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Nurse Aides, Orderlies and Patient Service Associates (3413)

Among the occupations currently in highest demand in All of Québec

préposé/préposée aux bénéficiaires

(Occupation with high worker turnover)

The English text is currently unavailable. Please refer to the French text below.

Qualification and skills most often required

Le diplôme d’études professionnelles (DEP) en assistance à la personne en établissement de santé est généralement exigé. Étant donné les besoins grandissants du réseau de la santé et la difficulté de recruter des personnes formées compétentes, d’autres diplômes peuvent également être considérés comme valables. Une formation acquise en cours d’emploi ou dans des agences privées est parfois suffisante. Les certifications en principes de déplacement sécuritaire des bénéficiaires (PDSB), en secourisme ou en réanimation cardiorespiratoire (RCR) sont demandées. Des connaissances de base en gériatrie et en soins aux personnes en perte d’autonomie sont souvent requises. Les qualités recherchées sont une grande disponibilité, l’empathie, la capacité d’écoute, la patience, le respect et la discrétion. Des aptitudes à intervenir en situation de crise peuvent être demandées. Une bonne résistance physique et de la flexibilité quant à l’horaire de travail sont requises.

Reason for labor demand

Le vieillissement de la population accroît la demande pour des préposées ou préposés aux bénéficiaires dans les centres d’hébergement et de soins de longue durée (CHSLD), les centres hospitaliers et les résidences privées. Les tâches exigeantes (soins personnels à des personnes malades et vieillissantes) ainsi que les conditions de travail (postes à statut précaire, horaires irréguliers, listes de rappel, etc.) entraînent un roulement de la main-d’œuvre.

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Job titles

Nature of work

Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates assist nurses, hospital staff and physicians in the basic care of patients. They are employed in hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care facilities.

Fields of interest

  • Counseling, helping others
  • Providing others with care and assistance

Main duties

  • Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates perform some or all of the following duties:
  • - Answer call signals; supply and empty bed pans; bathe, dress and groom patients; serve meal trays, feed or assist in feeding of patients and assist patients with menu selection; lift, turn or massage patients; shave patients prior to operations; supervise patients' exercise routines, set up and provide leisure activities for patients, and accompany patients on outside recreational activities; and perform other duties related to patient care
  • - Take patients' blood pressure, temperature and pulse; report or record fluid intake and output; observe or monitor patients' status and document patient care on charts; collect specimens such as urine, faeces or sputum; administer suppositories, colonic irrigations and enemas and perform other procedures as directed by nursing and hospital staff
  • - Transport patients by wheelchair or stretcher for treatment or surgery
  • - Carry messages, reports, requisitions and specimens from one department to another
  • - Make beds and maintain patients' rooms
  • - Maintain inventory of supplies
  • - May perform maintenance tasks such as assisting with the set-up and maintenance of traction equipment, cleaning or sterilizing equipment, maintaining and repairing equipment, and assembling, setting-up and operating job-related equipment.

Main characteristics of the occupation

These headings are provided for the following occupation(s) :

Nurse Aides, Orderlies and Patient Service Associates (3413)

Employment requirements

  • * Some secondary school education and on-the-job training orA nursing aide or health care aide college or private institutional program, or a college nursing orderly program and supervised practical training are required.
  • * Some health care facilities may also require completion of specialized courses such as CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), first aid and food handling/sterile processing.

Skill type

  • Health occupations

Skill level

  • Intermediate

Job titles - Classified elsewhere