Healthcare Aide Certification

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.