Harnessing Opportunities In Caregiving Sector

The world has turned into a mobile society, in that most relatives are not always available to take care of their sick loved ones at the hospital or aged parents.

In a place like Nigeria, most hospitals do not allow relatives to spend quality time with their sick loved ones, as they may not be enough bed or comfortable environment for them to stay. That makes it difficult for them to ensure that the needs of their sick relatives are addressed at the hospital, especially, in a case of chronic illness.

But there is good news in that most hospitals in Nigeria now have a caregiver department or nursing assistants department.

Who is a Nursing Assistant? 

Nursing Assistants also called Nursing Aides, are people who work within hospitals and other healthcare facilities and their main jobs are to help patients get care and support in a hospital. 

They ensure that patients, especially those with basic physical needs are fed according to their dietary needs, keep track of their vital signs, take care of their general hygiene needs and they assist patients to move around.

How to Become a Nursing Assistant

According to a report by Cambridge College of Healthcare and Technology, the first step is to get your high school diploma or GED certificate. “Once you have done that, you can start planning to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), which is a rewarding career that offers a lot of room to grow. As a CNA, you will help contribute to patient care and assist your medical team with administrative duties. 

“Unlike other careers in the medical field, you don’t need a degree to become certified as a nursing assistant. CNA programmes can be found at most two-year colleges. The good news is that you don’t have to spend a lot of time in the classroom. Most nursing assistant programs are less than two months, though it varies by college,” the report reveals.

The report also disclosed that in the program, one will be taught skills on general patient care, medication administration and how to record vital signs, adding that most programmes will also set up required clinical training.

Profitability

According to salary explorer report, nursing assistant salaries in Nigeria range from N125,000 per month (starting salary) to N359,000 per month (maximum salary). “This is not the minimum wage as per the law, only the lowest reported number in the salary survey that had thousands of participants and professionals from all over the country,” the report explained.

Quality to possess

Besides education, training and licensure, there are personal attributes one can develop to be successful as a nursing assistant.

According to Cambridge report, one needs to have a strong communication skills, in that, throughout the day, you have to relay a lot of information to medical staff and patients in a less jargon and more explanatory manner, unlike doctors will need concise medical summaries.