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Nursing Aide and Attendant Job Description
Career tips, salaries, and lists of schools.
When a patient is in a hospital, nursing home or mental health clinic, the health professionals who spend the most time providing care to them are nursing aides. Nursing aides provide direct care to patients in regards to their comfort, exercise, hygiene and safety, including:
- Responding to requests for assistance
- Serving meals and beverages
- Helping patients eat, bathe, groom and dress
- Making beds and tidy rooms
- Assisting patients in getting in and out of bed
- Escorting patients to other areas in the facility
- Taking vitals such as blood pressure and temperature
- Observing and report changes in patient status
- Assisting with some procedures
- Setting up equipment
- Maintaining inventory
Nursing aides are also referred to as hospital attendants, nursing assistants, patient care assistants, nurse aides and orderlies. They may provide care to some patients for years.
Degrees and Schools
Programs that train nursing aides are available through high schools, community colleges, vocational schools and some nursing homes. These programs must be approved by the state in order to qualify the student for required certification. Training takes a minimum of 75 hours and focuses on preparing students to take state competency tests and become certified nurse assistants (CNAs).
Classes
Training programs for nursing aides combine coursework and supervised clinical experience providing direct care to patients. Courses usually include:
- anatomy, physiology and body mechanics
- nutrition
- helping patients eat, bathe and groom
- infection control and sanitary standards
- communication and caregiving skills
- ethics and patients' rights
Online Classes and Programs
Online training programs are available for nursing aides and attendants, although they often do not include the supervised clinical experience and job placement assistance that on-campus programs usually offer. It is important to note that any program should be approved by the state in which the student plans to work in order for the graduate to qualify for certification.
In addition to state approval, online courses should be part of an institution with accreditation from agencies approved by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or United States Department of Education (USDE)..
Employment Requirements
A high school diploma or equivalent is usually required by community colleges and vocational schools, and by employers of nursing aides and attendants. Hospital programs may require relevant previous experience.
Federal law requires that nursing aides and attendants become certified nurse assistants (CNAs) by completing at least 75 hours of state-approved training and passing a competency evaluation.
How to Evaluate Schools
Consider reviewing these questions when evaluating nursing aide training programs:
- State approval - Has the program been approved by the state in which the student plans to work?
- Curricula and focus - Does the program include at least 75 hours of training and focus on preparing students to take state competency exams?
- Class structure and practical experience - Does the program provide substantial supervised clinical experience working with patients?
- Tuition and financial aid - What financial aid opportunities (grants, scholarships and student loans) are available to defray the cost of tuition?
- Graduate success - Of those students who graduated in the previous several years, how many were successfully certified upon graduation and were employed soon after?
Worker Reviews of This Career
Sort Reviews By:Job Title: Certified Nurse Aide
Attended: Comstock Adult Education Program • Comstock, MI
Studied Nurse Aide Program (completion in 2011)
Highest relevant degree: Certificate
• Submitted: 1/23/2012
"The job is very hard and often stressful. I want to advance further into the medical field and I do not plan on being an aide the rest of my life."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 5 | The teachers were very experienced and it was a very informational course. My main issue was there is a lot to know in order to be a nurse aide and this program goes through it very quickly. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 3 | The only opportunity I have for promotion is to become lead nurse aide, which would mean a pay increase and I would be the leader for all the aides on my shift. Other jobs would require further education. |
| Job Security | 10 | Most employers are very desperate to get nurse aides since it is such a hard job. Since it is so challenging, there is also a high turnover rate, so there are always jobs out there. |
| Earnings Potential | 6 | The job has earning potential like any other job - the longer you stay, the higher you're paid. You also get performance-based raises every 6 months. Also, if you get hired at a hospital, you can get paid very well. |
| How Stressful | 9 | It can be extremely stressful. At my job, there are 12-14 people you are assigned to and you are in charge of helping get their needs met. Often all of them want the same things at the same time and you have to run around trying to help everyone at once. Also, some of your residents may require assistance from 2 aides (if they are very heavy or have limited mobility) and it can be hard to get someone to help you because they are busy with their own group of residents. |
| Task Variety | 5 | Each shift has its own routine and its own flow. You may do things in a different order each day, but it basically consists of you following a set schedule. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 3 | It is not very glamorous. You do feel good that you are helping people but you have to change diapers and clean up BM. It is definitely not prestigious or glamorous. |
| Career Flexibility | 7 | There are a lot of jobs out there. There are full-time, part-time and also PRN (as needed). You could work as a home health aide which is similar to a nurse aide. |
