Certified Hospice Aide Job Description

Home Health Aides: A Form of Interaction between a Patient and the Assistant

Home health aides can be hired by patients or their families, or they can be provided by a home health or hospice agency. Home health aides from agencies that provide home health care can visit patients on a daily basis. They interact with the patient and perform some services.

The home health aide can educate family members and other caregivers on patient care so that they will feel comfortable providing day to day care to the patient between home health aide visits. A strong bond between a home health aide and patient is often formed. Home health aides are not nurses and therefore cannot provide professional nursing care or medical advice to the family or friends of the patient, even though they do provide certain type of care to patients.

Certified Nursing Assistants in Hospice Facilities

Hospice is a type of medical care that focuses on comfort care for people who are dying. Hospice care can be provided in a home with the assistance of family members, but also in a Hospice facility. A certified nursing assistant, or a Hospice CNA, is a person who is trained to provide a variety of services to Hospice patients and their families.

Changing bedding, changing clothing, bathing patients, and helping with hygiene are some of the personal care issues that a hospice CNA can assist with. A nurse attends to mouth and dental care for Hospice patients undergoing Chemo. A nurse aide can help the family of a patient care for their dying relative by teaching them how to perform basic health-care routines.

A nurse is often responsible for the patient's nutrition needs. Hospice patients often have limited appetites and are unable to eat due to the many types of medications and treatments they have. A nurse encourages a patient to eat small, frequent meals and make sure they are hydrated at all times.

In a Hospice setting, family members are often caretakers and a CNA can provide respite care services to help the family cope with both emotional and physical care-giving needs. A nurse's aide may help with meal preparation, keeping the patient's room clean and sterile, and assisting with physical needs such as moving a patient from a bed to a wheelchair. The supervising registered nurse and the CNA consult on a regular basis to keep the team apprised of the patient's progress and the family's needs.

Nurse Aide Jobs in the United States

You have to pass the state's exam after you finish your program. You can take a written exam and demonstrate the skills you'll need to pass the hands-on portion of the nursing exam. You can begin to look for Hospice aide work once you pass.

Nurse aides are expected to have good job prospects due to high turnover, aging of the general population and fast job growth. Nurse aide employment will increase by 11 percent between 2016 and 2026, which will add 173,400 jobs. The BLS expects increased demand for nurse aides who work in home health care, while changes in funding to federal health insurance programs may reduce jobs for aides working in nursing homes.

A Certificate in Hospice Aided Nursing

The national average salary of a hospice aide is $38,379 per year. Hospice aides who earn advanced degrees may be paid more. Hospice aides travel a lot between their patients' homes and the hospital or clinic they work for.

They are often on their feet, doing chores for patients or moving patients from their bed to another section of the room. You must take an exam after you finish the program to make sure you understand all the topics. You must take the written exam and the practical exam in a clinic before taking the written exam.

High School Students Must Have a Basic Understanding of Hospice Nursing

A high school diploma is required for a hospice CNA to advance. A student considering a career as a Hospice CNA should take courses in health and human sciences in high school. High school students should have a basic understanding of the human body in order to be a hospice nurse.

To be a Hospice CNA, candidates must be able to measure vital signs, record patient information and maintain proper hygiene for all patients. A nurse must also provide for nutrition, perform non-complex procedures, and administer medication. Hospice nurses spend their days with patients and their families.

A hospice nurse must communicate with family members as they arrive to spend time with a dying patient. The CNA must be prepared for a wide range of emotions. Hospice nurses must also meet with social workers and other home care aides.

Hospice Nurses

Hospice nurses care for people nearing the end of their lives in a variety of facilities. A hospice nurse performs a number of duties, including administering medication and massage. Hospice nurses work with many people.

Simply Hired says that the average salary of a hospice nurse was $50,000 in July of 2010. Many patients in Hospices are elderly and may be suffering from mental diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson. Hospice nurses should be able to communicate with patients with mental illness.

A nurse should provide care that is tailored to the needs of each patient. Hospice nurses must make sure they provide care that is culturally sensitive to different needs because care requirements and attitudes to illness differ. Excellent communication skills and compassion are required by Hospice nurses.

They are required to respond to every aspect of patient care and update patients and their families on their condition and the means that have been taken to ensure the patient remains comfortable and free of pain. A hospice nurse should be able to help patients and their families understand the purpose of treatment and how it can help them. A hospice nurse should be able to alert physicians and other nursing staff of any changes in a patient's health.

Hospice nurses should be strong. Depression and emotional fragility may be caused by the daily experience of death and serious illness. It is important for patients who rely on hospice nurses as sources of emotional strength and consistency during difficult times to remain stable.