Career Description

Nursing assistants provide basic care to patients under the direction of a nurse. Nursing assistants help patients eat and bathe. Nursing assistants may dress, groom or move patients. They give medications or treatments and answer patient calls, apply clean dressings or bandages under the direction of a nurse or physician.

Academic Requirements

In order to become a certified nursing assistant, individuals must enroll in a nursing assistant certificate program. These programs are short in duration and can be completed in as little as two months. Certification requires the completion of a state-sponsored training program followed by an exam.

Schools

Hart Career Center Mexico
SoutheastHealth College of Nursing & Health Sciences Cape Girardeau
Hart Career Center Mexico
SoutheastHealth College of Nursing & Health Sciences Cape Girardeau
Table Rock Career Center Reed Spring
Sikeston Career and Tech Center Sikeston
Healthcare Education LLC St. Louis
Nursing Edification Bridgeton
North Tech School Florissant
Jefferson College Arnold Arnold
Linn County Area Career & Tech Center Brookfield
Daeoc Adult Education & Job Training Center Portageville
Northwest Technical School Maryville
Gainesville R-5 School Gainesville
Manual Career Technical Center Kansas City
Assumpta Allied Health Career Center Raytown
Career & Technical Center at Fort Osage Independence
Taylor Nursing Academy Grandview
Tarkio Technology Institute Tarkio
Davis H Hart Career Center Mexico
Scott Regional Technology Center Monett
Lake Career & Technical Center Camdenton
Boonslick Technical Education Center Boonville
Arizona College of Nursing Maryland Heights
Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing and Health Sciences Quincy
Central Methodist University – Columbia Satellite Site Columbia
Grand Canyon University School of Nursing Pheoniz
University of Central Missouri – Lee’s Summit Satellite Site Lee's Summit
Moberly Area Community College – Hannibal Satellite Site Hannibal
Southwest Baptist University (SBU) Mercy College of Health Professions Springfield
Southwest Baptist University (SBU) Springfield Mercy College of Health Professions – Salem Salem
East Central College – Rolla Rolla
Jefferson College Bi-Level Program Hillsboro
Lincoln University – Fort Leonard Wood Fort Leonard Wood
Cox College – Monett Satallite Site Monett
Crowder College – Cassville Cassville
Crowder College – McDonald County Pineville
Crowder College – Nevada Nevada
St. Louis College of Health Careers – City Campus St. Louis
State Fair Community College – Eldon Satellite Site Eldon
Three Rivers College – Kennett Satellite Site Kennett
Columbia College – Lake Ozark Satellite Site Osage Beach
North Central Missouri College – Savannah Satellite Site Savannah
Ozarks Technical Community College – Lebanon Lebanon
Ozark Technical Community College – Table Rock Hollister
Carthage Technical Center Carthage
Moberly Area Community College – Columbia Satellite Site Columbia
Moberly Area Community College – Mexico Satellite Site Mexico
Applied-Tech – North County Florissant
Applied-Tech – South County Sunset Hills
Research College of Nursing Kansas City
University of Kansas (KU) Lawrence
Technical Skills Center New Madrid
North Technical High School Florissant
Carrollton Area Career Center Carrollton
Hart Career Center Mexico
University of Saint Mary Leavenworth
Saint Luke’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Rockhurst University Kansas City
State Fair Community College-Sedalia Sedalia
Rockhurst University Saint Luke’s College of Health Sciences Kansas City
SoutheastHealth College of Nursing & Health Sciences Cape Girardeau
Southwest Baptist University (SBU) Bolivar Mercy College of Health Professions Bolivar
North Central Missouri College – Trenton Trenton
Ozarks Technical Community College-Springfield Springfield
Missouri State University – Springfield Springfield
Missouri Valley College School of Nursing and Health Sciences Marshall
East Central College-Union Union
Crowder College-Neosho Neosho
University of Central Missouri – Lee’s Summit Lee's Summit
Waynesville Career Center Waynesville
Warrensburg Area Career Center Warrensburg
Washburn University Topeka
University of Kansas Lawrence
The Mercy College of Nursing and Health Sciences of SBU Springfield
Saline County Career Center Marshall
Three Rivers College – Sikeston Sikeston
Southwestern Illinois College Belleville
Pike-Lincoln Technical Cener Eolia