| Social Orientation | 10 | You have to interact with fellow aides to help you as well as nurse supervisors. Additionally, you have to help your group of residents as well as other aide's residents. It's constant social interaction. |
Job Title: Nurses Aide
Attended: Winthrop University Hospital • Mineola, NY
Studied Nurses Aide (completion in 1993)
Highest relevant degree: Associate's
• Submitted: 1/20/2012
"The job has changed dramatically and the hospital has taken away a lot of the responsibilities we used to have. There are more patients and not enough staff."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 10 | The teachers were former nurses and they were patient and they taught how to care, not just the job requirements. They also wanted us to pursue higher certifications like nursing (LPN or RN). |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 1 | There is nothing beyond Nurses aide. I would need to go back to college. |
| Job Security | 10 | The hospital is in need of aides and can't get any. Laying us off or firing us would mean less of us and more work for the nurses. |
| Earnings Potential | 5 | I am an aide, not a nurse, and I make a flat rate. Generally this rate is the same from hospital to hospital. |
| How Stressful | 8 | It's stressful when census is high and we are down staff. It's also stressful when we are short nurses. |
| Task Variety | 3 | My tasks rarely vary. I have a set routine and even when patients call it's for the same things. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 8 | My job is cool because I can make a patient's day by the simple things I do. Bed pans and urinals make people happy! |
| Career Flexibility | 8 | I can work a second job if needed. Working from home is not an option. |
| Social Orientation | 9 | I am constantly socially interactive. I talk to my patients and I am always learning. A quiet aide knows nothing about her patients' needs. |
Job Title: CNA
Attended: Chemeketa Community College • Salem, OR
Studied Nursing Assistant Training Program (completion in 2008)
Highest relevant degree: Certificate
• Submitted: 1/22/2012
"Patient contact and helping others proves to be very rewarding, but there are not a lot of advancement opportunities."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 7 | Chemeketa is very well known for their nursing and nursing assistant program. It was fairly difficult, but well worth the effort. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 2 | I work for a fairly small facility and there is not a lot of places for a CNA to move. If I had the time or money, I would like to look at nursing school. |
| Job Security | 8 | We have recently had several people move on to other careers. This left us with a high need for individuals in my position. |
| Earnings Potential | 3 | When you first start, the pay seems very good. However, for what is required of you, the pay is not enough. |
| How Stressful | 9 | There is constantly something that needs to be done. Often times lunch will not come until the end of my shift. |
| Task Variety | 2 | It is pretty much the same thing everyday. Patients are on a very strict schedule. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 4 | Being involved in others' lives and working with RN's is pretty "cool." However, the prestige and glamor are nowhere to be found with the career. |
| Career Flexibility | 6 | Usually the job is very flexible in hours since the shifts go through the night. However, with the recent turn over in employment, there is much less flexibility. |
| Social Orientation | 7 | Often times throughout the day I work with others to lift or move patients. This part of the job is very nice. I enjoy working as a team instead of alone. |
Job Title: Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
Attended: Eastern New Mexico University Roswell • Roswell, NM
Studied Certified Nursing Assistant Program (completion in 1990)
Highest relevant degree: Certificate
• Submitted: 1/19/2012
"Since I worked at Nursing homes to start and later in private homes, it involves a lot of manual labor. Many of my co-workers had back problems."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 5 | The program I took was very short, but it did teach me the basics I needed in the field, such as how to take vital signs, give bed baths, and how to help people with their Activities of Daily Living. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 5 | You can work up the ladder, but opportunities are limited unless you go ahead and get your RN or LPN and become a nurse. Most of the supervisor jobs go to nurses. All CNAs are practicing under a nurses supervision. |
| Job Security | 9 | This will always be a field where workers are necessary. Although there are many innovations with computers (most charting is done on the computer now), the fact remains humans still have to do a lot of personal contact when caring for people who cannot do things for themselves, so the job is secure. |
| Earnings Potential | 7 | Most CNA's (at least around here) make around $9 - $10 per hour to start. If you specialize and can do temporary duty for a an agency, I've heard of $15-17 per hour, which is higher than average here for a worker. |
| How Stressful | 8 | Many times you have someone's life in your hands. You are very responsible for making sure your patient does not get hurt, and is clean, and you have to always be checking for any signs that something is not right. |
| Task Variety | 5 | I never knew what would await me when I clocked in everyday. Some things do not vary, though. We had to do "rounds" - that is, check vital signs, make sure everyone was clean and dry, and do whatever the nurse had assigned us to do for the day. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 3 | It is not a very glamorous job. It involves a lot of physical labor, and dealing with incontinence, etc. |
