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Duties of a Nursing Assistant

Many people know about nursing assistants but they don’t know the details of their profession and their duties. Being a nursing assistant one needs to work efficiently whilst maintaining the best quality standards. So, many people involved in this profession tend to drop out of it. A person working as a nursing assistant must have excellent communication skill because it involves interaction with patients, their family members, and many other medical professionals in the course of their duty. So, good communication skills are a must for a nursing assistant.

Most people are familiar with the common duties of nursing assistants such as feeding, dressing, and bathing the patient. But this is just the tip of the iceberg as it does not include even 25% of the actual work. There are various duties of a nursing assistant which are not as well known as others. The nature of services depends on the medical facility where one works. There are, however some common duties that are similar everywhere.

The most common duty of nursing assistants is to bathe the patients. Depending on the condition of the patient, it may be done in the shower or even in bed. Other duties involve maintaining personal hygiene such as brushing teeth, applying makeup, combing hair, shaving and catering to other needs of the patient. While working, a nursing assistant should be aware of the temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure of the patient at all times. The information recorded by them in the patient’s chart is seen by the other medical professionals including the nursing staff.

Some of the patients may require assistance while eating food. One needs to keep records of all the food items and drinks the patient has consumed in the individual’s chart. Some of the patients also need vitamins and other supplements. Everything they take has to be recorded systematically. The duty of the nursing assistants also includes bringing the patients capable of eating by themselves to the dining area. Grooming them and helping them in and out of their wheelchair is also an important duty of a nursing assistant.

A nursing assistant has to take care of the patient’s hygiene by changing their beddings and other materials used by the patients that might need change or replacement. He has to document the behavior of each patient and these records are essential for other medical professionals. If one keeps a sharp eye on each and every detail, one can successfully handle this job. Apart from these services, it is the duty of a nursing assistant to provide emotional support to the patients and their families and to make the patient feel as comfortable as possible. So, the profession of nursing assistant needs a fair amount of dedication and sincerity, which can go a long way in painting the faces of patients with happiness.

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