by Heidi Jame

Created on: August 04, 2008   Last Updated: November 13, 2011

Certified nurse's aides are employed in hospitals, long-term care, and home care settings. They do not need to have higher than a high school education but they must complete a nurse's aide certification program and pass a state exam. This program takes approximately 6 weeks to complete but it can be longer or shorter depending on the facility. Nurse's aides are in high demand and they often receive starting hourly wages upwards of $10.00 per hour as well as sign on bonuses. However, the duties of a nurse's aide are numerous and physically demanding. In a typical day on the job, a nurse's aide in a long term care setting will have anywhere from 8-18 residents depending on the staffing situation. When working on the first shift the nurse's aide must make sure that all of his or her residents are washed, toileted, changed, dressed, out of bed, and ready for breakfast.

Some facilities allow residents to eat breakfast in bed if they are able to feed themselves but because may residents are not able to feed themselves or have difficulty swallowing it is likely that the majority of an aide's residents will need to be up and dressed to eat breakfast in the dining room so that they can be assisted or monitored. Given that the nurse's aide only has an hour or two to wash and dress so many people, she will have to manage her time carefully. Usually she will average about 8 minutes with each resident.

During meals nurse's aides pass out the meal trays, open and cut up food, and either encourage, assist, or feed the residents. Rolling stools are often employed to allow the aide greater mobility in the dining room and so that she can feed more than one resident at once. When the residents have finished eating, the aides pick up the trays, chart food and fluid intake, and transport residents back to their rooms.

After meals, all residents need to be toileted, changed, and some lay down for a nap or attend activities. The aide is usually assigned 2-3 baths each day and this is generally when she will provide them. Each aide is responsible for her own residents but will often team up with another aide in order to be able to transfer residents who are heavier or require a hydraulic lift to move. Usually by the time all of the residents have been taken care of, it is time for lunch. Then the aides must get the residents who have lain down out of bed and transport or walk with the residents down to the dining hall.

Nurse's aides keep very busy all day long and they need to be able to work independently and as a part of a team. Strong communication and listening skills are essential to successfully completing daily activities. Good nurse's aides are hard working, organized, compassionate, and willing to get their hands dirty.

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