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Career Profile: Nursing Support

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Aide, Assistant, Orderlie pushing eldery man in wheelchair

There are numerous job titles that fall within the term "Nursing Support".  Each country and, oftentimes, even regions within a country uses different tersm to describe what is essentially the same position.  The term nursing support includes the following healthcare professionals: Nursing Assistants, Home Health Aides, Patient Service Associates, Personal Support Workers (PSW), Direct Care Workers, Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), Patient Care Assistants (PCA), Healthcare Support Workers (HSW), Nursing Assistants-Registered (NA/R), Nursing Assistants (NA), State Tested Nurse Aides (STNA), Patient Care Associates (PCA), Nursing Techs (NT), Clinical Support Workers (CSW), Healthcare Assistants (HCA), Auxiliary Nurses (Aux-N), Orderlies and more.

These professionals typically assist people who require long-term care with daily life, tending to personal and household needs.  Their patients include the elderly, the crtically or terminally ill, people who are disabled or injured or anyone else that needs assistance with their daily activities. Nursing Support workers will need to have patience, understanding and empathy as they are usually the people who have the most contact with patients.  Their duties will including helping to feed, bathe and dress their patients as well as providing support to their supervisors, typically LPNs or RNs. This may include helping patients with their exercises and medications as well as monitoring their vital signs.

Nursing support workers work in health-care facilties, such as hospitals and residential and long-term care facilities, and in home healthcare environments as well. Those people that search for work in nursing homes, residential care facilities and nursing care facilities will probably have more success as most jobs will open up in those types of facilities.   

Career Outlook - Canada

QUICK FACTS
(source: Service Canada's Jobfutures.ca)
NOC Code 3413
Career Outlook Good
Average Hourly Wage $14.77
National Avg. Hourly Wage $18.07
Unemployment Rate 2%            
National Unemployment Rate 7%

Service Canada lists the employment prospects for Nurse Aides, Orderlies and Patient Service Associates as good because employment is growing at an average rate. The number of retirements also contributes to the of new openings available. As the population ages the demand for this type of service will grow and openings will become available as the number of residential, long-term and community care facilities open up.  

Career Outlook – United States

QUICK FACTS
(source: Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook)
SOC code 31-1000
Career Outlook Excellent
Expected Employment Growth (2006-2016) 28%
Average Annual Earnings $24,620

**Use the green search bar above to find Nursing Support jobs or click here to browse Personal Support Worker (PSW), Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and other nursing support jobs.