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The decision to enter the medical field is an exciting prospect. The purposeful work that takes place within this career path can take many shapes and forms. This diversity and the number of roles one can play within this world is enough to overwhelm anyone who’s at the onset of their journey and deciding which path to commit to. One of the quickest ways to enter the medical field, and a path that many of our students choose, is becoming an Advanced Nurse Aide or Patient Care Technician. The Hawaii Medical College program to enter this career takes 252 hours of study and includes a 100-hour externship with supervision by qualified medical professionals. In total, this program can be completed in less than 4 months.
Our course is designed to prepare students for the roles of Nurse Aide, Nursing Assistant, Home Health Aide, and/or Patient Care Technician, which can take place in varied settings. Graduates from this program can find themselves in a hospital setting or working with patients who need care in their homes. However, some common responsibilities are:
- Monitoring patient vital signs
- Assistance with Activities of Daily Living (ADL’s)
- Full care of patients/residents in a hospital bed, wheelchair, or chair
- Professional communication to ensure patient and resident safety
In addition to offering a wide range of potential work applications, there is a constant need for Advanced Nurse Aides, as they assist with vital patient care. According to the Bureau for Labor Statistics, nursing assistants in Hawai‘i make an average of $34,040–47,690 as of 2021. In addition, the nursing assistant profession is expected to grow in the coming decade, with employment projections of a 5% increase from 2021 to 2031. This is about as fast as the average growth rate for all occupations.
If you’re curious to learn more about how you can become a medical assistant, check out our two programs at hmi.edu/programs. If you have any questions, we’d love to hear from you! Contact us or Call us at (808) 347-5307.
