National Occupational Classification (NOC): 33102
Fast Facts
- Average Pay: N/A
- Future Growth: N/A
- Skill Level: N/A
- Employment Size: N/A
- Unemployment: N/A
- Full-time Share: N/A
Sample Job Titles
- Emergency medical care assistant
- Hospital attendant
- Long term care aide
- Nurse aide
- Nursing home attendant
- Orderly
- Patient care aide
- Patient service associate
- Personal care attendant – medical
- Personal support worker - nursing care
- Respite care aide
What do nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates do?
Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates assist nurses, hospital staff and physicians in the basic care of patients. They are employed in hospitals, nursing homes, assisted care facilities for the elderly and other health care establishments. Emergency medical care attendant are employed by private ambulance services, urgent care centers or other health facilities.
Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates perform some or all of the following duties:
- Answer call signals; supply and empty bed pans; bathe, dress and groom patients; serve meal trays, feed or assist in feeding of patients and assist patients with menu selection; weigh, lift, turn, and position patients; shave patients prior to operations; supervise patients’ exercise routines, set up and provide leisure activities for patients, accompany patients on outside recreational activities and perform other duties related to patient care and comfort
- Take patients’ blood pressure, temperature and pulse; report or record fluid intake and output; observe or monitor patients’ status and document patient care on charts; collect specimens such as urine, faeces or sputum; administer suppositories, colonic irrigations and enemas and perform other procedures as directed by nursing and hospital staff
- Administer, in emergency situations, first aid to injured or ill individuals within the scope of competencies
- Transport patients by wheelchair or stretcher for treatment or surgery
- Carry messages, reports, requisitions and specimens between departments
- Make beds and maintain patients’ rooms
- Maintain inventory of supplies
- May perform maintenance tasks such as assisting with the set-up and maintenance of traction equipment, cleaning or sterilizing equipment, maintaining and repairing equipment, and assembling, setting-up and operating job-related equipment
- May transport patients between care facilities.
Source: National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021, Employment and Social Development Canada
Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates primarily work in the following subsectors (NAICS) in Newfoundland and Labrador:
- 623 Nursing and residential care facilities
- 624 Social assistance
- 622 Hospitals
- 621 Ambulatory health care services
- 814 Private households
Source: Census 2021, Statistics Canada
Short and Long Term Occupational Projections
Short Term Projections for 2023-2025
The employment outlook will be good for nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates in Newfoundland and Labrador (rating of 4 out of 5) for the 2023-2025 period.
Source: Job Bank, Government of Canada
Long Term Projections for 2023-2032
Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates belong to the broader occupational group 3211, 33100, 33102-33109 (Assisting occupations in support of health services, including dental). This group is forecast to be tightening (rating of 2.8 out of 4) over the next several years, meaning new labour supply will be required to meet anticipated job openings.
Source: Department of Finance, Occupation Projections (Summer 2023)
Number of Job Postings in 2023
During 2023, there were 106 public job postings for this occupation, with the following distribution:
| Avalon: 55% | Western: 13% |
| Eastern: 7% | Labrador: 4% |
| Central: 19% | NL-unspecified: 3% |
Source: Lightcast (note: data used in this analysis reflects new unique monthly postings which are totaled for the calendar year)
Who works as nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates in Newfoundland and Labrador?
During the reference week of May 2021, there were approximately 4,420 people working in this occupation in Newfoundland and Labrador. 12% of those employed were Male+ and 88% of those employed were Female+.
Here is the age group breakdown for this group of workers:
| 15 to 24 | 25 to 54 | 55 to 64 | 65+ |
| 12% | 64% | 21% | 4% |
Source: Census 2021, Statistics Canada
How much do nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates make?
Annual Earnings
The median employment income for all nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates in the reference year 2020 (4,910 workers in total, including those working part-time and full-time, as well as part-year and full-year) was $29,800.
Source: Census 2021, Statistics Canada
Hourly Earnings
Salary information for nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates in Newfoundland and Labrador is as follows:
| Low ($/hour) | Median ($/hour) | High ($/hour) | |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $15.00 | $17.35 | $23.74 |
The following low, median, and high wages are for Canada:
| Low ($/hour) | Median ($/hour) | High ($/hour) |
| $16.98 | $22.00 | $26.00 |
Source: Job Bank, Government of Canada
Most Frequently Sought Skills from Job Postings (2023)
- Home Health Care
- Housekeeping
- Personal Care
- Nursing
- Target Audience
- Medication Administration
- Companionship
- Linens
- Mental Health
- Performance Appraisal
Source: Lightcast
What training is required?
- Some secondary school education and on-the-job training or a personal support worker, nursing aide or health care aide college or private institutional program, or a college nursing orderly program and supervised practical training are required.
- Completion of specialized courses such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid is usually required.
- An appropriate class of driver’s license may be required for medical attendants.
Source: National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021, Employment and Social Development Canada
* Find public and private education, training and skills development opportunities in Newfoundland and Labrador here.