Working Conditions for Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aideMost full-time aides work about 40 hours a week, but because patients need care 24 hours a day, some aides work evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays. Many work part time. Aides spend many hours standing and walking, and they often face heavy workloads. Because they may have to move patients in and out of bed or help them stand or walk, aides must guard against back injury. Aides also may face hazards from minor infections and major diseases, such as hepatitis, but can avoid infections by following proper procedures. Aides often have unpleasant duties, such as emptying bedpans and changing soiled bed linens. The patients they care for may be disoriented, irritable, or uncooperative. Psychiatric aides must be prepared to care for patients whose illness may cause violent behavior. While their work can be emotionally demanding, many aides gain satisfaction from assisting those in need. Home health aides may go to the same patient�s home for months or even years. However, most aides work with a number of different patients, each job lasting a few hours, days, or weeks. Home health aides often visit multiple patients on the same day. Home health aides generally work alone, with periodic visits by their supervisor. They receive detailed instructions explaining when to visit patients and what services to perform. Aides are individually responsible for getting to patients� homes, and they may spend a good portion of the working day traveling from one patient to another. Because mechanical lifting devices available in institutional settings are seldom available in patients� homes, home health aides are particularly susceptible to injuries resulting from overexertion when they assist patients. More information on Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aide from The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook Overview of Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aide occupation Number of Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aide in the U.S. Salary and earnings for Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aide Working conditions for Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aide Significant points for Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aide Training requirements for Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aide Labor Information Home | Occupational data by city | Search Rainforests | Madagascar | What's new |