| Career Flexibility | 10 | Most places I have worked at have been very flexible because it is very difficult to keep good workers. Many places even offer a sign on bonus if you work for them. |
| Social Orientation | 9 | When working as a CNA, regardless of where, you are interacting constantly, with nurses, doctors, the family of the person or persons you care for. Even when working for a family (private duty), there are many people you have to contact. |
Job Title: Certified Nursing Attendant
Attended: Washburn Institute Of Technology • Topeka, KS
Studied CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) And HHA (Home Health Aide) (completion in 2009)
Highest relevant degree: Certificate
• Submitted: 1/23/2012
"I wasn't satisfied with it because I didn't get to help people like I thought I was going to. I planned to further my career in Nursing, and decided it wasn't for me and so I am switching to Medical Office Technician."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 10 | I had an EXCELLENT instructor who was very patient and skilled in teaching us. She went strictly by "The Book" and did lots of hands-on training. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 1 | I didn't like the career I chose to get certified in. So, since I'm changing careers, there's no chance at promotion. |
| Job Security | 2 | They are interested in keeping people on who want to further their careers in nursing. There's no security in a job you don't enjoy. It shows when you don't enjoy it and therefore, your job performance is poor. |
| Earnings Potential | 3 | The highest pay for a CNA here in Kansas is $10.00/hr. Unless I want to owe $40,000 in loans to go to school, there's not much earning potential. |
| How Stressful | 8 | We are very short staffed, with 20+ residents to each CNA. You must take each of them to the bathroom every two hours, and there are other regulations that make the job VERY stressful. |
| Task Variety | 10 | I'm in different units of the nursing home all the time. I'm mostly in the Dementia unit, and it gets crazy in there - different EVERYday! |
| How Cool Is The Career | 8 | I think it's really cool to get to know the residents and talk to them. Also, to be honest I love wearing scrubs, because it makes me feel more professional and confident. |
| Career Flexibility | 2 | I was mostly PRN. The other part of the time I was told day by day what schedule I was doing the next day, and was told I was to do doubles the same day. |
| Social Orientation | 10 | I'm always talking to residents and meeting their families. When I'm walking somewhere, I'm always saying hello to someone, or getting orders from the RN. |
Job Title: OB Tech
Attended: American Center For Technical Arts And Sciences • Philadelphia, PA
Studied Operating Room Technician/Phlebotomy (completion in 2000)
Highest relevant degree: Certificate
• Submitted: 1/22/2012
"I would like to become an RN and make more money. I feel like techs do a lot of the work that the nurses do but get paid less than half of some of them."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 4 | They did not offer enough time for hands on practice for the things that we would need to know to be comfortable for going out into the field. They were not very organized and closed shortly after Ii finished the program. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 1 | We can not get promoted unless we receive more schooling. We can change specialties and possibly get a raise, but that is it. |
| Job Security | 8 | I feel like the healthcare system will always utilized techs. We don't cost them a lot of money and they get a lot of the grunt work out of us. |
| Earnings Potential | 7 | I make fairly good money. I think I could make more considering the fact that I specialized and do more than regular techs. |
| How Stressful | 10 | I have to be able to work in triage, the operating room, and antepartum. My role is slightly different in each department. I have to be able to switch roles as needed and I may have to switch several time a days and go where I am needed most. |
| Task Variety | 7 | My tasks always stay within my scope of practice, but that is a pretty wide range. However, that changes depending on which unit I am in for the day. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 6 | I think it is OK. I work in labor and delivery so I get to do more than the regular techs, and that is cool. |
| Career Flexibility | 6 | We can not work from home. We have to be at the site, either the client's home or in a doctor's office in hospital. But we can get pretty flexible schedules when we work in the hospital because it is open 24 hours a day. |
| Social Orientation | 10 | We have to talk to the patients and their families constantly. We also have to keep open communication with the rest of the staff. |
Job Title: Nurse's Aide
Attended: Guyan Valley Vocational School • Hamlin, WV
Studied Nursing (completion in 1993)
Highest relevant degree: Certificate
• Submitted: 1/19/2012
"It is hard work, but the good part of the job is knowing you are helping people."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 10 | Guyan Valley Vocational was very good at teaching us about nursing. We did hands on work, so that's a plus when getting into the nursing field. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 1 | I haven't been promoted. We do have opportunities to get promoted, but I'm just happy with where I am. |
| Job Security | 1 | With the economy the way it is, I don't think anything is secure. |
| Earnings Potential | 5 | We get raises and holiday pay like most other people, but other than that we don't really make very much money for the work that we do. |
| How Stressful | 10 | I think nursing is a very stressful job because you're always on the move. There is no time to slow down. |
| Task Variety | 3 | We usually do the same things - feed, bathe, put clothing on, comb hair, and brush teeth. It usually stays the same, though we get to switch residences every other day. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 10 | It's always cool to meet new people and even cooler to help people out. |
