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31-1131.00 · Task explorer

Nursing Assistants: reported tasks and exploration worksheet

Provide or assist with basic care or support under the direction of onsite licensed nursing staff. Perform duties such as monitoring of health status, feeding, bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, or ambulation of patients in a health or nursing facility. May include medication administration and other health-related tasks. Includes nursing care attendants, nursing aides, and nursing attendants.

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Read the task inventory

This source lists 33 tasks, including 26 marked Core and 7 marked Supplemental. Labels and dates are retained below. Employers can combine or divide these responsibilities differently; explore the task itself before assuming it belongs in every version of the role.

Task source dates: 08/2020.

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33 tasks shown

Core · Task 19341 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Turn or reposition bedridden patients.

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Core · Task 19317 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Answer patient call signals, signal lights, bells, or intercom systems to determine patients' needs.

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Core · Task 19325 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Feed patients or assist patients to eat or drink.

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Core · Task 19327 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Measure and record food and liquid intake or urinary and fecal output, reporting changes to medical or nursing staff.

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Core · Task 19331 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Provide physical support to assist patients to perform daily living activities, such as getting out of bed, bathing, dressing, using the toilet, standing, walking, or exercising.

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Core · Task 19324 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Document or otherwise report observations of patient behavior, complaints, or physical symptoms to nurses.

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Core · Task 19334 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Remind patients to take medications or nutritional supplements.

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Core · Task 19336 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Review patients' dietary restrictions, food allergies, and preferences to ensure patient receives appropriate diet.

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Core · Task 19342 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Undress, wash, and dress patients who are unable to do so for themselves.

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Core · Task 19328 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Observe or examine patients to detect symptoms that may require medical attention, such as bruises, open wounds, or blood in urine.

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Core · Task 19346 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Lift or assist others to lift patients to move them on or off beds, examination tables, surgical tables, or stretchers.

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Core · Task 19339 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Supply, collect, or empty bedpans.

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Core · Task 19323 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Communicate with patients to ascertain feelings or need for assistance or social and emotional support.

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Core · Task 19333 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Record vital signs, such as temperature, blood pressure, pulse, or respiration rate, as directed by medical or nursing staff.

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Core · Task 19326 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Gather information from caregivers, nurses, or physicians about patient condition, treatment plans, or appropriate activities.

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Core · Task 19343 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Wash, groom, shave, or drape patients to prepare them for surgery, treatment, or examination.

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Core · Task 19330 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Prepare or serve food trays.

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Core · Task 19320 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Change bed linens or make beds.

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Core · Task 19344 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Exercise patients who are comatose, paralyzed, or have restricted mobility.

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Core · Task 19335 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Restock patient rooms with personal hygiene items, such as towels, washcloths, soap, or toilet paper.

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Core · Task 19321 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Clean and sanitize patient rooms, bathrooms, examination rooms, or other patient areas.

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Core · Task 19319 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Assist nurses or physicians in the operation of medical equipment or provision of patient care.

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Core · Task 19332 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Record height or weight of patients.

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Core · Task 19340 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Transport patients to treatment units, testing units, operating rooms, or other areas, using wheelchairs, stretchers, or moveable beds.

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Core · Task 19322 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Collect specimens, such as urine, feces, or sputum.

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Core · Task 19347 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Provide information, such as directions, visiting hours, or patient status information to visitors or callers.

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Supplemental · Task 19329 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Position or hold patients in position for surgical preparation.

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Supplemental · Task 19337 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Set up treating or testing equipment, such as oxygen tents, portable radiograph (x-ray) equipment, or overhead irrigation bottles, as directed by a physician or nurse.

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Supplemental · Task 19316 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Administer medications or treatments, such as catheterizations, suppositories, irrigations, enemas, massages, or douches, as directed by a physician or nurse.

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Supplemental · Task 19318 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Apply clean dressings, slings, stockings, or support bandages, under direction of nurse or physician.

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Supplemental · Task 19338 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Stock or issue medical supplies, such as dressing packs or treatment trays.

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Supplemental · Task 19345 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Explain medical instructions to patients or family members.

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Supplemental · Task 19348 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Transport specimens, laboratory items, or pharmacy items, ensuring proper documentation and delivery to authorized personnel.

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Make the shortlist useful

Choose one to three activities that tell you something different about the work. Avoid selecting several ways of describing the same interest.
For each, write an example you can discuss or a question that would change your understanding of the role.
Keep source task IDs with your notes so you can return to the same description. Do not include private employer or customer information.

The exported worksheet distinguishes the reported task from your own notes. It supports exploration, not a hiring decision or a validated assessment.

Keep your worksheet

Download before leaving this page. Unsaved writing remains only in the page and is cleared on refresh. Notes and learning actions are not sent to a server. This guide describes an occupation and supports study planning; it does not provide clinical, legal or equipment-operating procedures.

Source and practice material

Occupational context uses the O*NET® 31.0 Database from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, under CC BY 4.0. View the occupation.

Skill Workbench selected and adapted the occupational information and added its own fictional cases, calculations, guidance and worksheets. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these additions. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.