Nursing assistants are invaluable when it comes to patient care, as they are responsible for a wide variety of tasks that ensure a person’s comfort and well being. Here are some things that might be included in a nursing assistant job description.
Vital Sign Monitoring
A nursing assistant may be responsible for taking a patient’s blood pressure, temperature and pulse and then recording these readings on a medical chart.
Personal Hygiene and Grooming
Nursing assistants are typically responsible for performing certain personal hygiene and grooming tasks, which can include:
- Bathing
- Washing hair
- Shaving
- Brushing hair
- Clipping nails
Elimination and Defecation
Nursing assistants may provide bedpans and urinals to patients who are unable to go to the bathroom on their own. In other cases, they may assist patients in going to the bathroom, to include wiping. They may also be responsible for changing adult diapers and bedclothes, and helping patients to freshen up after an accident. Nursing assistants can also be called on to give enemas or help with the insertion of catheters.
Feeding
When patients are unable to feed themselves, it is often the nursing assistant who ensures proper nutrition. This responsibility occasionally translates into double-checking the dietary requirements of patients who are diabetic, have food allergies or otherwise have nutritional restrictions.
Miscellaneous Duties
A few of the other duties a nursing assistant can be called on to do are:
- Changing dressings
- Providing heat and/or ice packs
- Giving massages
- Transporting patients from one area of a facility to another
- Turning patients
- Applying restraints
For many patients, a nursing assistant is the person that is primarily responsible for their care, and is the one with whom they become most comfortable. As such, the bedside manner of a nursing assistant is equally as important as his or her professional knowledge is. If you have what it takes to succeed in this position, contact us for more information on getting started.