| Career Flexibility | 1 | I have four daughters, so nothing is flexible. |
| Social Orientation | 5 | When you get the time you can socialize with other nurses and family members of the elderly, but you stay busy most of the time. |
Job Title: CNA
Attended: College Of Southern Nevada • Las Vegas, NV
Studied Nursing Assistant (completion in 2010)
Highest relevant degree: Certificate
• Submitted: 1/22/2012
"My original goal was to find a position in a hospital, which has proven much harder than I thought it would be. It has also turned out to be much more difficult physically and emotionally. I have also badly and permanently hurt my back doing this work."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 10 | CSN had very good teachers who were motivating and helpful. The course was perfect in teaching the information needed and preparing students to enter the work field. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 3 | You cannot get promoted as a CNA unless you you go back to school and get licensed for a higher nursing position. However, you can find a job as a unit clerk and other various positions, but they are extremely hard to find and require an awful lot of experience. |
| Job Security | 8 | CNAs, along with all nursing personnel, will always be needed, so there is always a demand. There are many different facilities you can work in that are always hiring, i.e. nursing homes, hospice, hospitals. |
| Earnings Potential | 6 | The starting wage is just above minimum wage. Depending on your employer it can take a very long time with no bonuses to receive pay raises. Hospitals pay the most, but is incredibly hard to get jobs there. |
| How Stressful | 8 | It is very, very physically demanding with long hours. It is also very stressful dealing with difficult patients. |
| Task Variety | 9 | You develop a routine over time, but tasks change everyday with patients' health and thus you have to do different tasks depending on their ability to help you. Also, tasks differ due to patients' moods. You also rotate on schedules for rooms, hall, dining, or patient assignments. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 3 | The nursing field in general is revered for working with people's health and saving lives. As a CNA, however, it's not very "cool" to change diapers and shower patients. It's a very dirty and physically demanding job. |
| Career Flexibility | 8 | Depending on where you work, there are many different shifts and specialties you can have. You can also work in different facilities such as nursing homes, rehab, hospital, etc. Home health can be very flexible with scheduling and you can also work with a very wide variety of patients. |
| Social Orientation | 10 | You are constantly interacting with patients and coworkers. You must be very sociable as your attitude affects patients' health. Also, you must be able to relay medical information to coworkers. |
Job Title: Certified Nursing Assistant
Attended: Saint Petersburg College • Saint Petersburg, FL
Studied Health Information Management (completion in 2012)
Highest relevant degree: Associate's
• Submitted: 1/20/2012
"I am not satisfied with the CNA career for many reasons. The number one reason is the low pay scale for the hard work. Secondly, I am unsatisfied because of the treatment of CNA's in the workplace environment - there is a lack of respect from LPNs and RNs."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 7 | SPC provides a solid foundation of knowledge pertinent to my chosen career. The program is up-to-date and keeps students in tune with what is happening in the health information technology/management field. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 4 | There aren't many opportunities for promotion within the CNA field. In order to get promoted, one must gain more education and either become an LPN or RN. There is a CNA-II designation or switching from nursing homes to hospitals, which usually pay more. |
| Job Security | 9 | People age and require additional care. CNAs will always have good job security because someone has to be there to do the grunt work. |
| Earnings Potential | 3 | CNAs get paid on the lower end of the spectrum. The average CNA in a nursing home or long term care setting makes $9/hr. Working at a hospital adds about $2/hr and if you work per diem with no benefits, the pay goes up to about $14/hr. |
| How Stressful | 10 | Being a CNA is physically and emotionally stressful. You are on your feet all day providing care for other human beings. Most of these people are either at the end of their lives or are very ill. They will die sooner rather than later and it is hard to deal with death after becoming attached and close to someone you learned to love. |
| Task Variety | 1 | This career has very routine tasks. You are mainly aiding in activities of daily living. Daily tasks hardly vary, if ever. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 1 | CNAs aid people with activities of daily living, which include bathing, feeding, and dressing, to name a few of the duties. It's not very cool to be changing diapers with human waste in it, however rewarding the career may be. |
| Career Flexibility | 2 | Even though health care facilities are open 24 hours/day, this position is not very flexible. Due to the nature of the work, there are set schedules. You have to be there to provide the necessary care for people. There is no ability to work-at-home, but there are always available jobs in this field. |
| Social Orientation | 5 | Social interaction is about average. There are times during the day when it is necessary to ask for help, such as when moving a patient. Usually lunch, breakfast, and dinner times can be social times for staff because the patients are eating and staff has time to talk. |
Job Title: Certified Nursing Assistant
