Health Aide Training

Detailed profiles of schools for Health Aide from the EdRef college search portal.

Health Aide programs prepare students to work as health aides in hospitals and other types of settings. Students learn how to care for patients who have a variety of different physical needs, and they learn how to document and record the care they have given. They are taught how to take the vital signs of patients, avoid infection, and administer medication properly. Some aides are trained to work in patients’ homes, keeping the home clean and even caring for children sometimes. They often work closely with other health professionals, including occupational therapists, physical therapists, and other caregivers.

Schools offer students the option of earning either a diploma or a certificate, often as follow-up to nurse’s aide training. The length of programs varies greatly, but they typically last from 3 to 5 months. Depending on the job they take after completing a program, they may have various responsibilities, such as grooming and personal hygiene; maintaining patient privacy; nutritional work; taking vital signs and collecting specimens; transporting patients; assisting physicians; ambulation; and bathing and dressing.