Description:
Care for ill, injured, convalescent, or disabled persons in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, private homes, group homes, and similar institutions. May work under the supervision of a registered nurse. Licensing required.
Tasks
- Observe patients, charting and reporting changes in patients' conditions, such as adverse reactions to medication or treatment, and taking any necessary action.
- Administer prescribed medications or start intravenous fluids, and note times and amounts on patients' charts.
- Answer patients' calls and determine how to assist them.
- Measure and record patients' vital signs, such as height, weight, temperature, blood pressure, pulse and respiration.
- Provide basic patient care and treatments, such as taking temperatures or blood pressures, dressing wounds, treating bedsores, giving enemas or douches, rubbing with alcohol, massaging, or performing catheterizations.
- Help patients with bathing, dressing, maintaining personal hygiene, moving in bed, or standing and walking.
- Supervise nurses' aides and assistants.
- Work as part of a health care team to assess patient needs, plan and modify care and implement interventions.
- Record food and fluid intake and output.
- Evaluate nursing intervention outcomes, conferring with other health care team members as necessary.
Knowledge
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
- Customer and Personal Service
- Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Psychology
- Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
- English Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Therapy and Counseling
- Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
- Education and Training
- Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
- Mathematics
- Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Biology
- Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
- Administration and Management
- Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- Chemistry
- Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Skills
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Abilities
- Oral Comprehension
- The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Oral Expression
- The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Speech Recognition
- The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
- Problem Sensitivity
- The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
- Speech Clarity
- The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
- The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
- Deductive Reasoning
- The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Inductive Reasoning
- The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Information Ordering
- The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
- Near Vision
- The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Work Activities
- Assisting and Caring for Others
- Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
- Getting Information
- Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
- Documenting/Recording Information
- Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
- Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
- Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
- Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others
- Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
- Performing General Physical Activities
- Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
- Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Work Context
- Contact With Others
- How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
- Exposed to Disease or Infections
- How often does this job require exposure to disease/infections?
- Frequency of Decision Making
- How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
- Face-to-Face Discussions
- How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
- Telephone
- How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
- Work With Work Group or Team
- How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
- Physical Proximity
- To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people?
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
- Time Pressure
- How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
- How do the decisions an employee makes impact the results of co-workers, clients or the company?
Interests
- Social
- Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
- Realistic
- Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
- Conventional
- Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
- Investigative
- Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
- Enterprising
- Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
- Artistic
- Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Work Style
- Dependability
- Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
- Integrity
- Job requires being honest and ethical.
- Attention to Detail
- Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
- Self Control
- Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
- Concern for Others
- Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
- Cooperation
- Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
- Social Orientation
- Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
- Stress Tolerance
- Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
- Initiative
- Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
- Independence
- Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Work Value
- Relationships
- Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
- Support
- Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
- Achievement
- Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
- Independence
- Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employs to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
- Working Conditions
- Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
- Recognition
- Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Related Occupations
- Chiropractors
- Orthodontists
- Optometrists
- Physician Assistants
- Respiratory Therapists
- Dental Hygienists
- Psychiatric Aides
Common Lay Titles
- Charge Nurse
- Clinic Licensed Practical Nurse (CLINIC Lpn)
- Clinic Nurse
- Endoscopy Technician
- Home Health Care Provider
- Home Health Nurse
- Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
- Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN)
- Nursing Technician
- Office Nurse
- Pediatric Licensed Practical Nurse (PEDIATRIC Lpn)
- Private Duty Nurse
- Triage Licensed Practical Nurse (TRIAGE Lpn)