Definition of a Health Care Assistant
Behind every good nurse, audiologist or medical professional is a health care assistant. Whether it is washing or dressing a patient, monitoring the patient's condition, or ensuring that they are comfortable, health care assistants are integral in the medical field.
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Job Duties
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Though a health care assistant does not engage in medical practice, the purpose of the assistant is to ensure that the patient is and remains comfortable throughout the duration of their stay. This includes checking in on the patient periodically, occasionally aiding in feeding of the patient, and changing the patient's clothing if soiled.
Types
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Health care assistants also serve as an aid to a nurse by monitoring the patient. This includes taking the patient's temperature, pulse, blood pressure, and weight to ensure that vital signs are normal and stable. Health care assistants do not simply aid nurses, they assist other medical professionals as well, such as audiologists who primarily diagnose hearing problems. The health care assistant's job is to aid and take observations during testing for hearing or balance problems.
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Education
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A formal education is not necessarily mandatory to become a health care assistant, and there is not a set list of qualification requirements. However, experience or voluntary work in a care setting will be helpful when trying to gain employment.
Hours & Pay
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A health care assistant's schedule is usually flexible and they may have to work weekends or nights. Traditional 37.5- to-40 hour workweeks are common. According to Salary.com, the average annual salary of a health care assistant was around $30,000 as of July 2010.
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References
- Photo Credit Nurse in Scrubs image by Mary Beth Granger from Fotolia.com
