Occupation · SOC 31-1131
Nursing Assistants
Provide or assist with basic care or support under the direction of onsite licensed nursing staff. Perform duties such as monitoring of health status, feeding, bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, or ambulation of patients in a health or nursing facility. May include medication administration and other health-related tasks. Includes nursing care attendants, nursing aides, and nursing attendants.
Median wage
$39,530
$31,390–$50,140
Projected growth
+2.3%
Slower than average
Annual openings
3,260
per year
Employed (US)
1,388,430
Job Zone 3
Typical preparation
Medium preparation
Stackable credential programs
328 mapped
Core skills
Service OrientationSocial PerceptivenessActive ListeningMonitoringCritical ThinkingCoordinationReading ComprehensionSpeaking
Knowledge areas
Customer and Personal ServiceAdministration and ManagementEnglish LanguagePublic Safety and SecurityMedicine and Dentistry
Technology & tools
Business intelligence and data analysis softwareBilling and invoicing softwareMedical softwareVideo conferencing softwareData base user interface and query software
Representative tasks
Turn or reposition bedridden patients.Answer patient call signals, signal lights, bells, or intercom systems to determine patients' needs.Feed patients or assist patients to eat or drink.Measure and record food and liquid intake or urinary and fecal output, reporting changes to medical or nursing staff.Document or otherwise report observations of patient behavior, complaints, or physical symptoms to nurses.Provide physical support to assist patients to perform daily living activities, such as getting out of bed, bathing, dressing, using the toilet, standing, walking, or exercising.Remind patients to take medications or nutritional supplements.Review patients' dietary restrictions, food allergies, and preferences to ensure patient receives appropriate diet.Undress, wash, and dress patients who are unable to do so for themselves.Observe or examine patients to detect symptoms that may require medical attention, such as bruises, open wounds, or blood in urine.Lift or assist others to lift patients to move them on or off beds, examination tables, surgical tables, or stretchers.Supply, collect, or empty bedpans.Communicate with patients to ascertain feelings or need for assistance or social and emotional support.Record vital signs, such as temperature, blood pressure, pulse, or respiration rate, as directed by medical or nursing staff.Gather information from caregivers, nurses, or physicians about patient condition, treatment plans, or appropriate activities.Prepare or serve food trays.Wash, groom, shave, or drape patients to prepare them for surgery, treatment, or examination.Change bed linens or make beds.Exercise patients who are comatose, paralyzed, or have restricted mobility.Restock patient rooms with personal hygiene items, such as towels, washcloths, soap, or toilet paper.Clean and sanitize patient rooms, bathrooms, examination rooms, or other patient areas.Assist nurses or physicians in the operation of medical equipment or provision of patient care.Record height or weight of patients.Transport patients to treatment units, testing units, operating rooms, or other areas, using wheelchairs, stretchers, or moveable beds.Collect specimens, such as urine, feces, or sputum.Provide information, such as directions, visiting hours, or patient status information to visitors or callers.Position or hold patients in position for surgical preparation.Set up treating or testing equipment, such as oxygen tents, portable radiograph (x-ray) equipment, or overhead irrigation bottles, as directed by a physician or nurse.Administer medications or treatments, such as catheterizations, suppositories, irrigations, enemas, massages, or douches, as directed by a physician or nurse.Apply clean dressings, slings, stockings, or support bandages, under direction of nurse or physician.Stock or issue medical supplies, such as dressing packs or treatment trays.Explain medical instructions to patients or family members.Transport specimens, laboratory items, or pharmacy items, ensuring proper documentation and delivery to authorized personnel.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Activities of daily living (bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting) — provide to assigned residents under a nurse's review.Vital signs (temperature, blood pressure, pulse, respiration) — measure and record accurately on stable patients.Patient transfers (bed to chair, chair to commode) — perform with proper body mechanics under a senior CNA's coaching.Infection control practices (hand hygiene, gloves, isolation precautions) — apply consistently across patient contacts.Charting and care-plan documentation — complete legibly per facility standards on each shift.Mealtime assistance and intake/output recording — perform reliably for dependent residents.Mobility support (gait belts, transfer boards, wheelchairs) — use correctly for assigned patients.Skin observations (redness, bruising, pressure points) — recognize and report to the charge nurse.Resident call lights — respond within facility-target times across an assigned hall.Behavior and orientation changes — flag to the licensed nurse rather than interpreting independently.
