Care for ill, injured, or convalescing patients or persons with disabilities in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, private homes, group homes, and similar institutions. May work under the supervision of a registered nurse. Licensing required.
<ul><li>Administer prescribed medications or start intravenous fluids, noting times and amounts on patients' charts.</li><li>Observe patients, charting and reporting changes in patients' conditions, such as adverse reactions to medication or treatment, and taking any necessary action.</li><li>Answer patients' calls and determine how to assist them.</li><li>Measure and record patients' vital signs, such as height, weight, temperature, blood pressure, pulse, or respiration.</li><li>Provide basic patient care or treatments, such as taking temperatures or blood pressures, dressing wounds, treating bedsores, giving enemas or douches, rubbing with alcohol, massaging, or performing catheterizations.</li><li>Work as part of a healthcare team to assess patient needs, plan and modify care, and implement interventions.</li><li>Supervise nurses' aides or assistants.</li><li>Evaluate nursing intervention outcomes, conferring with other healthcare team members as necessary.</li><li>Assemble and use equipment, such as catheters, tracheotomy tubes, or oxygen suppliers.</li><li>Record food and fluid intake and output.</li><li>Collect samples, such as blood, urine, or sputum from patients, and perform routine laboratory tests on samples.</li><li>Prepare patients for examinations, tests, or treatments and explain procedures.</li><li>Help patients with bathing, dressing, maintaining personal hygiene, moving in bed, or standing and walking.</li><li>Apply compresses, ice bags, or hot water bottles.</li></ul>