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Nursing Assistants
Provide or assist with basic care or support under the direction of onsite licensed nursing staff. Perform duties such as monitoring of health status, feeding, bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, or ambulation of patients in a health or nursing facility. May include medication administration and other health-related tasks. Includes nursing care attendants, nursing aides, and nursing attendants.
Other titles employers use
Certified Medication Aide (CMA) · Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) · Certified Nurses Aide (CNA) · Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) · Licensed Nursing Assistant (LNA) · Nurses' Aide · Nursing Aide · Nursing Assistant
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Turn or reposition bedridden patients.
- Answer patient call signals, signal lights, bells, or intercom systems to determine patients' needs.
- Feed patients or assist patients to eat or drink.
- Measure and record food and liquid intake or urinary and fecal output, reporting changes to medical or nursing staff.
- Provide physical support to assist patients to perform daily living activities, such as getting out of bed, bathing, dressing, using the toilet, standing, walking, or exercising.
- Document or otherwise report observations of patient behavior, complaints, or physical symptoms to nurses.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to helping, practical and organizing work.
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Service Orientation
- Active Listening
- Social Perceptiveness
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
Subjects to know
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administration and Management
- English Language
- Public Safety and Security
- Medicine and Dentistry
Useful strengths
- Oral Comprehension
- Problem Sensitivity
- Oral Expression
- Near Vision
- Speech Recognition
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 4.4 | Arm’s length or closer, most of the day |
| On your feet | 4.4 | Standing or moving for most of it |
| Talking face to face | 3.9 | A regular part of the day |
| Working with your hands | 2.9 | Little of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a postsecondary certificate. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- High school or less 41%
- A certificate or some college 36%
- A two-year degree 10%
- A four-year degree 6%
- A doctorate or professional degree 4%
- A master's degree 3%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Medical software
- Business intelligence and data analysis software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Electronic mail software
- Word processing software
- Billing and invoicing software
- Video conferencing software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 119,800
- Job openings each year
- 17,390
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 14.3%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 119,800 | 17,390 | 14.3% |
| New York | 114,280 | 2,190 | 23.7% |
| Florida | 102,910 | 14,910 | 12.8% |
| Texas | 93,150 | 13,500 | 13.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 78,720 | 11,230 | 4.0% |
| North Carolina | 62,060 | 8,970 | 11.5% |
| Ohio | 60,790 | 8,620 | 1.0% |
| Illinois | 59,460 | 8,450 | 2.1% |
| Georgia | 45,770 | 6,650 | 14.2% |
| Michigan | 43,170 | 6,130 | 1.1% |
| Virginia | 41,750 | 6,030 | 10.9% |
| Washington | 39,890 | 6,290 | 13.5% |
| New Jersey | 37,260 | 5,310 | 3.6% |
| Missouri | 32,490 | 4,660 | 6.8% |
| Indiana | 31,900 | 4,580 | 6.6% |
| Minnesota | 28,160 | 4,010 | 2.4% |
| Tennessee | 27,720 | 4,070 | 21.6% |
| Maryland | 26,970 | 3,880 | 8.8% |
| Wisconsin | 26,510 | 3,730 | −2.6% |
| Iowa | 24,690 | 3,560 | 10.2% |
| Colorado | 24,650 | 3,590 | 15.7% |
| Alabama | 24,450 | 3,500 | 5.6% |
| Kansas | 23,450 | 3,360 | 6.1% |
| Arizona | 22,020 | 3,240 | 23.5% |
| Connecticut | 21,650 | 3,100 | 6.4% |
| South Carolina | 21,250 | 3,070 | 10.1% |
| Kentucky | 21,090 | 3,020 | 5.9% |
| Oklahoma | 20,170 | 2,890 | 6.9% |
| Louisiana | 19,570 | 2,820 | 8.8% |
| Nebraska | 17,540 | 2,520 | 7.7% |
| Arkansas | 17,520 | 2,500 | 4.3% |
| Utah | 16,700 | 2,470 | 27.3% |
| Oregon | 15,260 | 2,210 | 13.2% |
| Massachusetts | 13,640 | 1,960 | 7.9% |
| Mississippi | 11,830 | 1,710 | 9.5% |
| Rhode Island | 10,010 | 1,440 | 10.5% |
| West Virginia | 9,810 | 1,410 | 9.7% |
| Idaho | 9,550 | 1,400 | 18.8% |
| Nevada | 9,330 | 1,370 | 22.8% |
| Maine | 8,120 | 1,160 | 2.5% |
| North Dakota | 8,080 | 1,160 | 8.5% |
| New Hampshire | 7,750 | 1,110 | 4.6% |
| South Dakota | 6,500 | 930 | 8.3% |
| Montana | 5,910 | 860 | 13.0% |
| Delaware | 5,260 | 770 | 19.3% |
| New Mexico | 4,990 | 720 | 10.9% |
| Vermont | 3,410 | 500 | 14.8% |
| District of Columbia | 3,180 | 460 | 7.1% |
| Wyoming | 3,050 | 440 | 13.0% |
| Alaska | 2,410 | 350 | 11.6% |
| Puerto Rico | 880 | 130 | 14.3% |
| Guam | 340 | 40 | 9.7% |
| Virgin Islands | 150 | 20 | −11.8% |
Career to college
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