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Nurse Aides, Orderlies and Patient Service Associates
What they do?
Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates perform some or all of the following duties:
A. 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; lift, turn or massage patients; shave patients prior to operations; supervise patients' exercise routines, set up and provide leisure activities for patients, and accompany patients on outside recreational activities; and perform other duties related to patient care
B. 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; 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
C. Transport patients by wheelchair or stretcher for treatment or surgery
D. Carry messages, reports, requisitions and specimens from one department to another
E. Make beds and maintain patients' rooms
F. Maintain inventory of supplies
G. 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.
Where they find work?
1. Health care and social assistance - 97.0%
2. Administrative and support waste management and remediation services - 1.0%
3. Other services (except public administration) - 1.0%
What education do I need?
1. In general, you usually need some high school education and on-the-job training.
2. You may also need a college or private institutional program, such as nursing aide, which includes supervised practical training.
3. Some health care facilities may also require you to complete specialized courses such as cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), first aid, and food handling/sterile processing.
4. Most recent entrants have a community college diploma.
High School Subject that will help:
1. Multidisciplinary Teamwork
2. Interpersonal Communication Skills
3. Customer Relations
What can you expect to make:
The average hourly wages for Nurse Aides, Orderlies and Patient Service Associates is $14.77/HR, which is below to the average for occupations in the health sector and close to the average for all intermediate occupations. These wages grew at an average rate from 2002 to 2004.
Average Wage
Expected Wage by Age
Unemployment:
2% of Nurse Aides, Orderlies and Patient Service Associates are unemployed. This rate is below the average for intermediate occupations.
Unemployment
Trends in Unemployment
Current Job Outlook:
The job outlook for Nurse Aides, Orderlies and Patient Service Associates is considered Above Average because:
1. Employment grew at an average rate.
2. Hourly wages ($14.77) are below the average ($18.07), and the rate of wage growth is close to the average.
3. The unemployment rate (2%) is close to the 2004 average (7%).
Future Job Prospects:
Your job outlook will continue to be Above Average because:
1. The employment growth rate will likely be significantly above average because of ongoing trends--a growing and aging population that requires more health services, new technologies that improve the ability to diagnose/treat disease, increased government funding for health care, and Canadians with health care insurance that covers more services.
2. Although the retirement rate will likely be average, the number of retiring workers should contribute to job openings.
3. The number of job seekers will likely match the number of job openings.
Highest Concetration:
The highest concentrations (per 10,000 people) of Nurse Aides, Orderlies and Patient Service Associates are found in Manitoba and Saskatchewan while the lowest concentrations are in Ontario and Newfoundland.
Unionization Rate:
The unionization rate (69%) is above the average (32%) for all occupations.
Useful Experience:
1. Customer relations
Part Time Workers
Part time workers:
34% of Nurse Aides, Orderlies and Patient Service Associates are employed only on a part-time basis. There were 194,500 workers employed in these occupations in 2004, an increase of 59% since 1997.
Age Demographics
Age Demographics:
The retirement rate to 2009 will likely be average reflecting the age/retirement structure of the occupation.
