Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates (NOC 3413)

Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates assist nurses, hospital staff and physicians in the basic care of patients.

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Patient care attendant

Source: WorkBC's Career Trek

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Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates:

• answer call signals; supply and empty bed pans; bathe, dress and groom patients; serve meal trays, feed or assist in feeding of patients and assist patients with menu selection; weigh, lift, turn, and position patients; shave patients prior to operations; supervise patients' exercise routines, set up and provide leisure activities for patients, accompany patients on outside recreational activities and perform other duties related to patient care and comfort
• take patients' blood pressure, temperature and pulse; report or record fluid intake and output; observe or monitor patients' status and document patient care on charts; administer first aid in emergency situations; collect specimens such as urine, faeces or sputum; administer suppositories, colonic irrigations and enemas and perform other procedures as directed by nursing and hospital staff
• transport patients by wheelchair or stretcher for treatment or surgery
• carry messages, reports, requisitions and specimens between departments
• make beds and maintain patients' rooms
• maintain inventory of supplies
• may perform maintenance tasks such as assisting with the set-up and maintenance of traction equipment, cleaning or sterilizing equipment, maintaining and repairing equipment, and assembling, setting-up and operating job-related equipment
• may transport patients between care facilities.

Resident care aides work in hospital wards or residential long-term care facilities. Shifts are usually 8–12 hours long and full-time employees work 36–40 hours per week, often on weekends, holidays or evenings. On-call and part-time work is common.

Work can be physically demanding, with constant standing, walking and lifting. The use of patient lifts (hoists) have significantly reduced worksite injuries.

Resident care aides are also prone to stress and fatigue as a result of working with sick and disabled patients. Workers may be exposed to infectious diseases or toxic chemicals, and to violent behaviour from patients with mental illnesses. 

Strong demand for resident care aides is contributing to higher salaries and increased opportunities to work in various environments.

The provincial government is increasing the number of long-term care beds available in B.C., which will create more employment opportunities. Employment opportunities will be high throughout the province, especially in nursing homes, long-term care facilities and privately run institutions.

In part because of general shortages of registered nurses and licensed practical nurses, resident care aides are increasingly being employed in acute care settings.