Nursing, Psychiatric, and Home Health Aides
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, home health aide positions are projected to grow faster than any other occupation in the country through 2014. Home health aides are often grouped together with nursing and psychiatric aides because each profession involves the care of physically or mentally ill, injured, or disabled patients. Nursing and psychiatric aides typically work in hospitals, nursing care facilities, and mental health organizations, while home health aides work in residential care facilities and in patients' homes. All three industries will likely grow in the upcoming years, but the work of home health aides and the age bracket that they serve is currently aligned with the needs of the aging baby boomer generation.Nursing aides, sometimes known as hospital attendants, perform routine tasks under the supervision of nursing and medical staffs. Depending on the facility they work at, nursing aides may be asked to respond to call lights, serve meals, make beds, assist patients with eating and dressing, record patients' vital signs, and keep rooms neat. Most nursing aides are also responsible for monitoring the physical and mental conditions of patients and reporting any changes to the doctors or the nurses in charge.
Psychiatric aides help care for mentally impaired or psychologically disturbed individuals along with psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers. Psychiatric aides socialize with patients, organize educational and recreational activities, and assist patients with everyday tasks like dressing, bathing, grooming, and eating. Because psychiatric aides have such close contact with patients, an aide's demeanor and how he or she responds to a situation can have a significant impact on a patient's progress and treatment.
The fundamental difference between home health aides and nursing and psychiatric aides is the setting in which they care for their patients. Home health aides generally look after patients in their own homes, not in a health care facility. Some common responsibilities include administering oral medication, helping with exercise, checking patients' vital signs, and assisting patients when they move from bed, dress, and groom themselves. Most home health aides work with elderly, convalescent, or disabled clients. While jobs with certain patients may go on for months or years at a time, most home health aides work with several different patients that they visit on a regular basis.
Most full-time aides work about 40 hours a week, including evenings, nights, weekends and holidays, depending on the needs of their patients. Although the work is often emotionally demanding, many aides gain fulfillment from helping those in need. Training for aide positions varies, but the most relevant programs are often held at community and technical colleges. In 2006, the median earnings of aides ranged from around $9.00 an hour to $13.00 an hour. [Figures including job projections, reported median incomes, and salary estimates were revised to reflect data from 2006 on 2/20/08.]