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Nurse Aide Certification | Classes, Programs and Training
Nurse Aide Certification | Nurse Aide Programs | Our TOP Recommendations
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Home health aides and nursing aides are typically referred to as direct care workers, because of their part in working with long-term care patients. The specific care they provides depends on their specialty.
- Nature of the Work - Nursing aides are also known as geriatric aides, nursing assistants, nurse aides, certified nursing assistants, unlicensed assistive personnel, orderlies, or hospital attendants. They give hands-on care and carry out routine tasks under the care of medical and nursing staff.
- Nurse Aide Certification - Classes and Training - Nursing and psychiatric aide training is provided in some community colleges, vocational-technical centers, and some nursing care facilities. Courses include nutrition, communication skills, body mechanics, anatomy and physiology, resident rights, and infection control.
- Licensing - The Federal Government established guidelines for home health aides whose employers receive Medicare reimbursement. Federal law requires that home health aides must pass a competency test that includes a variety of areas. A home health aide may receive training before taking the competency test. Also, the National Association for Home Care and Hospice provides voluntary certification for home health aides. Some states also ask that aides be licensed.
Nurse Aide Certification | Nurse Aide Programs
Hospitals may require prior experience as a home health aide or a nursing aide. Some states also require psychiatric aides to finish a formal training program. However, most psychiatric aides gain valuable on-the-job experience from seasoned workers.
Home health aides usually do not a high school diploma. They are typically trained on the job by licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, or experienced aides. In addition, clients may want tasks done a certain way, and ask a home health aide to abide by those desires. A competency evaluation may be needed to make sure the aide can conduct the required tasks.
Some employers offer classroom instruction for entry-level aides, while others use informal on-the-job instruction by an experienced aide or a licensed nurse. This training may take several days to a few months. Aides may attend workshops, lectures, and in-service training.
Nurse Aide Certification - Classes and Training - Graduate - Job Outlook
In 2006, nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides held about 2.3 million jobs. Nursing aides held the most jobs—about 1.4 million. Home health aides had roughly 787,000 jobs. About 52 percent of nursing aides were employed in nursing and residential care facilities and another 29 percent were employed in hospitals. Home health aides were mostly employed by nursing and residential care facilities, home health care services, and social assistance agencies.
Great job opportunities for nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides will come from a combination of rapid employment growth and the need to fill the positions that many workers vacate each year.
Nursing aide jobs will not experience the same growth pattern as that which will be seen in home health aide employment. Employment of nursing aides is predicted to increase faster than the average for all careers through 2016, due to the long-term care needs of the senior citizen sector. Fiscal pressure on hospitals to discharge patients quickly should increase admissions to nursing care facilities. Consequently, job openings will be more plentiful in nursing and residential care facilities as opposed to hospitals. Modern medical technology will also influence the demand for nursing aides as technological advancements save and extend more lives. It will also increase the demand for long-term care provided by aides.
Nurse Aide Certification - Graduates - Earnings Statistics
The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics reports average hourly wages of nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants were $10.50 in May 2006. The middle 50 percent made between $9.00 and $12.75 an hour. The bottom 10 percent made less than $7.75, and the top 10 percent made more than $15.00 an hour.
Average hourly wage of home health aides were $9.25 in May 2006. The middle 50 percent made between $8.00 and $11.00 an hour. The bottom 10 percent made less than $7.25, and the top 10 percent made more than $13.00 an hour.
Nursing, home health, and psychiatric aides assist people who need routine treatment or care. So do licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, child care workers, medical assistants, personal and home care aides, physical therapist assistants and aides, radiation therapists, occupational therapist assistants and aides, and registered nurses. Human and social service assistants, who often work with mental health patients, perform work similar to that of psychiatric aides.
Nurse Aide Certification - Classes and Training
There are an excellent number of choices if you want to earn your Nurse Aide Certification. Online schools and colleges now provide the same curriculum as the traditional education. Learning online provides you with so much more flexibility to suit your lifestyle and current employment. We include our top recommendations for colleges and universities to obtain your Nurse Aide Certification.
Go from Nurse Aide Certification to Online Nursing Programs
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Tips to Help Smooth
Your Journey? |
You may be a bit apprehensive about returning to school. You may not be confident that you have the computer skills required to participate in online courses. In fact, online courses do not require high levels of computer skill. The key required skills are the ability to use e-mail and post messages on a discussion board.
If you need to brush up on these basic skills, you can take free computer classes at your local public library. These classes typically last only a few hours and can boost your confidence in using the computer. Online tutorial sites for improving computer skills can also be useful.
The Key to Financial
Success? |
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a person with a bachelor degree is anticipated to earn an average of $2.15 million during the period of their working life. Those individuals who possess only a high school diploma can expect to earn $1.15 million throughout the entire duration of their working life.
The prediction is that this significant difference in potential for earnings will only widen during the next decade. More positions will have a requirement of some type of college education, if not a degree. Those individuals who have earned a master degree have a predicted earning of $2.5 million during their lifetime, with a doctorate bringing $3.5 million.
The Positives of
Distance Learning |
Distance learning can meet many needs that traditional classroom education cannot. For a lot people, distance learning is the only way that they can find the time to work on a degree.
You have the flexibility to earn your degree at any time, and anywhere, provided that you have internet access. Also, you do not have a rigid schedule, unless you are participating in a live web-based course. You do not waste time commuting to a campus or stress about missing class while you are stuck in traffic.
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