Nursing assistant: what do they do and how much do they earn?

A nursing assistant plays a key role in the healthcare team, providing direct support and assistance to patients, as well as collaborating with nurses and other healthcare professionals.

And now, let's find out what a nursing assistant does, how much they can earn and what their areas of activity are.

What does a nursing assistant do?

The nursing assistant is an important member of a healthcare team, contributing to the patient's improvement and well-being.

This professional will provide direct assistance to doctors and collaborate with the team of nursing technicians and nurses, aiming to serve patients in the best possible way.

The assistant's main responsibility is to look after their patients, providing personal care and assistance with daily activities, such as eating, hygiene, bathing and changing clothes.

In general, this assistance is given mainly to patients with some type of mobility difficulty, who have undergone surgery or are hospitalized.

Based on the guidance of doctors and under the supervision of a nurse, the nursing assistant can administer medications, always ensuring that the times are correct and the dosage is correct.

When working with hospitalized patients, whether in normal hospitalization or ICU, the assistant will have to monitor your vital signs. So from time to time he needs to measure blood pressure, assess heart rate, temperature and breathing.

Still caring for the patient, the assistant will do all the exam preparations for the patient. These may be preparations for exams, surgeries and other procedures, but in any case, he will assist and guide the preparations.

Collect samples of blood, urine and other materials for laboratory tests, following appropriate hygiene and safety protocols, is also the role of this professional.

The nursing assistant will help patients to move, change position in bed and walk if necessary. This helps prevent complications related to immobility, such as atrophy.

They can also guarantee basic care such as dressing changes, wound cleaning and triage.

And as the assistant provides support to the team of professionals, they also monitor and report to the doctors and head nurses.

But these are just some of the responsibilities that an assistant has, and although there are many, they may have other functions that depend on the place where they work and their employers.

Where can you work?

Nursing assistants can work in a variety of healthcare settings, providing essential support to medical staff and patients.

He can work in hospitals, in ICUs, emergency, surgery, maternity, pediatrics and other departments of the health establishment.

You can find positions in medical clinics, in a wide range of specialties, as well as in medical centers offering primary and preventive care.

It is common for them to work in nursing homes and retirement homes as well, caring for the elderly and permanent patients in the homes.

Nursing assistants may also work in psychiatric hospitals and rehabilitation clinics, assisting patients who need assistance or are recovering from addictions, injuries, and illnesses.

Another way for these professionals to work is in home care, where they can work independently, but still need to be registered with Coren.

The professional may also work in dental offices, schools, diagnostic centers, health industries, vaccination clinics and NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations).

What is the training of this professional like?

To become a nursing assistant, you must take a course considered to be at a specific secondary level.

It lasts approximately one and a half years and can be found in public or private institutions.

Despite being fast, the student and professional will be able to develop practical skills, doing supervised internships in hospitals and clinics.

And once the course is completed, the professional will receive a certificate acknowledging completion, and will need to register on Coren (Regional Nursing Council), responsible for regulating all professionals working in the nursing field.

This registration is mandatory for all professionals in this area, including nursing assistants.

Differences between nursing professionals

When talking about nursing professionals, there are three different categories:

• Nurse;
• Nursing technician;
• And the nursing assistant.

And the main difference is in the level of education that directly influences their performance.

The nurse must have a bachelor's degree in nursing, a course that lasts approximately four years.

He provides more complex care, being able to prescribe medications, supervise teams and plan activities.

The nursing technician is trained in technical courses which last approximately 2 years, involving practical and theoretical activities.

As the second professional in the hierarchy, he can perform medium complexity procedures such as taking samples and giving injections.

Finally, the assistant is a professional who provides more basic care to patients, always under the supervision of a head nurse. The courses generally last up to 1 year and a half and prepare the professional for practical activities.

What is the salary of a nursing assistant?

Nursing assistants can receive different salaries depending on several factors, such as region, position and type of establishment in which they work.

Furthermore, the profession can have several positions, and each of them can bring different duties and salaries.

Let's look at some of the possible positions:

• Nursing assistant;
• Collection assistant;
• Lactating;
• Caregiver;
• Nursing assistant;
• Primary care nurse.

The salaries we will provide were brought by Glassdoor, a job platform and relevant information about companies that contributed to the research.

Starting with the nursing assistant position itself, in Brazil salaries can start at R$1,200 and go up to R$5,880, with an average of R$3 thousand reais.

The professional can also be a caregiver and receive between R$1,013 and R$2,871, with an average of R$1,385.

Nursing assistant graduates can also find vacancies as collection assistants, with values starting from R$2,400 to R$4,000, with an average salary of R$3,200.

In other positions, you can find different salaries, depending on your level of experience as a nursing assistant and taking other factors into consideration.