Patient Care Assistant Education Requirements and Career Info
Patient care assistants work in health care environments, generally under the supervision of a registered nurse. They help provide basic, direct care to patients, such as assisting with daily life activities, helping with transportation and helping patients maintain their cleanliness.
Education Requirements
Many vocational schools and community colleges offer patient care assistant training through nurse technician, patient care technician or personal care assistant/technician programs. Some programs may require that an individual be a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) or Certified Home Health Aide prior to admission, while others may only require a high school diploma or GED equivalent.
These programs focus on preparing graduates to work in homes, hospitals, general surgery units and nursing homes. Training generally includes lab work, lectures and clinical rotations, as well as studies in pre- and post-operative care, anatomy, nutrition and physiology. Medical assistant training programs provide instruction in subjects like medical terminology, pharmacology, lab procedures and physiology. Some of these patient care assistant programs prepare graduates to pursue the CNA credential or take other certification exams.
Career Information
Patient care assistants perform a number of tasks, such as taking vital signs, assisting with daily living activities, observing patients and charting changes in their health or behavior, escorting patients and obtaining lab specimens. They may work in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics or other health care settings.
They are supervised by a registered nurse or other medical professional, but usually provide direct care to patients. Assistants who work in a hospital, nursing home or other medical facility may perform administrative tasks in addition to their clinical duties and be required to hold the CNA credential.
Personal care assistants may also be referred to as personal and home care aides. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) notes that there are not any certification or licensure requirement for these aides, and many receive on-the-job training (www.bls.gov). Some may be required to pass a competency test prior to working.
The BLS predicted that employment for home and personal care aides would grow by 46% between 2008 and 2018. The average salary for these aides was $20,420 in 2010.
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26 Popular Schools
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
School locations:
- Arizona (1 campus)
- Florida (2 campuses)
- Michigan (1)
- Nevada (1)
- New York (1)
- Oregon (1)
- Utah (1)
Classroom-Based Programs
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Bachelor
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- BS in Nursing
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Non-Degree
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- Diploma in Practical Nursing
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
School locations:
- Online Learning
- Arizona (5 campuses)
- California (26)
- Colorado (2)
- Florida (4)
- Georgia (2)
- Hawaii (2)
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- Michigan (2)
- Nevada (2)
- Ohio (1)
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- Texas (4)
- Virginia (1)
Online and Classroom-Based Programs
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Associate
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- AA in Health Care Administration
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- Associate of Arts Foundations in Health Care Administration
- Associate of Arts Foundations in Health Care Administration/Medical Records
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- Non-Degree
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be 21 years of age or older and have completed some college or 24 years of age or older and a high school graduate for a Bachelor's degree
- Masters degree applicants must have a Bachelors degree
- Doctorate degree applicants must have a Masters degree
School locations:
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Online Programs
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
- Currently not accepting applications from Texas residents
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Master
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- MBA Dual Concentration: Healthcare Management and Project Management
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Associate
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- AS in Medical Assisting
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- Non-Degree
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
School locations:
- California (4 campuses)
- Colorado (1 campus)
- Florida (4)
- Missouri (1)
- Oregon (1)
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (2)
Classroom-Based Programs
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Associate
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- Associate - Nursing
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Non-Degree
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- Practical Nursing
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- Vocational Nursing
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
School locations:
- Online Learning
Online Programs
- Associate
- Non-Degree
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
School locations:
- Online Learning
Online Programs
- Master
- Bachelor
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Associate
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- AS in Health Science
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
School locations:
- Online Learning
Online Programs
- Master
- Bachelor
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
- Currently not accepting applicants from Minnesota or Tennessee
School locations:
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Master
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- RN to MSN in Nursing - Nurse Administrator
- RN to MSN in Nursing - Nursing Informatics
- Accelerated RN to MSN
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- Bachelor
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must have either two or more years of college or active military status if you are under 24 years of age
School locations:
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Online Programs
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Master
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- BSN in RN-to-BSN/MSN Combined Option (CCNE-accredited)
- MSN in RN-to-MSN General Nursing
- MSN in Diabetes Nursing
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- MSN in General Nursing
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- Bachelor
