Training for Assistant Nursing

If you wish to become an assistant nurse you will need to complete the required training. This consists of a mixture of classroom instruction and hands-on experience. By completing the required coursework, you will obtain valuable knowledge and skills that will help you perform your job.

Coursework

A large portion of your assistant nurse training will take place in a classroom setting. You will work out of a textbook and participate in classroom lectures. A trained instructor with years of experience will discuss and demonstrate proper patient care techniques and explain the role and responsibilities of an assistant nurse. You will be able to ask questions and receive answers. There will be reading and homework assigned after each session. 

Clinical Experience

Most clinical experience takes place in the nursing home setting. During this experience you will have the chance to interact with patients and practice the skills you have learned under the guidance of your instructor. Hands-on experience includes: providing personal hygiene for patients, assisting with feeding, changing bedpans and recording patients' vital signs. A clinical experience allows you to successfully gain the experience necessary to obtain a job.

Skills Learned

During your Assistant Nurse training you will learn many valuable skills that you will perform on the job every day. You will learn how to properly wash your hands to avoid spreading disease between patients and how to make the patient's beds. You will also be trained in providing mouth care, foot care and fingernail care. Part of providing mouth care is learning how to brush the patients' teeth and properly clean their dentures. Bathing and dressing patients is another important skill you will learn during training. You will learn how to dress patients and safely transport them from their bed to their wheelchair, if needed. Taking vital signs such as blood pressure, temperature and heart rate will also be taught.