direct support and services in health and community centres and environments.

What does a nursing assistant do?

Nursing assistants help nurses provide patients with support and services in health and community centre environments. They are understanding and helpful with patients and able to perform a variety of functions and services.

Duties and tasks

  • Provide specialised care and treatment for elderly, mental health patients and patients with disabilities.
  • Assist nurses, doctors, physical and occupational therapists in treatments and rehabilitation movements while treating patients.
  • Assist patients with personal requests to ensure they are comfortable and to minimise pain or discomfort.
  • Collaborate with nurses to understand individual patient circumstances and plan for recovery.
  • Help patients perform basic activities such as eating, showering and changing in hospitals, doctors offices, residential care and convalescent homes.
  • Monitor patients and notify nurses and doctors of patients development and reaction to treatments and medications.
  • Provide routine sterilisation and cleaning of patient rooms, linens and garments and maintain personal cleanliness and sterilisation to prevent infections from spreading.

Industry bodies

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