Nursing Assistants
Provide basic patient care under the direction of a nurse.
Quick Facts
Wages: |
Data not available
Read more about wages
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Outlook: |
Data not available
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Education: |
Vocational training
is typically required.
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On the Job: |
Typical Work Tasks
- Adjust positions of patients on beds or tables.
- Administer basic health care or medical treatments.
- Administer therapy treatments to patients using hands or physical treatment aids.
- Apply bandages, dressings, or splints.
Read more about the job
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Job Title Examples: |
Hospital Assistant
Patient Care Assistant (PCA)
Certified Nurses Aide (CNA)
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View All Career Information
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Wages & Outlook
Typical Wages
Data not available
Employment
Where do Nursing Assistants most often work?
Current Demand
No data available.
Future Demand
No data available.
On the Job
Nursing Assistants perform duties such as feeding, bathing, dressing, or moving patients. They may transfer or transport patients. They work in clinical settings, rather than patients' homes.
Physical Demands
This career requires time standing, walking, or running.
Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:
- Adjust positions of patients on beds or tables.
- Administer basic health care or medical treatments.
- Administer therapy treatments to patients using hands or physical treatment aids.
- Apply bandages, dressings, or splints.
- Assist patients with daily activities.
- Assist practitioners to perform medical procedures.
- Feed patients.
- Give medications or immunizations.
- Hold patients to ensure proper positioning or safety.
- Interview patients to gather medical information.
Typical Working Conditions
- Having face-to-face discussions.
- Close physical proximity with other people.
- Working with a group or team.
- Walking and running.
- Wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats, or life jackets.
- Exposure to disease or infections.
- Responsibility for others' health and safety.
- Frequent decision-making.
- The importance of being accurate or exact.
- Meeting strict deadlines.
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Education & Credentials
Educational Requirements
Vocational training
Education level attained (national data)
Education Level Attained (national data)Education Level Attained | Percentage of workers in this occupation |
Less than high school diploma | 12.7 |
High school diploma or equivalent | 36.1 |
Some college, no degree | 31.2 |
Associate degree | 10.5 |
Bachelors degree | 7.2 |
Masters degree | 1.4 |
Doctoral (Ph.D) or professional degree | 0.9 |
Work Experience and Training Requirements
Nationally, this career typically requires:
- No related work experience for entry.
- Little or no on-the-job training to become competent.
Current Training Opportunities
Related Programs
Majors
Click on any of the Majors listed below to find out more about preparing for this
career.
Transfer Options
Enrolling in a community college can be a great place to start your four-year degree. While all 31 Minnesota State community colleges,
technical colleges and universities offer all or part of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum
(a 40-credit package of general education courses accepted for transfer to other state colleges and universities, the University of Minnesota,
and some private colleges and universities), not all two-year colleges offer degrees intended to transfer to a four-year bachelor's degree.
If you plan to transfer to obtain a four-year bachelor's degree, it is important to know which degree path is right for you:
- Associate of Arts (AA) degrees offered at community colleges are designed to transfer into liberal arts four-year majors.
- Associate of Science (AS) and Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) degrees offered at community and technical colleges transfer into specific four-year majors and will likely require completing additional general education courses at a university.
- Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees offered at technical and community colleges are not designed to transfer. They lead to immediate entry into the workplace.
- Diplomas and certificates offered at technical colleges are not designed to transfer. They lead to immediate entry into the workplace.
Talk to a transfer specialist as early as possible to determine the best associate degree for your goals. Be sure to review your Degree Audit Report (DARS) each semester to best prepare for transfer. Get more help understanding transfer using the tools below.
Apprenticeship
A registered apprenticeship is a structured way of learning a skilled occupation, craft, or trade. It combines
on-the-job training and classroom instruction.
View the recent 1 apprenticeship(s) for this occupation.
Licenses
Licenses are knowledge and skill credentials that are legally required in some careers.
This occupation requires a license.
Nursing Assistant Registry (NAR)
Personal Care Assistant (PCA) Certification
Helpful High School Courses
Examples of helpful classes that help you prepare for this career:
- Anatomy
- Chemistry
- Community Health
- Computer Applications
- Human Development
- Medical Ethics
- Nutrition
- Research Methods
- Safety and First Aid/CPR
- Sociology
- Statistics
- World Languages
In Minnesota, your school may have developed a Program of Study in this career area.
A Program of Study is an academic and career plan developed by your high school to help move you towards a career
and college path. A Program of Study can help you:
- Select high school classes that prepare you for college and getting a job
- Understand how the classes you're taking in high school lead to a career
- Identify extra-curricular activities that are related to your career interest
- See what classes at your school offer early college credit that will save you time and money towards your college expenses
- Graduate from high school prepared for your next step toward the career you choose
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Skills & Knowledge
Most Important Skills for Nursing Assistants
- Helping Others—Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Speaking—Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Being Aware of Others—Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Reading—Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- 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.
- Monitoring Performance—Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Thinking Critically—Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Coordinating with Others—Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Writing—Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Learning New Things—Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Most Important Knowledge Areas for Nursing Assistants
- Customer and Personal Service—Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Psychology—Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
- English Language—Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Medicine and Dentistry—Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
- Education and Training—Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
- Public Safety and Security—Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
- Therapy and Counseling—Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
- Computers and Electronics—Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- Clerical—Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
- Personnel and Human Resources—Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Interests
Different careers may be a good fit for your personality or interests. This career is:
- Social—Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
- Conventional—Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Learn more about your interests. Take the MnCareers Interest Assessment.
Describe Your Skills
People who have worked in this career typically perform the following tasks.
These statements can help a prospective employer understand what you can do, on a resume or during an interview.
- Helping and caring for people.
- Communicating with supervisors, co-workers, or people that work under you.
- Identifying information by categorizing, comparing, or detecting changes in circumstances or events.
- Creating and maintaining interpersonal relationships.
- Collecting information from different sources.
- Monitoring information from a variety of sources to find problems.
- Evaluating information to determine compliance with standards.
- Performing general physical abilities.
Careers that Use Similar Skills
This is a new or emerging career specialty. Information on similar careers is still under development.
View more careers in the Health Science cluster
View more careers in the Therapeutic Services pathway
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
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Jobs
Real-time job data provided by Gartner TalentNeuron
Job Title Examples
Hospital Assistant,
Patient Care Assistant (PCA),
Certified Nurses Aide (CNA),
Attendant,
Certified Medication Aide (CMA),
Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA),
Patient Care Technician (PCT),
Psychiatric Attendant
Where Do Nursing Assistants Work?
Nursing Assistants often work in the following industries.
Source: You can learn about our data sources in the About Us section.