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  5. Nurse Aides, Orderlies, and Patient Attendants

Exploring Trades and Occupations

Nurse Aides, Orderlies, and Patient Attendants

On this page

  • Job description
  • Hourly wage
  • Job prospects for 2022-2026
  • Sectors of activity
  • Training and requirements
  • Main skills and characteristics
  • Personality profiles (RIASEC)
  • Additional information

Job description

These individuals help nurses, hospital staff, and doctors. They provide assistance in giving basic care to patients. They work in:

  • Hospitals
  • Rehabilitation centres
  • Residential and long-term care centres (CHSLDs)
  • Local Community Service Centres (CLSCs)

Environment

  • Controlled ambient temperature
  • Hazardous chemical
  • Biological agents
  • Odours
  • Hazardous workplaces
  • Violence

Main tasks

  • Assist patients in their daily routine (washing, feeding, turning, dressing, etc.).
  • Organize and propose activities to patients and accompany them.
  • Supervise series of exercises performed by patients.
  • Provide basic medical care (measuring vital signs, administering first aid, taking urine samples, etc.) as directed by nursing and hospital staff.
  • Prepare and drive patients who are to undergo treatment or surgery.
  • Deliver messages, reports, requests, and specimens from one department to another.
  • Make beds and ensure the cleanliness of the rooms.
  • Maintain supply inventory.
  • Install, maintain, wash, sterilize, and repair equipment.
  • Transport patients from one health care facility to another, as required.

Hourly wage

The hourly wage is calculated by averaging wages from 2019 to 2021.
Minimum
$15.00
Median
$20.55
Maximum
$23.00

Job prospects for 2022-2026

sr.comparaison-region.titre

Les 2 champs de sélection ci-dessous vous permettent de comparer 2 régions. Les données des régions seront automatiquement mises à jour à la sélection. Par défaut, la province de Québec est sélectionnée pour la première région.

Job prospects for 2022-2026

Job prospects

All of Québec

Non available
Limited
Good
Very good
Very good

All of Québec

Non available
Limited
Good
Very good
Non available

Total jobs for 2021

All of Québec

70,000

All of Québec

na

Gender distribution

All of Québec

Not available.
84.5% Female
15.5% Male

Not available.
  • 84.5% Female
  • 15.5% Male

Job types

All of Québec

Not available.
Full time
Part time

Not available.
  • Full time
  • Part time

Yearly wage on 2015

All of Québec

$37,000

All of Québec

Other characteristics

All of Québec

  • Non traditional for men
  • None

All of Québec

  • Non traditional for men
  • None

Sectors of activity

All of Québec

Not available.
  1. Health Care
    NAICS 621, 622, 623
    92% of jobs
  2. Social Assistance
    NAICS 624
    3% of jobs
  3. Other Services (except Public Administration)
    NAICS 81
    2% of jobs
  4. Business, building and other support services
    NAICS 55, 56
    1% of jobs
  5. Public Administration
    NAICS 91
    1% of jobs
  6. Others
    1% of jobs

All of Québec

Not available.
  1. Health Care
    NAICS 621, 622, 623
    92% of jobs
  2. Social Assistance
    NAICS 624
    3% of jobs
  3. Other Services (except Public Administration)
    NAICS 81
    2% of jobs
  4. Business, building and other support services
    NAICS 55, 56
    1% of jobs
  5. Public Administration
    NAICS 91
    1% of jobs
  6. Others
    1% of jobs

Training and requirements

Formation

Most training programs are offered in French only.

Secondary

DVS in assistance à la personne en établissement et à domicile This hyperlink will open in a new window.
Code : 5358

Placement rate: 79.6%

12.3% of graduates pursue further studies

More on graduates’ employment situation
STC in assistance à la personne en résidence privée pour aînés This hyperlink will open in a new window.
Code : 4244
STC in care Assistance in a Private Seniors’ Residence This hyperlink will open in a new window.
Code : 4744
DVS in institutional and Home Care Assistance This hyperlink will open in a new window.
Code : 5858

Placement rate: 78.8%

15.1% of graduates pursue further studies

More on graduates’ employment situation
STC in soutien aux soins d’assistance en établissement de soins de longue durée This hyperlink will open in a new window.
Code : 4248
STC in support for Assistive Care in Long-Term Care Centres This hyperlink will open in a new window.
Code : 4748

Also required

  • Supervised practical training.

Sometimes required

  • Training in principles for moving clients safely (PDSB) is often required.
  • Training in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is often required.
  • A Class 5 driver’s licence may be required or an asset.

Main skills and characteristics

Skills

  • Data collection
  • Service oriented
  • Social perception
  • Time management
  • Information processing
  • Active listening
  • Oral expression
More Less skills

Abilities

  • Oral comprehension
  • Core strength
  • Static muscle power
  • Verbal skills
  • Speech recognition
  • Awareness of issues
  • Near vision
  • Speech clarity
  • Physical flexibility in extension
  • Manual dexterity
  • Endurance
  • Overall balance of the body
  • Dynamic strength
  • Explosive strength
More Less abilities

Knowledge and attributes

  • Capacity to establish and maintain interpersonal relations
  • Autonomy
  • Knowledge of customer and personalized services
  • Honesty
  • Sense of initiative
  • Capacity to be discrete
  • Vitality
  • Friendliness
  • Respect others
  • Patience

Interests

  • Work manually
  • Assist and advise
  • Assist or care for people

Personality profiles (RIASEC)

Social
People with this profile prefer to be in contact with others, in particular to entertain, help or teach them.
Realistic
People with this profile prefer carrying out concrete tasks and being physically involved in what they do.
Conventional
People with this profile prefer specific, well-defined tasks. They like to respect the order of things and follow established rules.
Additional information

Note about CNP

Occupational information is provided based on the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2016. The 5-digit code of the NOC 2021 is shown in parentheses for information purposes only for occupations that correspond to those of NOC 2016.

Official name of the NOC 3413 (33102)

Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates

Job titles

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

Skill type

Health

Related occupations

  • Home support workers, housekeepers and related occupations
  • Licensed practical nurses
  • Other assisting occupations in support of health services

See also

  • Glossary (PDF 229 Kb)
  • Québec emploi This hyperlink will open in a new window.

Last update: March 27, 2023

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