Information Provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook
Home health aides is projected to be the fastest growing occupation through 2014. Numerous job openings and excellent job opportunities are expected. Most jobs are in nursing and residential care facilities, hospitals, and home health care services. Modest entry requirements, low pay, high physical and emotional demands, and lack of advancement opportunities characterize this occupation.
On average, Nursing Aides, Orderlies, and Attendants earn $ 10.67 per hour.
Job Opportunities for Nursing Aides, Orderlies, and Attendants are expected to:
Increase much faster than the average.
Nursing and psychiatric aides help care for physically or mentally ill, injured, disabled, or infirm individuals in hospitals, nursing care facilities, and mental health settings. Home health aides have duties that are similar, but they work in patients homes or residential care facilities. Nursing aides and home health aides are among the occupations commonly referred to as direct care workers, due to their role in working with patients who need long-term care.
Nursing and psychiatric aide training is offered in high schools, vocational-technical centers, some nursing care facilities, and some community colleges. Courses cover body mechanics, nutrition, anatomy and physiology, infection control, communication skills, and resident rights. Personal care skills, such as how to help patients to bathe, eat, and groom themselves, also are taught.
Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides held about 2.3 million jobs in 2006. Nursing aides held the most jobsapproximately 1.4 million. Home health aides held roughly 787,000 jobs, and psychiatric aides held about 62,000 jobs. About 52 percent of nursing aides worked in nursing and residential care facilities and another 29 percent worked in hospitals.