Attended: Hillyard Technical School • St. Joseph, MO
Studied Certified Nursing Assistant (completion in 2010)
Highest relevant degree: Certificate
• Submitted: 1/19/2012
"I really enjoy having a job in the health care field because I feel like I am positively impacting the lives of others. The work is sometimes long and hard, however, and can be stressful at times."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 9 | We were given all the information that we needed to succeed and the instructor made sure everyone understood everything and was enjoying progressing towards their careers. When I first started working as a nursing assistant in long-term care, I felt very prepared and was able to utilize the skills I had learned in class. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 5 | There are not really a lot of ways to further advance my career. I can't get promoted to a "higher" status. I could get a raise for doing a good job or get "better shifts," but there is no way I can really advance unless I return to school to obtain my RN or LPN. |
| Job Security | 9 | I feel like nursing assistants will always be needed. More and more individuals are requiring health care and nursing. I feel like my job will always be in demand. |
| Earnings Potential | 3 | The average salary for a nursing assistant is often less than $10/hr. I only make about $9 working in long-term care. I don't feel like I have the potential to earn a lot more than that if I don't advance my career. |
| How Stressful | 10 | There is often a lot going on at the same time and it is necessary to prioritize duties. Working in long-term care, I am responsible for about 15 residents. I must wake them up, get them dressed, toileted, and ready for breakfast. I am also responsible for their bathing, eating, and transferring them to and from their beds and chairs throughout the day. It is often a lot to do and many residents need your help at the same time. It is often long long hours and very stressful work. |
| Task Variety | 3 | I do basically the same thing each day. Each day I am responsible for waking the residents up, taking them to the restroom, dressing them, helping them with grooming tasks, and getting them to breakfast. It is the same thing each day. However, working with elderly clients, you never know what each day will bring and their attitudes and behaviors often change each day, which makes each day exciting. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 5 | I feel like most nursing assistants are looked down upon because they don't make very much money and are subordinate to nurses. I also feel like it's not very prestigious and that it's not necessarily a job to be bragging about. |
| Career Flexibility | 9 | Nursing assistants can be employed in a variety of settings. There is long-term care, hospitals, doctor's offices, and home health, to name a few. Being that it is so versatile, the schedule is flexible as well. You can do days, evenings, or over-night shifts and be a full or part time employee. |
| Social Orientation | 8 | My co-workers are always around and there is always someone to talk to. That being said, I am very busy helping the residents each day, so I most often only get to speak with my co-workers about work related aspects. The residents, since I see the same ones daily, and I have grown close and we often chat with each other about our families. I feel like some of them are closer to me than my own grandparents and it's very nice for both of us to have someone to talk to like that. |
Job Title: Certified Nurse's Aide
Attended: Lorain County Community College • Elyria, OH
Studied Registered Nursing (completion in 2007)
Highest relevant degree: Certificate
• Submitted: 1/23/2012
"I am very satisfied helping others in the work I do, however I get paid close to minimum wage and have no benefits. There is no health/dental insurance and no paid time off, and there is no room for advancement or raises."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 10 | I had the best professors for the nurse's aide program I was in and they taught me very well. They took the time to work with you personally and answer any questions. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 1 | There are no opportunities for advancement at the facility I work at. They are a home health care agency. |
| Job Security | 10 | There is always a need for healthcare workers such as nurses and nurse's aides. Healthcare facilities always seem to be hiring. |
| Earnings Potential | 2 | I get paid $8.00 an hour and have a 25-30 minute drive to work each day. After taxes are taken out and I have to pay for gas, I do not make much money. |
| How Stressful | 9 | Dealing with other family members in the home is always very stressful. It is never pleasant when there is violence in the home or the clients themselves are violent. |
| Task Variety | 3 | Tasks are almost always the same everyday. Unless a client is sick, you will not have to change the routine unless directed to do so by the agency. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 1 | It can be frightening to work at a client's house in an unsafe neighborhood. If the client's family is unpleasant, you have to deal with them, and the job itself is never a "clean" job. |
| Career Flexibility | 8 | We can almost always pick the hours we want to work. We can switch from full to part time and vice versa fairly easily. There is always more work we can sign up for and we can move to different locations if they become available. |
| Social Orientation | 10 | You are almost always interacting with your client, unless they are sleeping. If family members live with them, there also is always someone to interact with. |
Job Title: Certified Nursing Assistant
Attended: Enoree Career And Technology Center • Greenville, AL
Studied Certified Nursing Assistant (completion in 2008)
Highest relevant degree: Certificate
• Submitted: 1/24/2012
