Nursing Aide Schools

Schools by State
for Nursing Aides And Attendants:

AL AR AZ CA CO DE FL GA HI IA IL KS KY LA MA MB MD ME MI MN MO MS MT NC ND NE NH NJ NM NV NY OH OK OR PA SC SD TN TX UT VA WA WI WV

Career Highlights for
Nursing Aides And Attendants

Training generally required for this career includes: Postsecondary vocational award.

Relevant Job Titles

(Supplied by experts and industry contributors for this career category)

• Attendant
• Birth Attendant
• Caregiver
• Cart Attendant
• Certified Medication Aide (CMA)
• Certified Medication Technician
• Certified Nurse Aide (CNA)
• Certified Nurse Assistant
• Certified Nurses Aide (CNA)
• Certified Nursing Aide
• Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
• Competency Evaluated Nurse Aide (CENA)
• First Aid Attendant
• First Aid Nurse
• Gericare Aide
• Health Aide
• Health Care Aide
• Health Care Assistant
• Health Service Worker
• Hospice Aide
• Hospice Entrance Attendant
• Hospital Aide
• Hospital Assistant
• Hospital Attendant
• Hospital Corpsman
• Hospital Medical Assistant
• Hospital Orderly
• Infirmary Attendant
• Institutional Aide
• Licensed Nursing Assistant
• Medical Aide
• Medical Attendant
• Medication Aide
• New Patient Escort
• Nurse Assistant
• Nurse Sitter
• Nurse Technician
• Nurse's Aide
• Nursery Technician
• Nursing Aid
• Nursing Aide
• Nursing Assistant
• Nursing Home Aide
• Operating Room Orderly
• Orderly
• Patient Care Assistant (PCA)
• Patient Care Associate
• Patient Care Technician (PCT)
• Patient Escort
• Patient Sitter
• Patient Transporter
• Practical Nurse
• Psychiatric Attendant
• Resident Assistant
• Restorative Aide
• State Tested Nurses Assistant (STNA)
• State Tested Nursing Assistant (STNA)
• Student Nurse
• Surgical Aide
• Ward Aide
• Ward Attendant
• Ward Helper

Information Sources

BrainTrack's information on colleges and careers is drawn from many sources, including government databases, BrainTrack's own research, and results from original data analysis algorithms.

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.

Nursing Aide and Attendant Degrees and Nursing Aide and Attendant 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).

Nursing Aide and Attendant 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 Nursing Aide and Attendant 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 programs should be accredited by the Accreditation Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC).

Nursing Aide and Attendant 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 Nursing Aide and Attendant 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?

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