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Version:
NOC 2021 Version 1.0

33102 – Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates

Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates assist nurses, hospital staff and physicians in the basic care of patients. They are employed in hospitals, nursing homes, assisted care facilities for the elderly and other health care establishments. Emergency medical care attendant are employed by private ambulance services, urgent care centers or other health facilities.

Profile

Index of titles Example job titles

  • Anesthetic attendant - hospital
  • Continuing care assistant
  • Emergency medical care assistant
  • Emergency medical care attendant (non-paramedical)
  • Emergency medical responder (non-paramedical)
  • Emergency room aide
  • Environmental assistant - medical
  • Environmental support person - medical
  • Escort - health services
  • First aid attendant
  • First aid attendant - emergency
  • Geriatric aide
  • Geriatric health care attendant
  • Health care aide
  • Health care assistant
  • Hospice worker
  • Hospital aide
  • Hospital attendant
  • Hospital orderly
  • Hospital porter
  • Hospital service aide - medical
  • Hospital ward aide
  • Hostel service aide - medical
  • Institutional aide
  • Long term care aide
  • Medical aide
  • Medical attendant - patient transfer
  • Medical orderly
  • Neuropsychiatric aide
  • Nurse aide
  • Nursery aide - hospital
  • Nursing assistant (non-registered)
  • Nursing attendant
  • Nursing home attendant
  • Nursing orderly
  • Nursing services aide
  • Operating room aide
  • Orderly
  • Patient care aide
  • Patient care assistant
  • Patient care associate
  • Patient service aide
  • Patient service assistant
  • Patient service associate
  • Patient service attendant
  • Patient service worker
  • Personal care aide - medical
  • Personal care attendant - medical
  • Personal care provider - medical
  • Personal support aide - medical
  • Personal support worker - nursing care
  • Psychiatric aide
  • Registered care aide
  • Resident care aide - medical
  • Resident companion - medical
  • Respite care aide
  • Service assistant - medical
  • Service associate - medical
  • Service attendant - medical
  • Special care aide - nursing
  • Special care facility attendant
  • Special care worker - medical
  • Support services assistant - medical
  • Surgical aide
  • Unit aide - medical
  • Unit assistant - medical
  • Unit support technician - medical
  • Ward aide - medical
  • Health care aide
  • Hospital attendant
  • Long term care aide
  • Nurse aide
  • Nursing attendant
  • Orderly
  • Patient care aide
  • Patient service associate
  • Personal care attendant - medical
  • Psychiatric aide
  • Resident care aide - medical
Inclusions
  • Emergency medical care attendant (non-paramedical)
  • Emergency medical responder (non-paramedical)
  • First aid attendant
  • Medical attendant - patient transfer

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Answer call signals; supply and empty bed pans; bathe, dress and groom patients; serve meal trays, feed or assist in feeding of patients and assist patients with menu selection; weigh, lift, turn, and position patients; shave patients prior to operations; supervise patients' exercise routines, set up and provide leisure activities for patients, accompany patients on outside recreational activities and perform other duties related to patient care and comfort
  • Take patients' blood pressure, temperature and pulse; report or record fluid intake and output; observe or monitor patients' status and document patient care on charts; collect specimens such as urine, faeces or sputum; administer suppositories, colonic irrigations and enemas and perform other procedures as directed by nursing and hospital staff
  • Administer, in emergency situations, first aid to injured or ill individuals within the scope of competencies
  • Transport patients by wheelchair or stretcher for treatment or surgery
  • Carry messages, reports, requisitions and specimens between departments
  • Make beds and maintain patients' rooms
  • Maintain inventory of supplies
  • May perform maintenance tasks such as assisting with the set-up and maintenance of traction equipment, cleaning or sterilizing equipment, maintaining and repairing equipment, and assembling, setting-up and operating job-related equipment
  • May transport patients between care facilities.

Employment requirements

  • Some secondary school education and on-the-job training or a personal support worker, nursing aide or health care aide college or private institutional program, or a college nursing orderly program and supervised practical training are required.
  • Completion of specialized courses such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid is usually required.
  • An appropriate class of driver's licence may be required for medical attendants.

Additional information

    Exclusions

    Breakdown summary

    Broad occupational category
    3 – Health occupations
    TEER
    3 – Occupations usually require a college diploma or apprenticeship training of less than two years; or more than six months of on-the-job training
    Major group
    33 – Assisting occupations in support of health services
    Sub-major group
    331 – Assisting occupations in support of health services
    Minor group
    3310 – Assisting occupations in support of health services
    Version
    NOC 2021 Version 1.0