| Do you love the medical industry, helping others and | | | | stressful. It is not for everyone. Being a nursing |
| working with people in need? Are you patient, | | | | assistant requires a great deal of compassion, |
| outgoing, warm and friendly? Do you love meeting | | | | patience and tolerance. Nursing assistants should |
| new people and facing everyday challenges? If so, | | | | enjoy working with a variety of people who may be |
| you may want to pursue a career as a nursing | | | | injured, disabled or mentally unstable. They should |
| assistant. Once you obtain the correct professional | | | | enjoy providing safety and comfort, have a good |
| experience and training, you will immediately be able | | | | sense of humor and love talking to people who may |
| to begin working with doctors, nurses and other | | | | possess different ethnic or financial backgrounds. If |
| medical practitioners. | | | | you possess most of these characteristics, you |
| Nursing assistants are trained for the medical | | | | would be an ideal nursing assistant. It can be an |
| profession in trade, vocational or technical schools. | | | | extremely rewarding career. |
| Following a student's graduation, a nursing assistant | | | | Once you obtain a nursing assistant certification, you |
| may choose to become a certified nursing assistant, | | | | will be able to pursue a position in hospitals, adult day |
| which will increase the likelihood of a higher-paying | | | | health centers, nursing homes, personal homes or |
| position. This involves more schooling and a | | | | assisted living apartments. Nursing assistants typically |
| professional certification. | | | | work under the supervision of a knowledgeable |
| Various regions of the United States give different | | | | medical staff. |
| titles to nursing assistants. An assistant can also be | | | | Nursing assistant classes are usually led by a |
| known as a nurse's aid, an orderly, a home health | | | | professionally-registered nurse. The length of training |
| aide, a personal care assistant and a patient care | | | | can vary. Many times, schools will offer night or |
| technician. Basically, they all perform the same regular | | | | weekend classes for people who already possess a |
| duties of dressing, meals, exercising, toiletry, | | | | full-time job or have children. These classes teach the |
| administering medications, bathing, recording vital signs | | | | fundamentals of providing care. Nursing assistant |
| and other general care to provide each patient with | | | | courses include medical and surgical nursing, |
| quality attention. Patient care technicians also provide | | | | pharmacology, physiology, anatomy, newborn care, |
| personal care and attention to elderly or handicapped | | | | infection control, personal care, phlebotomy, |
| people who may not be able to independently take | | | | emergency care, patient safety, First Aid and CPR. |
| care of themselves. | | | | Students are also given hands-on experience that |
| Working in the medical field can be demanding and | | | | properly prepares them for a nursing career. |