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
- Carers Australia
- The Australian Healthcare and Hospital Association
- Allied Health Professionals Australia
Related jobs
Discover nursing courses online
Postgraduate USQ-NRR-MAS
Postgraduate ACU-CNC-GCE
Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing (Correctional Health)
Postgraduate UND-NUR-GCE
Postgraduate ACU-CLN-MAS
Postgraduate GRF-ANP-MAS
Postgraduate SCU-MHN-MAS
Postgraduate UND-NLM-GCE
Graduate Certificate in Clinical Leadership (Aspiring Leaders)
Step up your career with these resources
10 fascinating uni subjects that are open to everyone in 2025
Want to understand the psychology behind Trumpism? Push for better climate action? Or improve your cultural sensitivity in healthcare? These online subjects—and more!—are now accepting 2025 enrolments.
5 small business courses for self-starters
Whether you’re a small business owner or plotting away at a side hustle, there are many online business courses to choose from to help you get in touch with your entrepreneurial side and launch your ideas off the ground.
Humans of Open Universities Australia: Meet our Content Lead, Cat
A ‘braided river’ career path, a crystal ball moment from Bill Gates, and a heartfelt letter with complete disregard for the third wall—here's Cat.
How to negotiate a higher salary
Not sure what to say when negotiating your salary? Follow these tips from career strategist Kelly Magowan next time you need to make your case with an employer.
We're here to guide you there
Our student advisors can assist you with enrolment, help you plan your studies, and answer questions about how studying through Open Universities Australia can get you from where you are today, to where you want to be tomorrow.