Nursing Assistants and Orderlies
Work Activities
Answer call bells and greet patients.
Help patients with walking, bathing, dressing, and eating. Also help them with exercising and using the bathroom.
Prepare food trays and serve meals.
Check temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and respiration of patients.
Turn patients who cannot turn over in bed.
Give medicines as directed by supervising nurse or physician.
Set up and monitor equipment.
Keep records of food intake, liquid output, and vital signs. May collect samples of bodily fluids.
Clean rooms and change beds.
Give lotion and alcohol rubs.
Meet with nursing staff and read chart notes.
Observe and report changes in patients' emotions or alertness.
Speak with family members and other visitors.
Move patients by wheelchair or gurney.
Sterilize equipment and supplies.
Deliver messages, gifts, and flowers.
Stock supplies, such as dressings and treatment trays.
Assist and care for others
Communicate with supervisors, peers, or subordinates
Identify objects, actions, and events
Establish and maintain relationships
Get information needed to do the job
Monitor events, materials, and surroundings
Evaluate information against standards
Perform activities that use the whole body
Inspect equipment, structures, or materials
Make decisions and solve problems
Coordinate the work and activities of others
Explain the meaning of information to others
Handle and move objects
Teach others
Judge the value of objects, services, or people
Organize, plan, and prioritize work
Document and record information
Resolve conflicts and negotiate with others
Develop and build teams
Coach others
Schedule work and activities
Estimate sizes, quantities, time, cost, or materials needed
Process information
Update and use job-related knowledge
Working Conditions
Interpersonal Relationships
Have a high level of social interaction with patients, visitors, nurses, and other staff members.
Speak to others in person on a daily basis. They also communicate by telephone, but less frequently.
Are responsible for the health and safety of patients.
Sometimes are placed in conflict situations in which patients and family members may be upset or angry.
Are somewhat responsible for the work done by other assistants.
Nearly always work as part of a team.
Sometimes must handle patients who are physically aggressive or violent.
Physical Work Conditions
Always wear uniforms.
Always work indoors.
Work very near others. They come in physical contact with patients throughout their shift.
Are often exposed to contaminants.
Often are exposed to diseases or infections from contact with patients.
Sometimes wear safety gear, such as latex gloves, face masks, and back support.
Work Performance
Must be exact in their work. Errors could seriously endanger patients' health.
Often make decisions that affect patients and other assistants. They make some decisions without talking to a supervisor, but usually consult someone first.
Set some of their daily tasks and goals without talking to a supervisor first.
Abide by daily and weekly deadlines.
Sometimes must repeat the same activities.
Hours/Travel
May work days, nights, weekends, and holidays.
May work full time or part time. Most work full time.
Generally work a set schedule.
Physical Demands
Nursing assistants frequently:
Walk or run for long periods of time.
Stand for long periods of time.
Bend or twist their body.
Repeat the same movements.
Use their hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls.
It is important for nursing assistants to be able to:
See details of objects that are less than a few feet away.
Understand the speech of another person.
Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
Use muscles to lift, push, pull, or carry heavy objects.
Use stomach and lower back muscles to support the body for long periods without getting tired.
Bend, stretch, twist, or reach out.
Hold the arm and hand in one position or hold the hand steady while moving the arm.
It is not as important, but still necessary, for nursing assistants to be able to:
Use fingers to grasp, move, or assemble very small objects.
Be physically active for long periods without getting tired or out of breath.
See details of objects that are more than a few feet away.
Use one or two hands to grasp, move, or assemble objects.
Move two or more limbs together (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while remaining in place.
See differences between colors, shades, and brightness.
Hear sounds and recognize the difference between them.
Coordinate movement of several parts of the body, such as arms and legs, while the body is moving.
Move arms and legs quickly.
Use muscles for extended periods without getting tired.
Focus on one source of sound and ignore others.
Determine the distance between objects.
Keep or regain the body's balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.
Make quick, precise adjustments to machine controls.
Choose quickly and correctly among various movements when responding to different signals.
React quickly using hands, fingers, or feet.
Use muscles to jump, sprint, or throw objects.
Skills and Abilities
Communicate
Understand spoken information.
Listen to others and ask questions.
Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
Understand written information.
Read and understand work-related materials.
Reason and Problem Solve
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong.
Combine several pieces of information and draw conclusions.
Analyze ideas and use logic to determine their strengths and weaknesses.
Use reasoning to discover answers to problems.
Develop rules that group items in various ways.
Follow guidelines to arrange objects or actions in a certain order.
Manage Oneself, People, Time, and Things
Check how well one is learning or doing something.
Work with People
Look for ways to help people.
Be aware of others’ reactions and understand the possible causes.
Change behavior in relation to others’ actions.
Knowledge
Nursing assistants need knowledge in the following areas:
Customer and Personal Service: Providing special services to customers based on their needs.
English Language: The meaning and use of the English language.
Psychology: People, their actions, and mental processes and how to treat problems.
Medicine and Dentistry: Injuries and illnesses and plans for treatment.
Public Safety and Security: How to protect people and property.
Education and Training: The methods of teaching and learning.
Therapy and Counseling: The mental or physical problems and methods for treatment.
Interests and Values
Nursing assistants typically have the following interests:
Have social interests. They like work activities that assist others and promote learning and personal development. They like to communicate with others: to teach, give advice, help, or otherwise be of service to others.
Have conventional interests. They like work activities that follow set procedures, routines, and standards. They like to work with data and detail. They prefer working where there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Have realistic interests. They like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like to work with plants, animals, and physical materials such as wood, tools, and machinery. They often prefer to work outside.
Values
Nursing assistants typically have the following work values:
Consider relationships important. They like to work in a friendly, non-competitive environment. They like to do things for other people. They prefer jobs where they are not pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
Consider support from their employer important. They like to be treated fairly and have supervisors who will back them up. They prefer jobs where they are trained well.