Healthcare Aide Certification

By becoming a healthcare aide, you'll have the opportunity to form strong bonds with disabled or elderly patients who can't care for themselves. You'll have the option of working in a hospital, medical center, or in the patient's home, helping family and friends to provide expanded care. As an aide, you may also provide cleaning and food services, in addition to helping patients with grooming and transport to appointments and errands.

Browse Healthcare Aide Certification schools by State:

BC | DE | MB | NJ

Recommended Schools

Herzing College

Diploma
Diploma Health Care Aide
Manitoba

CDI College

Diploma
Health Care Aide
Manitoba

University Canada west Academies

Certificate
Health Care Aide
British Columbia

CDM Institute

Certificate
Home Health Aide
New Jersey, Delaware

Other Community and Technical Colleges

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Eastern Arizona College

615 N. Stadium Ave., Thatcher, 85552
Telephone:(928) 428-8322
http://www.eac.edu

National University

11255 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, 92037
Telephone:(800) 628-8648
http://www.nu.edu

Morgan Community College

920 Barlow Road, Fort Morgan, 80701
Telephone:(970) 542-3100
http://www.morgancc.edu

Allen County Community College

1801 N Cottonwood, Iola, 66749
Telephone:(620) 365-5116 x100
http://www.allencc.edu

Cloud County Community College

2221 Campus Dr, Concordia, 66901
Telephone:(785) 243-1435
http://www.cloud.edu

Colby Community College

1255 S Range, Colby, 67701
Telephone:(785) 462-3984
http://www.colbycc.edu

Fort Scott Community College

2108 S Horton, Fort Scott, 66701
Telephone:(620) 223-2700
http://www.fortscott.edu

Garden City Community College

801 Campus Dr, Garden City, 67846
Telephone:(620) 276-7611
http://www.gcccks.edu

Independence Community College

1057 West College Avenue, Independence, 67301
Telephone:(620) 331-4100
http://www.indycc.edu

Wichita Area Technical College

301 South Grove, Wichita, 67211
Telephone:(316) 677-9400
http://www.watc.edu
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Is a Career as a Healthcare Aide Right for Me?

When considering a career in the healthcare field, one option to consider is becoming a healthcare aide. Working under the guidance of a licensed nurse or other healthcare professional, healthcare aides often work with the elderly or handicapped to assist them as necessary with their daily activities. read more [+]

Typical Duties

Typical duties of a healthcare aide might include helping people to:

  • Dress
  • Eat
  • Groom themselves
  • Keep their homes neat and orderly
  • Use the bathroom
  • Bathe
  • Change bandages or take vital signs

A healthcare aide also provides comfort and encouragement to their patients, by talking and listening to them. A patient in a nursing home, hospital, or alone in their own home often have feelings of loneliness, fear, anger, or other negative emotions that need to be expressed.

A healthcare aide must be outgoing and like interacting with people. This is a very hands-on position, so a healthcare aide must feel comfortable touching other people. They must be able to handle unpleasant odors and procedures while remaining calm and pleasant at all times. They should be comfortable handling blood and other bodily fluids when necessary. A healthcare aide should be warm, compassionate, enjoy spending time with patients, and have patience for elderly and handicapped people. They must be able to accept instructions from others, as a healthcare aide is always under the direction of a nurse or other supervisor. They must be able to take and record vital signs such as pulse rate, blood pressure, temperature, and breathing rate. Healthcare aides must be physically able to assist patients in walking and sometimes lift patients who need help.

Working Environment

Healthcare aides can work in a variety places including:

  • Nursing homes
  • Rehabilitation centers
  • Hospitals
    • Post-surgical wards
    • Maternity wards
    • Children's wards
  • Hospices
  • Private homes
  • Home healthcare agencies
  • Private clients

Hours can range from daytime to evenings to overnight shifts. Most healthcare aides work at least some weekend hours. Many healthcare aides work with senior citizens or handicapped people. Some Many healthcare aides work full-time, though many also work part-time for several different employers, at a total of 40 or more hours per week.

Educational Requirements

Healthcare aides have different educational requirements depending on which state they live in. Some states require certification, such as a Home Health Aide Certificate or a Nurse's Aide Certificate. Others allow for on-the-job training. In most cases, a high school diploma is not required. In many states, healthcare aides must pass a physical examination and a background check.

Job Outlook

Salaries for healthcare aides can vary based on location, years of experience, number of hours worked, and certifications that the individual person has. The average salary of all healthcare aides is about $18,000 per year. In general, healthcare aides holding certificates who work for hospitals make the most money, and those with no certification working for an agency make the least amount of money. Job prospects for healthcare aides are excellent, as the population is getting older each year. There tends to be a high turnover rate for healthcare aides, which contributes to a healthy job outlook for the future.

If you enjoy working with people, don't mind working hard, and feel most comfortable working under the supervision of a healthcare professional, healthcare aide training might be a good fit for you.