Nursing Assistants
Provide or assist with basic care or support under the direction of onsite licensed nursing staff. Perform duties such as monitoring of health status, feeding, bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, or ambulation of patients in a health or nursing facility. May include medication administration and other health-related tasks. Includes nursing care attendants, nursing aides, and nursing attendants.
Nursing Assistants earn a median of $20.32/hr — about $42,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $16.32/hr; the top 10% earn $24.99/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- Turn or reposition bedridden patients.
- Answer patient call signals, signal lights, bells, or intercom systems to determine patients' needs.
- Feed patients or assist patients to eat or drink.
- Measure and record food and liquid intake or urinary and fecal output, reporting changes to medical or nursing staff.
- Provide physical support to assist patients to perform daily living activities, such as getting out of bed, bathing, dressing, using the toilet, standing, walking, or exercising.
- Document or otherwise report observations of patient behavior, complaints, or physical symptoms to nurses.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Post-secondary certificate. Overall preparation: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).
The feel of the work
You're around people constantly; precision matters — small details carry weight. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 1.3% of nursing assistants are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are people-focused, hands-on and organized and detail-focused.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
- Physical Therapist Assistants
- Occupational Therapy Assistants
- Medical Transcriptionists
- Psychiatric Aides
- Phlebotomists
- Occupational Therapy Aides
Quick questions
- How much does a nursing assistant make?
- The median pay is $20.32 per hour — roughly $42,500 a year, with the real range running from about $16.32/hr (10th percentile) to $24.99/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a nursing assistant?
- The typical entry-level education is: Post-secondary certificate. Overall preparation level: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).
- What does a nursing assistant actually do all day?
- Turn or reposition bedridden patients. Answer patient call signals, signal lights, bells, or intercom systems to determine patients' needs. Feed patients or assist patients to eat or drink.
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