How to become a nursing assistant

Help nurses to provide patients with direct support and services in health and community centres and environments.

What does a nursing assistant do?

Nursing assistants help nurses provide patients with support and services in health and community centre environments. They are understanding and helpful with patients and able to perform a variety of functions and services.

Duties and tasks

  • Provide specialised care and treatment for elderly, mental health patients and patients with disabilities.
  • Assist nurses, doctors, physical and occupational therapists in treatments and rehabilitation movements while treating patients.
  • Assist patients with personal requests to ensure they are comfortable and to minimise pain or discomfort.
  • Collaborate with nurses to understand individual patient circumstances and plan for recovery.
  • Help patients perform basic activities such as eating, showering and changing in hospitals, doctors offices, residential care and convalescent homes.
  • Monitor patients and notify nurses and doctors of patients development and reaction to treatments and medications.
  • Provide routine sterilisation and cleaning of patient rooms, linens and garments and maintain personal cleanliness and sterilisation to prevent infections from spreading.

Industry bodies

Related jobs

Discover nursing courses online

Postgraduate UND-NUR-GCE

Graduate Certificate in Nursing

Postgraduate ACU-CLN-MAS

Master of Clinical Nursing

Postgraduate GRF-ANP-MAS

Master of Advanced Nursing Practice

Postgraduate SCU-MHN-MAS

Master of Mental Health Nursing

Available majors

  • Community and Urgent Care

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