Patient care assistants are people who work in a hospital or a physician’s office or nursing home, providing direct and indirect care to the patients. These people generally work under the supervision of a doctor or a nurse and are also known as nursing assistants. Good interpersonal communication skills and certification as patient care assistance are necessary for a patient care assistant although some states do not require the certification.
A high school diploma or a GED is required for a patient care assistance program in some states. The minimum age of the applicants required in some states is 16 years. One has to enroll in a Patient Care Assistance Program at a local health care, health agency or a community college, pass the nursing assistant exam and then apply for a state license.
The following are the responsibilities of a patient care assistant:
• Looking after the patients requirements. • Assisting the patients in bathing, dressing, grooming and in personal hygiene. • Serving the food and feeding the patients who are unable to feed themselves. • Taking the vital signs such as temperature, pulse, blood pressure and respiration rates. • Observation of charts and activities, and reporting the changes in the condition of the patient. • Assisting the patients with walking and escorting them to and from bed or a wheelchair. • Maintaining store supplies and performing basic clerical functions. • Scheduling appointments, tracking clients and other related tasks.
The salary of a patient care assistant or certified nursing assistant depends on his experience in the job. According to a recent survey a full time patient care assistant can earn up to $24,772 a year in the starting days of the job and $27,331 a year with 1 year of experience.