Job Duties
The job duties of a patient care aide includes a variety of tasks, including taking blood pressure, vital signs and the body temperature of patients. You will also have to assist patients with daily activities, such as getting dressed, bathing, collecting specimen for testing, eating and the preparation of medications. The aides are also responsible for recording treatments that are being taken by their patients. As an aide, you will have to communicate with other nurses and your patients, so it is vital that you have good people skills.
Requirements
The requirements for entering into the patient care aide profession, you will have to find out the requirements for your state. The first step is to obtain either a high school diploma or a GED. You will also have to take a nursing assistant course to gain certification as a CNA.
CNA Program
Within the CNA program, you will have to attend classes for six to 12 weeks. You can find these programs inside of community colleges and vocational schools. You are required to complete 40 hours of supervised clinical studies, which is sometimes done within a nursing home.
Salary
The average salary for patient care aides is between $20,000 and $30,000 annually. Those that make the most in the industry is around $35,377. Salaries are based on state, place of employment and experience.
