Nursing assistants are also known as auxiliary nurses, nursing auxiliaries, or health-care assistants. This is one of the most common entry-level health-care positions and requires strong lifting ability, excellent people skills and a high tolerance for cleaning up after patients who are unable to take care of themselves. Nursing assistants bathe, feed, clothe, and transport patients who are unable to do these things on their own
Other duties include emptying bedpans, turning patients every few hours to prevent bedsores, and monitoring patients’ vital signs. Any changes in vital signs need to be reported to nursing staff, and the health-care assistant is often the first to respond to a patient who calls for help. Some health-care assistants specialise in working with qualified midwives in labour and delivery
Although most nursing assistants work roughly 40 hours per week, much of which is weekend and night shift work, part-time positions are increasingly common. Many people enter this profession through apprenticeship at a beginning salary between £10,050 and £12,615 per annum but can earn up to £16,525 with experience.
Many employers give secondments, allowing health-care assistants to pursue part-time university studies which will enable them to advance to higher level health-care professions.