"I enjoy my job, but the amount of work that is put into it is not equivalent to the amount that I am paid. I would rate my job a 10 if I made a lot more money."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 10 | Enoree Career and Technology Center is a great school to attend to become a nursing assistant. They provide a great classroom experience to prepare you for the field, plus a great clinical rotation to get on the job experience. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 3 | To be promoted in my field usually requires some kind of extra schooling. I rated this a 3 because each year I am approached with new opportunities at the hospital, and also receive a yearly raise. |
| Job Security | 10 | Having a job in the health care field assures me that I will always have a job. Jobs are available for nursing assistants in hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, home health care, and medical staffing agencies. These facilities are always in need of help, making it very easy to get a job. |
| Earnings Potential | 6 | My job provides slightly above average earning potential. I am able to provide for myself and my fiance, but it is not a salary that I plan to live off of for the rest of my lifetime. |
| How Stressful | 5 | For me, my job is not extremely stressful. It can be stressful at times when you are taking care of 16 patients or more at once and they all require assistance with something at the same time. |
| Task Variety | 5 | The tasks that I do on the job stay about the same everyday. I care for patients, bathe them, feed them, take vital signs, monitor their intake/outputs, round on them hourly, chart on my patients, stock items at work, and do other things. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 7 | I get to see a lot of neat and interesting things that you don't get to experience everyday working as a nursing assistant. That also goes both ways. I also see and deal with a lot of things that most people would not be able to deal with, including people dying and providing care to incontinent patients. |
| Career Flexibility | 10 | My career is very flexible because I set my own work schedule and hours. I work as a float tech at a hospital, meaning that I work for whatever department or unit that is in need of me for that shift. |
| Social Orientation | 10 | My job involves constant social interaction because my main job duty is to provide care for my patients. I am constantly working with patients or coworkers on the job. |
Job Title: Nursing Care Assistant
Attended: Bryan College • Dayton, TN
Studied Liberal Arts (completion in 2006)
Highest relevant degree: Bachelor's
• Submitted: 1/19/2012
"While I find the necessary, I don't enjoy it. I feel that I'm often taken advantage of by the patients, nursing staff, and my supervisor. However, it's a short term position that I took as a means of bettering my grad school application, so that knowledge is what gets me through."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 6 | Because a Liberal Arts degree isn't very specialized, I don't feel that my program was any better or worse than any other would have been. I'm sure other programs may have been larger, but then I may have lost some of the individual attention I received as a student; therefore, no one program is better than another in my opinion. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 1 | Nursing Assistants aren't able, by law, to manage others. This limits any opportunities for promotion. At best, they will receive raises but no real chance for promotion or more responsibility. |
| Job Security | 8 | I feel that a nursing assistant position is very secure. As the health of America declines, medical workers are always needed. And as more people need care, the nursing assistants are a necessity to take some of the responsibility of off the nursing staff. |
| Earnings Potential | 3 | For the amount and type of work I do, I feel that I'm underpaid. I realize not holding a license, such as an RN license, will cap what I can earn, but I find it disgraceful that I'm trained to aid and keep a person alive, yet I make less than the kitchen and housekeeping staff. |
| How Stressful | 8 | I work on a lung transplant unit with lots of immunosuppressed patients. It's very stressful when each and every occurrence can be the difference between life and death for my very sick patients. |
| Task Variety | 9 | Because I work in a medical setting, my job is never the same day to day. Not only can we have different patients each day, but their needs are constantly changing. This, I have a varied schedule at all times. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 3 | I think others outside of the nursing field may view it as glamorous, but as someone who spends the day wiping others' bottoms, I don't find it so. However, I find it fulfilling knowing I'm helping someone who isn't able to help him or herself. |
| Career Flexibility | 5 | The ability to work in a hospital that never closes makes finding a schedule quite flexible. As for availability, I feel that anywhere nurses are needed, one can find a position as a nursing assistant as well. |
| Social Orientation | 8 | I interact with my co-workers on an almost constant basis. We are very involved with and support each other's personal lives. |
Job Title: Certified Nursing Assistant
Attended: University Of Phoenix • Phoenix, AZ
Studied Healthcare Administration (completion in 2012)
Highest relevant degree: Associate's
• Submitted: 1/23/2012
"I love caring for others, so in that respect I very much enjoy my job. I am, however, working towards furthering my career and planning on owning my own In-Home Care business so that I am positive my patients are receiving the best care possible."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 9 | I take online classes and the school is wonderful in providing the necessary resources and information needed to learn and complete my degree program. Like with anything, there is always room for improvement, so I did not give it a 10. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 6 | As of now I do not have opportunities to actually get promoted, but once I do finish my associates degree and find an administration job I do hope to have a position where I will have promotion opportunities. Also, like I stated above, my ultimate goal is to own my own company. |
