PCA and HHA help elderly, convalescent, or disabled persons live in their own homes instead of health care facilities. Under the direction of nursing or medical staff, they provide health-related services.

• Take vital signs (temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and respiratory rate).
• Provide direct patient care such as assisting with bathing, eating, dressing, and walking, help with simple prescribed exercises.
• Turn and reposition bedridden patients to prevent breakdown of their skin.
• Change bed linens.
• Record the amount of oral intake and measure urinary output.
• Assist with oral medications.
• Supply and empty bedpans.
• Give emotional support to patients and family members.
• Keep a record of the care given.
• Report any change in condition or any concerns to the staff member who is managing the case.
• Follow infectious disease precautions to prevent the spread of organisms.
• Provide light housekeeping duties when ordered.

Nurse Assistants work under the direction of other health care professionals, usually in nursing homes or hospitals. Their duties include taking the blood pressure, temperature, and pulse of patients. They help patients get in and out of bed, take baths, and dress. They also serve meals and perform light housekeeping chores like making beds and cleaning rooms. Nursing assistants observe the patient's physical, emotional, and mental status and report any changes to the medical or nursing staff. Nursing assistants that are employed in nursing homes are often the principal caregivers. They often have more contact with residents than other members of the staff. Since some residents may occupy a nursing home for months or even years, nurses aides often develop ongoing relationships with them and respond to them in a positive and caring manner.

NA grads become certified once they pass the required state board exam.

Being a Certified Nursing Aide/Assistant means you're really making a difference in people's lives during crucial stages of care.

Here are some of the skills you will learn while training to be a Nursing Assistant:

• Importance of communication
• Total hygiene necessary for the health and comfort of the patient
• Stages of sexual growth and development
• Diets and feeding techniques
• Elimination techniques
• Using good body mechanics for lifting, moving and transporting patients
• Assisting with admissions, discharge, transfers and physical exams
• Relationship between vital signs and body systems
• Psychological changes in the aging patient
• Guaranteed internship in an allied health care facility