Nursing Assistants
Healthcare Support
Most of the day is on a nursing unit, answering call lights and helping patients eat, bathe, dress, walk, or use the toilet. Bedridden patients need turning and repositioning. Intake of food and liquid, and output of urine and stool, get measured and written down so nurses can see changes. Observations about complaints, behavior, or physical symptoms go to nursing staff, as do reminders when medications or supplements are due, and meals have to match each person's allergies, restrictions, and preferences. The pace suits people who want physically demanding, routine bedside work in a facility and close teamwork with nurses on the unit.
Typical education: High School Diploma or GED
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$42'260
Median Wage Market Position
$42'260
What you might do
- Help patients get out of bed, bathe, and dress
- Turn or reposition patients who stay in bed
- Answer call lights to learn what patients need
- Feed patients or help them eat and drink
- Measure and record intake and bathroom output
- Report symptoms and complaints to the nursing staff
Skills that matter
- Turning and repositioning bedridden patients
- Answering call lights and intercoms
- Recording what patients eat, drink, and pass
- Helping with standing, walking, and bathing
- Reading diet orders, allergies, and preferences
- Reporting observations to the nursing staff
AI & the future of this role
Facility-based bathing, feeding, and vital-sign checks require constant physical presence and quick human judgment around fragile patients. Charting aids may trim some documentation, but bedside care and shortage-driven demand tend to keep the role resilient.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details