What Does an Auxiliary Nurse Do?
Auxiliary nurses are also referred to as health care assistants, and they provide assistance to doctors and nurses in hospitals, doctor’s offices, nursing homes and medical clinics. Duties of an auxiliary nurse include dressing and bathing patients, meal preparation, daily hygiene assistance, bed making and laundry. They also monitor the overall conditions of patients with hourly temperature checks and do blood pressure testing and weight monitoring, according to JobDiscriptions.org.
Auxiliary nurses work closely with their patients and are often the last person a patient talks to before retiring for the evening. Since bathing, feeding and comforting patients are tasks performed by an auxiliary nurse, a calm and patient demeanor is expected in addition to training and education. It is also important for auxiliary nurses to possess great communication skills, as well as a pleasant bedside manner.
Auxiliary nurses work both full and part time. They are given the option to work evenings, weekends, overnight shifts or daytime shifts, and scheduling is quite flexible. Auxiliary nurses are required to obtain a level 2 QCF, either prior to starting employment or earned while working on the job. Auxiliary nurses have the ability to advance in their careers through earning additional qualifications and on the job training.