General Aide

General aides administer routine nursing services under the direction of licensed practical nurses (LPNs) or Registered Nurses (RNs). These specialists are usually experienced, but they’re not authorized to perform some of the tasks of RNs since they lack training. However, general aides acquire valuable work experience which prepares them for more advanced positions. General aides are employed in the same settings as RNs, including hospitals, community centers, assisted living facilities, outpatient clinics, schools, and hospice clinics.

General aides are also referred to as Nursing Assistants, Home Health Aides, Personal Care Assistants, Geriatric Aides, Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), Nurse’s Aides, Unlicensed Assistive Personnel, Patient Care Technicians, or Hospital Attendants. Job titles differ by organization.

Main Duties:

Monitoring patients
Helping RNs with various tasks
Dressing cuts and wounds
Notifying RNs of unidentified problems
Administering first aid and CPR
Bathing people admitted to hospitals
Feeding incapacitated patients
Helping patients undergoing rehabilitation exercise
Sanitizing patient rooms and making beds
Assisting incontinent patients
Keeping tabs on patient vital signs
Moving bedridden patients to eliminate bedsores
Reporting patient conditions to RNs

Education and Training

To obtain a general aide job, you must acquire some healthcare experience. After completing some formal training available at community colleges or hospitals, general aides can qualify for Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) positions. The CNA exam measures nursing skills and knowledge of nursing theory. After completing formal CNA training, students are required to complete clinical training and pass the certification exam sponsored by their respective state.