Career Discovery Tool
Your email has not been verified. Verify email now ›

Nursing Assistant and Orderly

Overview and Key Facts

A nurse assistant and an older woman smiling at each other.
Education
Education
Post high school credential
Median Pay
Median Pay
$39,530
Job Growth
Job Growth
2.30%
(Below US Average)
Jobs in 2034
Jobs in 2034
1,474,000

What Do They Do?

A nurse assistant and orderly could...

 
A nurse assistant carefully shaves the face of an older man.

Help patients take baths, brush their hair, and get dressed so they feel clean and cared for.
A nurse assistant in scrubs checks the blood pressure of an older woman, both seated indoors and smiling at each other.
Check things like heart rate, temperature, and blood pressure to help doctors and nurses know how the patient is doing
A nurse assistant smiles at a young girl in a hospital bed who is listening to a teddy bear’s chest with a stethoscope.
Bring kindness, enjoy stories, and help patients feel happy and less lonely.
A nurse assistant helps to lift an older man off a bed and helps him into a wheelchair.
Help patients move from beds to wheelchairs and make sure they don’t fall or get hurt.
 
A nurse assistant carefully shaves the face of an older man. A nurse assistant in scrubs checks the blood pressure of an older woman, both seated indoors and smiling at each other. A nurse assistant smiles at a young girl in a hospital bed who is listening to a teddy bear’s chest with a stethoscope. A nurse assistant helps to lift an older man off a bed and helps him into a wheelchair.

Overview Listen to this section

Nursing assistants and orderlies are real-life helpers who work in hospitals and care homes. They help people eat, get dressed, take baths, and move around safely—like helping a friend who isn’t feeling well. You might help someone sit up for the first time or make them smile when they’re scared. This job lets you make a big difference in people’s lives every day.
Certified Nursing Assistant Don Clifford describes his experience working as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) in the Heart and Vascular Unit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzpbOs0hLTI

Do You Have the Skills and Characteristics of a Nursing Assistant and Orderly?


  1. Service Orientation: ?
  2. Social Perceptiveness: ?
  3. Active Listening: ?
  4. Monitoring: ?
  5. Coordination: ?
More skills...

Core Tasks

Think about if you'd like the typical tasks a Nursing Assistant and Orderly might do:
  • Turn or reposition bedridden patients.
  • Answer patient call signals, signal lights, bells, or intercom systems to determine patients' needs.
  • Feed patients or assist patients to eat or drink.
  • Measure and record food and liquid intake or urinary and fecal output, reporting changes to medical or nursing staff.
  • Document or otherwise report observations of patient behavior, complaints, or physical symptoms to nurses.
  • Provide physical support to assist patients to perform daily living activities, such as getting out of bed, bathing, dressing, using the toilet, standing, walking, or exercising.
  • Remind patients to take medications or nutritional supplements.
  • Review patients' dietary restrictions, food allergies, and preferences to ensure patient receives appropriate diet.
  • Undress, wash, and dress patients who are unable to do so for themselves.
  • Observe or examine patients to detect symptoms that may require medical attention, such as bruises, open wounds, or blood in urine.
  • Lift or assist others to lift patients to move them on or off beds, examination tables, surgical tables, or stretchers.
  • Supply, collect, or empty bedpans.
  • Communicate with patients to ascertain feelings or need for assistance or social and emotional support.
  • Record vital signs, such as temperature, blood pressure, pulse, or respiration rate, as directed by medical or nursing staff.
  • Gather information from caregivers, nurses, or physicians about patient condition, treatment plans, or appropriate activities.
  • Prepare or serve food trays.
  • Wash, groom, shave, or drape patients to prepare them for surgery, treatment, or examination.
  • Change bed linens or make beds.
  • Exercise patients who are comatose, paralyzed, or have restricted mobility.
  • Restock patient rooms with personal hygiene items, such as towels, washcloths, soap, or toilet paper.
  • Clean and sanitize patient rooms, bathrooms, examination rooms, or other patient areas.
  • Assist nurses or physicians in the operation of medical equipment or provision of patient care.
  • Record height or weight of patients.
  • Transport patients to treatment units, testing units, operating rooms, or other areas, using wheelchairs, stretchers, or moveable beds.
  • Collect specimens, such as urine, feces, or sputum.
  • Provide information, such as directions, visiting hours, or patient status information to visitors or callers.

