Definition: Caregiver Job Description

What are the missions of the nursing assistant? What training to follow to exercise this profession? What are his outlets and his salary? The answers are provided to you by this nursing assistant job sheet.

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Caregiver Assistant

What is a nursing assistant?

Alongside nurses, the nursing assistant is an emblematic figure of nursing staff specializing in patient comfort and hygiene. A predominantly female profession (more than 93% of professionals), the nursing assistant intervenes on a daily basis under the responsibility of nurses to support hospitalized people.

The nursing assistant works mainly in hospitals and clinics, but there are also opportunities in retirement homes or at home, to take care of dependent or sick people.

Missions of the nursing assistant

The profession of nursing assistant is not easy and demands constant attention from patients. His interventions are:

Accompaniement

• Reception of patients and installation
• Room status check
• Preparation of meal trolleys
• Toilet and dressing aid
• Travel assistance,
• Meal and snack
• Household chores (not to be confused with the caregiver)
• Psychological and moral support

Care and medical supervision:

• Monitoring of the state of health of patients in order to warn the medical referent as quickly as possible
• Monitoring of vital patient parameters such as pulse or temperature
• Verification of the correct functioning of medical devices,
• Changing dressings
• Drug distribution

Qualifications required to become a Caregiver

Good physical condition

The profession of caregiver requires good physical condition. In fact, it is necessary on the one hand to be able to move the patients who can sometimes be corpulent but also to demonstrate great availability. It is a job that leaves little down time and requires work often shifted: night, weekend, public holidays…

Moral force

Mental strength is essential for the caregiver to withstand physical fatigue, but also moral. It is also important to have a good resistance to stress and pressure to be able to exercise this type of profession. Indeed, caregivers are often faced with very stressful situations during their missions.

Rigor

The health and comfort of patients depends in part on the methodical and rigorous work of the caregiver: tidying up the rooms, remaking the beds, maintaining a regular schedule for meals, giving the right medications, ensuring vital functions, etc.

Be reassuring

Nobody appreciates being hospitalized and it can cause great stressful moments for patients. The caregiver must know how to respond and provide a reassuring shoulder so that the stay goes as smoothly as possible. Becoming a caregiver requires a keen sense of listening in addition to great availability and great empathy.

Training to become a nursing assistant

To become a nursing assistant, the State nursing assistant diploma (DEAS) is compulsory.

Initial training

Admission to schools takes place by competitive examination without qualification requirements.

The schools which prepare for it are paying and you must be at least 17 years old to be eligible. The training then lasts 10 months.

The competition consists of a written admission test and an oral admission test.

Some candidates are exempt from the written test:

• Candidates with a baccalaureate or a recognized equivalent diploma;
• Candidates holding a qualification or diploma in the health or social sector recognized at CAP level issued in initial or continuing training;
• Candidates who have followed a 1st year of nursing studies and who have not been admitted to the 2nd year;
• Candidates holding a foreign diploma allowing access to university studies in that country.

Continuing education

For retraining, admission to schools can be done through the validation of prior experience (VAE).

Salary of a caregiver

The majority of nursing assistants work as an employee. More than 70% work in a clinic or hospital and their salary varies between $ 1,400 and $ 1,950 (net). In addition to this main remuneration, which increases with seniority, various allowances and bonuses are added.

Where does a caregiver work

New caregivers can work in several places: hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centers, retirement and convalescent homes, reception centers for the disabled, hospitalization services or home support for the elderly.

They may be either private establishments or establishments dependent on the State or local authorities.

Possible evolution of the caregiver

After 3 years of professional practice, a nursing assistant holding the DEAS, can take the nursing examination in IFSI. He can also specialize in certain activities: sterilization agent, hemodialysis, gerontological assistant or move towards other social or paramedical professions: dental assistant, medico-psychological aid, educational monitor, medical analysis laboratory, childcare assistant,…

Trends in the profession

Each year, 18,000 nursing assistant diplomas are issued and yet the profession is still in short supply of candidates. With needs in terms of support for the elderly which continue to progress, the profession of nursing assistant does not experience unemployment. Caregiver training promotes rapid access to a first job. In recent years, this profession has represented a significant professional integration opportunity…