Top Experiences of Being a Hospital Aide

Hospital Aides are commonly called hospital attendants, nurse aides or nursing assistants. According to the most current update from the US Department of Labor, the population of nurse aides is projected at an estimate of 2.9 million by 2016. Earning differ for nursing, psychiatric and home health aides. Their pay ranges from an hourly rate of $9 to $14, although some skilled ones can earn around $17.

Compared to the salary of fast food workers, the salary of the health aides are just slightly higher. Aside from the salary issue, there are several difficulties nurse aides are going through. Although an increasing demand of hospital aides was projected, there is also an increasing trend of these workers leaving the industry.

Here are some of the facts hospital attendants are going through:

1. Direct care workers typically earn poverty level wages.
2. An estimate of one third of all direct care workers are without health coverage. Considering their physical labor, some of them are not even covered by any insurance. This is especially prevalent on those home health care assistants.
3. Nursing aides have the highest rate of injuries and illness. Nursing homes are one of the most hazardous places workplaces. Musculoskeletal injuries, just like back pain, are just one of the many kinds of injuries they acquire while working. There are elderly patients who could be physically abusive. A majority of the nursing assistants were already able to experience being kicked in the chest, bitten, hit and etc.
4. Because of their job description, they too experience discrimination by supervisors and managers.

Nursing assistants are not all times the subject of abusive behaviors. There are those who initiate abuse to their patients. The Elder Abuse and Elder Law aims to protect the safety of elderly people from hospital aides who neglect giving the care required, which results to either physical or mental suffering. Aside from this, there were also reported incidents where nurse aides build rapport with their patients. All these friendly efforts are geared to aiming at their patient's wealth. There were those who were able to acquire their patient's estates leaving the real family with nothing.

The 1987 Nursing Home Reform Act was established to investigate abuse by the healthcare assistants to nursing home patients. But at the same time, it also provides that a due process is given to nursing assistants. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) ensures that the said reform is used for its main purpose. That is to make improvement on the patient and healthcare workers condition.

A nurse assistant isn't an easy job. If you aren't that lucky, aside from earning a minimal amount, you may have terrible experiences with some of the patients. If you think you are a victim of this abuse, you can contact the local authorities so that you may be informed about your rights as an employee. However, you are also responsible for your actions when you are not doing your job properly as a nurse aide.