| Job Security | 5 | I am currently a hospice C.N.A. working for a family and not a company. With this in mind, once my client does pass I will not have this position any longer. Since it is private care I will not have a company to place me with another client, so this means that it is not all that secure. |
| Earnings Potential | 8 | With private care I do have the opportunity to set my own rates based on what I would like to earn. While I do take into consideration the economy, most families want to ensure that their loved ones are receiving wonderful care. |
| How Stressful | 7 | I think that most jobs in any type of medical surrounding are stressful. As a hospice caregiver at the moment, it does become very stressful at times, especially dealing with the family and having to give bad news. |
| Task Variety | 6 | This mostly depends on the client/patient. When working with one client in their home, the days are fairly similar. When I was working in a nursing home, the actual duties were the same, but depending on what happened each day with different patients, the days could vary greatly. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 5 | I would not consider this a "cool" position as far as glamour goes. While there may be excitement, it is more of the scary, medical excitement, such as an emergency with a client/patient, rather than “fun” excitement. |
| Career Flexibility | 8 | My current position is fairly flexible. I can set up my own hours based on when I need to spend time with my schooling and/or appointments. I can easily work around my schedule as long as my client has no doctors visits or other appointments. |
| Social Orientation | 4 | As an In-Home care provider I do not have very much social interaction. Of course I spend time with the client, but the only other people I usually see or speak to is the family and/or people in doctor's offices. |
Job Title: CNA - Certified Nursing Assistant
Attended: Sutter County One Stop • Yuba City, CA
Studied Certified Nursing Assistant (completion in 2010)
Highest relevant degree: Certificate
• Submitted: 1/23/2012
"I am not satisfied with the wage that I make, which is $11/hr. I am currently attending Yuba College and working towards getting my RN."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 5 | I received my certification at a "trade school" located in our county, known as Sutter County One Stop. One stop is not the best "school," but they are well known in our community for helping people to find careers and employment, and they did that for me! |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 1 | In my field, there is no room for promotion, unless you further your education and get at least an associates degree. |
| Job Security | 7 | The area that I live in is always looking for CNAs. I feel as though my current career is pretty stable, however I am still furthering my education. |
| Earnings Potential | 3 | The earning potential for a CNA is not too great, and it is $11/hr where I work. |
| How Stressful | 10 | A lot of people are ill, their families may have complaints, there may be problems with certain patients - so, yes - It is very stressful! |
| Task Variety | 5 | Most tasks at work are pretty routine. We have weekly schedules for most activities and tasks. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 1 | I do a lot of personal care for individuals who are disabled or elderly and can no longer care for themselves; I definitely would not consider it glamorous, considering that I give full grown adults showers. |
| Career Flexibility | 2 | There is no ability to work at home, but there are usually convalescent homes and assisted living facilities in most areas, so there are a variety of locations available for work in my field. The schedule is not flexible, and I wind up working a lot of late nights. |
| Social Orientation | 10 | When on the floor at work, everyone is doing something and there is a lot of talking while walking down the hallway. I chit-chat with some of the other employees while I am out for a quick break or when I am on lunch, or if we wind up working the same hall. |
Job Title: CNA
Attended: Marchman Tech • New Port Richey, FL
Studied CNA (completion in 2005)
Highest relevant degree: Certificate
• Submitted: 1/23/2012
"I love helping people, but I wish I made more money. This is why I enrolled in college last year to be an RN."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 9 | The school had smaller class sizes compared to some other schools. The staff was friendly and I believe I was trained well. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 6 | I have been promoted at my job 3 times. There is room for advancement and other opportunities, especially if you decide to further your education in nursing. |
| Job Security | 9 | The medical field is pretty much one of the most stable career choices, in my opinion. People will always become sick and need someone to take care of them. |
| Earnings Potential | 6 | Since the fall of the economy, I have found some nursing homes to only offer a CNA 8 dollars an hour. |
| How Stressful | 9 | In my opinion being a CNA is pretty stressful, for me anyway. I do what I was told not to do, and that is get attached to patients. |
| Task Variety | 5 | My day is usually always different, but my routine of caring for patients normally stays the same. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 1 | Most people only associate CNA's as diaper changers. But there is a lot more to the job than that. |