Salary & Job Openings

Median Salary (Yearly Pay)

Tap or scroll over map to see median salaries for each state

Future Jobs

Blast-Off:

How Will Nursing Assistant and Orderly Jobs Grow by 2034?
Projected % Growth
Rapid growth
(10% or higher)
Much faster than average
(7% - 10%)
Faster than average
(5% - 7%)
About as fast as average
(3% - 5%)
Slower than average
(0% - 3%)
Decreasing
Average of all U.S. jobs (5.3%)
Nursing Assistant and Orderly jobs (2.30%)
Source: https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm

Steps to Get There: Becoming a Nursing Assistant and Orderly

High School Subjects to Study

Aim to study the yellow-shaded subjects.
Math
Algebra 1
Geometry
Algebra 2
Pre-Calculus
Calculus
Statistics
Science
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Environmental Science
Physiology
Bio-Medical / Biotech
IT &
Engineering
Computer Science
Applied Technology
Drafting & CAD Training
Core
English
Foreign Language
Business
Psychology / Sociology

Career Pathway Listen to this section

Nursing assistants typically complete a brief period of on-the-job training to learn about their specific employer’s policies and procedures. Orderlies typically receive a short period of on-the-job training.

Education- Typical Degree Needed After High School Listen to this section

Degree
Post
high school credential
AA
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctoral or Professional Degree

Typical degree for an entry-level position: Post high school credential ? Types of Degrees and Credentials

Nursing assistants often need to complete a state-approved education program that includes both instruction on the principles of nursing and supervised clinical work. These programs are available in high schools, community colleges, vocational and technical schools, hospitals, and nursing homes.

Orderlies typically have at least a high school diploma or equivalent.

Companies That Hire Nursing Assistant and Orderlies

  • McKesson
  • Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration
  • Kaiser Permanente
  • Dignity Health
  • Sevita

Try it Out with an Activity or Project

STEM Activities

STEM activities are fun hands-on explorations that usually take from 10 minutes to one hour and use readily available household or classroom materials while introducing you to STEM concepts common in this career.

Science Project Ideas

Project Ideas are in-depth STEM explorations that have a strong focus on controlling variables, taking accurate measurements, and analyzing data suitable for investigating the scientific method or the engineering design process.

On the Job

Role Models

Follow Gladys through her day as a Certified Nursing Assistant to see how she cares for older adults with compassion.
Being a CNA, it’s hard work, not always glamorous, but it makes me feel good to know that I can help people and they’re looking forward to seeing me again. 
Gladys, Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) at Presbyterian Homes & Services

Nature of the Work

Nursing assistants, also called nursing aides, help take care of people who are sick, hurt, or elderly. They are important members of the healthcare team and work under the supervision of nurses. Every day, nursing assistants help patients with basic needs. This includes helping them get dressed, take a bath, brush their teeth, and use the toilet. They also help move patients from beds to wheelchairs, make beds, and keep rooms clean and neat.

Nursing assistants often bring meals to patients and may help feed them if needed. They check important health signs like temperature, pulse, and blood pressure, and they tell the nurse if something seems wrong. Sometimes, they help with exercises or take patients for walks to keep their bodies moving. In some states, if they have extra training, nursing assistants can also give patients their medicine.

Many nursing assistants work in nursing homes or long-term care facilities where they care for the same people every day. This helps them build close relationships with the patients and understand their needs better.

Orderlies do similar work, but their main job is to keep the hospital or care center running smoothly. They help move patients from one room to another or to different parts of the hospital by pushing stretchers or wheelchairs. They also clean equipment like wheelchairs and hospital beds, change dirty sheets, and make sure there are enough supplies like gloves, bandages, and clean towels. Both nursing assistants and orderlies help people feel safe, clean, and cared for every day.

Work Environment

Most nursing assistants and orderlies work in nursing care facilities or hospitals. They may also work in continuing care retirement communities and assisted living facilities for the elderly, home healthcare services, government medical clinics, or ambulatory healthcare services.

The work of nursing assistants and orderlies may be strenuous. They spend much of their time on their feet as they care for patients. Nursing assistants and orderlies have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations. These workers frequently move patients and have other physically demanding tasks. They typically get training in how to properly lift people, which can reduce the risk of injuries.

Although most nursing assistants and orderlies work full time, some work part time. Because nursing and residential care facilities and hospitals provide care at all hours, nursing assistants and orderlies may need to work nights, weekends, and holidays.

More Information

Ask Questions

Do you have a specific question about a career as a Nursing Assistant and Orderly that isn't answered on this page? Post your question on the Science Buddies Ask an Expert Forum.

Additional Resources

Sources

Top
Quick Links X
Free science fair projects.