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Career Colleges    » North Carolina    » Health, Medical, and Nursing     » Nursing Assistant

North Carolina Nursing Assistant Degrees

Nursing Assistant Degrees: North Carolina Colleges

Looking for accredited career colleges, technical schools, and universities in North Carolina offering Nursing Assistant degrees. A nursing assistant is also called an aide or attendant. In most states, you can complete training to become a certified nursing assistant (CNA) as long as you have a high school diploma or equivalent.

Attending college in North Carolina will put in a centrally-located state within easy reach of the East Coast's major cities and many coastal recreation areas. This traditionally southern state has, in recent years, attracted a more cosmopolitan population, and is fast becoming a mecca for high-tech workers. Intellectuals enjoy the region around Durham, with some of the nation's most educated population. North Carolina has mild winters and warm summers, making it an attractive tourist destination for golfers, fishing enthusiasts, and beachcombers and sailors of all ages. There are also numerous inland activities, including hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains and whitewater rafting and kayaking. Attending college in North Carolina will give you all of these opportunities, and more.

North Carolina Colleges: Nursing Assistant Degrees

Patient care technicians: The human face of health care

Patient care technicians provide supervised care to patients in health care facilities such as hospitals or nursing homes. Patient care technicians may also be called attendants or nursing assistants. Training in patient care prepares you to carry out basic health care responsibilities such as taking vital signs and assisting with patient examinations.

Clinical job duties of a patient care technician may include:

• Administering medications or treatments
• Applying clean dressings, slings or support bandages
• Cleaning and sanitizing patient rooms and areas
• Collecting specimens for medical testing
• Assisting patients with hygiene and eating

You may also be required to position and lift patients, which requires knowledge of body mechanics and proper techniques.

Patient care education and training

Training is offered at vocational schools and community colleges. Patient care education programs typically include instruction in CPR and lab procedures. Other courses covered may include:

1. Body mechanics
2. Nutrition
3. Anatomy and physiology
4. Infection control
5. Resident rights

Patient care technician schools offer classroom study and practical training, which can prepare you for the certified nursing assistant examination. The federal government requires individuals working in nursing care facilities to complete a minimum of 75 hours of certified training and a competency evaluation. Your patient care technician training may also be a stepping-stone to further training as a licensed vocational or registered nurse or a physical or respiratory therapy assistant.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual wage for nursing and psychiatric aids, including patient care technicians, was $25,140 in 2010. Employment is projected to grow 18 percent between 2008 and 2018.

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