| Career Flexibility | 3 | My work schedule is pretty hectic. Sometimes I work days, sometimes I work nights, sometimes I work 30 hours, and sometimes I work 50 hours. |
| Social Orientation | 9 | I'm always talking with someone, whether it be a patient, co-worker, boss, or member of a patient's family. |
Job Title: Nurses Assistant
Attended: Bloomsburg University • Bloomsburg, PA
Studied Nursing (completion in 2012)
Highest relevant degree: Associate's
• Submitted: 1/25/2012
"It's still mediocre pay. Much better than minimum wage, but still mediocre."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 10 | Bloomsburg university is cheap, has excellent teachers, and excellent financial aid. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 3 | There's not much in the way of promotion without further education. Nurses need the full college experience, not just a 2 year degree. |
| Job Security | 10 | There will always be a need for nurses and nurses assistants. Humans will always need medical attention and care of the real human variety that no robot could ever provide. |
| Earnings Potential | 5 | It doesn't have much room for improvement with my current education. I need to finish school before I can progress or potentially earn more. It is what it is. |
| How Stressful | 7 | Medical emergencies and dealing with death is very stressful stuff. Not that you don't get a little bit desensitized over time, but it still takes a toll to see suffering constantly. |
| Task Variety | 5 | I mean the standard tasks of cleaning patients, feeding, medicating, that all stays the same. But there are new medical emergencies every day. Situations you have to pop up and handle. It's not all black and grey. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 1 | Assisting nurses is not flashy business. It's very NON glamorous. |
| Career Flexibility | 2 | I get called into work sometimes. I don't get much time off, and the place is short staffed. |
| Social Orientation | 5 | There are not too many coworkers on my shift. Many of the patients have dementia, Alzheimer's, etc., which makes for a rather dry social venue. |
Job Title: Certified Nurse Aide
Attended: Family Health West • Fruita, CO
Studied CNA (completion in 2007)
Highest relevant degree: Certificate
• Submitted: 1/25/2012
"Where I live presently there is a very limited number of places to work. Often they hire family members of other workers already there."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 7 | The school I attended was comprehensive and very hands on. Someone was always available to give information. All our clinicals were done in the school which made it easier to get them done. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 4 | CNAs really have only one spot to go - Head CNA is about as far as you can go until you have at least an LPN. |
| Job Security | 6 | CNAs have a high turnover rate in many places, particularly in nursing homes. I could go to almost any city and get a CNA job. |
| Earnings Potential | 3 | Your earnings are usually only a little above minimum wage, but it depends on where in the country you live and work. |
| How Stressful | 10 | Being a CNA is always stressful. You are always on the move and there is high demand for your time. Sometimes you can't get to a person who needs your assistance due to having to take care of someone else. Often you don't have enough aids for the number of patients. |
| Task Variety | 3 | Usually it's the same thing day after day. Occasionally there will be things outside of the norm, like a fall or a death. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 1 | Being a CNA is extremely unglamorous work. It's generally considered grunt work and nurses treat you that way a lot, despite the fact that CNAs do the gross and hands on work. |
| Career Flexibility | 4 | Most places will say they will hire you part time but end up calling you in very often due to full time employees calling off. It would be almost impossible to do CNA work from home as it is a very hands on job. |
| Social Orientation | 10 | Between helping patients and residents and coworkers, you are never alone. Someone always needs help. Often you are understaffed so you have to work together. |
Job Title: CNA
Attended: Riverside Rest Home Program • Dover, NH
Studied Nursing (completion in 2004)
Highest relevant degree: Certificate
• Submitted: 1/24/2012
"I love caring for elderly and disabled people. They provide a depth to life and talk about how they used to live freely."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 10 | I had a very good program instructor. It was short, but she taught us everything we needed to know to care for patients. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 8 | There really is not a lot of promotion unless you are doing book work or going for more education. |
| Job Security | 10 | There are many openings, from private care to nursing homes. I love assisted living because the people can do a little more for themselves. There is always a job out there. |
| Earnings Potential | 10 | Depending on how much work there is, the pay can be really good. Private settings are the jobs that seem to pay the most. |
| How Stressful | 8 | This career field can be quite stressful due to the demand of things that need to be done and the need to constantly watch some patients. It is like caring for children though, so it is something I have grown used to. |
| Task Variety | 9 | Every day is pretty much the same. The only days that are different are when the patients have appointments. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 8 | Providing care for people is a good thing. It is not too cool because sometimes you have to clean genitals. |
| Career Flexibility | 10 | There are so many private jobs listed and everything, so the opportunities are endless. There will always be a job in caring for people. |
| Social Orientation | 10 | There is constant social interaction. There are the patients, the people who employ you, and family members of the ones you care for. |