developing
Multi-patient assignments — organize and prioritize across an 8-resident hallway on a routine shift.Restorative-care tasks (range-of-motion exercises, ambulation programs) — perform per the care plan independently.Common medical equipment (Hoyer lifts, oxygen concentrators, suction units) — operate safely under nurse direction.Subtle changes in resident status — recognize and escalate appropriately to the licensed nurse.End-of-life and dementia-care techniques — apply with patience and dignity on assigned residents.New CNAs on shift — orient on hall routines and resident-specific care during their first week.Family-member interactions — communicate respectfully and route clinical questions to the nurse.Hospice-eligible residents — support per the care plan with sensitivity to comfort-care goals.Charting in the electronic medical record — complete required fields without nurse follow-up.Care-plan changes — implement on a familiar resident within the same shift.
proficient
Complex residents (multi-comorbid, high-acuity) — assist and assess across an acute-care or specialty unit.Care-plan input and updates — contribute substantively in interdisciplinary care conferences.Senior or lead-CNA responsibilities — guide hallway teams during a shift on staffing or assignment changes.Difficult family conversations — handle initial responses on common concerns and route to the nurse.Resident-rights and dignity issues — identify and report through the facility's grievance process.Quality measures (pressure ulcers, falls, weight loss) — recognize trends and surface to nursing leadership.New-grad CNAs and aides — mentor formally during 2–4 week orientations.Equipment troubleshooting (failed lifts, oxygen alarms) — handle in real time without delaying patient care.Specialty-area certifications (restorative aide, medication aide, dementia care) — maintain and apply within scope.Cross-shift handoffs and resident-status reports — deliver to incoming staff with clarity and completeness.
advanced
Hallway or unit leadership — coordinate CNA staffing, breaks, and assignments across a shift.Restorative-care program — design and audit on a unit in partnership with rehab and nursing.New-hire CNA training — own the floor-portion of orientation across the facility.Quality-improvement projects (pressure-ulcer reduction, falls prevention) — lead with administration support.Survey readiness (state, CMS) — prepare the unit and represent staff during walkthroughs.Resident-family councils — represent CNA staff in joint meetings with leadership and family advocates.Career-pathway coaching (LPN, RN bridge programs) — mentor staff who want to advance.Facility-wide programs (dementia care, restorative aide, palliative care) — coordinate with nursing and rehab leadership.Regulatory readiness on care-plan documentation — own across a unit during survey cycles.Senior advocate for CNA-staff voice — represent on committees and in leadership-level conversations.
Also known as
136 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Surgical Technologist Craftsman, Orthopedics (Air Force 4N171C)Medical Surgical Nurse (Army 66H)Nursing TechnicianNurse SitterSurgical Technologist Helper (Air Force 4N111)Surgical Technologist Craftsman, Urology (Air Force 4N171B)Surgical Technologist Apprentice (Air Force 4N131)Orthopedic Specialist (Army 68B)Family Nurse Practitioner (Army 66P)Surgical Technologist Helper, Urology (Air Force 4N111B)Nurse AssistantHealth Care AssistantHealth Service WorkerNurse Corps Officer (Army 66)Critical Care Nursing (Army 66S)Surgical Technologist Journeyman, Orthopedics (Air Force 4N151C)Health AideClinical Specialist, Nursing (Navy 0925)Perioperative Nurse (Navy 0932)Hospice CNA (Hospice Certified Nursing Assistant)Mental Health Nurse (Air Force 46P4)Certified Nursing Attendant (CNA)Dental Assistant Helper (Air Force 4Y011)Aerospace Medical Service Manager (Air Force 4N000)Nurse's AssistantHospital AidePatient SitterNursing AidePatient Care Technician (PCT)Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA)Hospitalman (Navy HN)Certified Medication Aide (CMA)Army Public Health Nurse (Army 66B)Surgical Technologist (Air Force 4N1X1)Mental Health Nurse (Air Force 46PX)Sugical Technologist (Navy L23A)Nurses' AideDental Assistant Journeyman (Air Force 4Y051)Patient Care AssociateNursing Care Attendant