Poplar Bluff Technical Career Center Poplar Bluff
Rolla Technical Institute Rolla
Ozarks Mountain Technical Center Mountain Grove
Pemiscot County Career and Technology Center Hayti
Perryville Area Career and Technology Center Perryville
North Technical Florissant
Northland Career Center Platte City
Nichols Career Center Jefferson City
North Central Career Center Bethany
Nevada Regional Technical Center Nevada
New Madrid R-I Technical Skills Center New Madrid
Lewis and Clark Career Center St. Charles
Lex La-Ray Technical Center Lexington
KU School of Health Professions Kansas City
Kansas City Kansas Community College Kansas City
Kirksville Area Technical Center Kirksville
Hillyard Technical Center St. Joseph
Johnson County Community College Overland Park
Grand River Technical Center Chillicothe
Hannibal Career and Technical Center Hannibal
Four Rivers Career Center Washington
Franklin Technology Center Joplin
Davis H. Hart Career Center Mexico
Eldon Career Center Eldon
Excelsior Springs Area Career Center Excelsior Springs
Current River Career Center Doniphan
Dallas County Technical Center Buffalo
Cass Career Center Harrisonville
Clinton Technical School Clinton
Columbia Career Center Columbia
Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center Cape Girardeau
Career and Technology Center at Fort Osage Independence
Carrollton Area Career Cener Carrollton
Texas County Technical College Houston
CALC Institute of Technology Alton
William Woods University Fulton
Arcadia Valley Career Technology Center Ironton
William Jewell College Liberty
Webster University Webster Groves
Western Governors University – Missouri Kansas City
Washington University St. Louis
University of Phoenix – Springfield Springfield
University of Phoenix – St. Louis St. Louis
University of Missouri – St. Louis St. Louis
University of Phoenix – Kansas City Kansas City
University of Missouri – Columbia Columbia
University of Missouri – Kansas City Kansas City
Truman State University Kirksville
University of Central Missouri Warrensburg
University of Mary Kansas City
Three Rivers Community College Poplar Bluff
Stephens College Columbia
Texas County Technical Institute Houston
State Fair Community College Sedalia
State Technical College of Missouri Linn
St. Louis Community College – Wildwood Wildwood
St. Louis Community College St. Louis
St. Louis Community College – Meramec St. Louis
St. Louis College of Health Careers – Fenton Branch Fenton
St. Louis College of Pharmacy St. Louis
St. Louis Community College – Florissant Valley St. Louis
St. Charles Community College Dardenne Prairie
Southeast Missouri State University Cape Girardeau
Southwest Baptist University Bolivar
Saint Louis University St. Louis
Saint Luke’s College of Health Sciences Kansas City
Southeast Missouri Hospital College of Nursing & Health Sciences Cape Girardeau
Rockhurst University Kansas City
Ozarks Technical Community College Springfield
Park University Parkville
North Central Missouri College Trenton
Northwest Missouri State University Maryville
Missouri Western State University St. Joseph
Moberly Area Community College Moberly
Missouri Valley College Marshall
Missouri State University – West Plains West Plains
Missouri Southern State University Joplin
Missouri State University Springfield
Mineral Area College Park Hills
Missouri Baptist University St. Louis
Metropolitan Community College – Maple Woods Kansas City
Metropolitan Community College – Penn Valley Kansas City
Metropolitan Community College – Business/Tech. Kansas City
Metropolitan Community College – Longview Lee's Summit
Maryville University of Saint Louis St. Louis
Metropolitan Community College – Blue River Independence
Lincoln University Jefferson City
Jefferson College Hillsboro
Hannibal-Lagrange University Hannibal
Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes Jewish College St. Louis
Graceland University – Independence, MO Independence
Grantham University Kansas City
Fontbonne University St. Louis
Drury University Springfield
East Central College Union
Culver-Stockton College Canton
Concorde Career College Kansas City
Cox College Springfield
Crowder College Neosho
Chamberlain College of Nursing St. Louis
College of the Ozarks Point Lookout
Columbia College Columbia
Bryan University Springfield
Central Methodist Univeristy Fayette
Baker University Kansas City
Avila University Kansas City

Next Up:

Occupational Therapy Assistants

Occupational therapy assistants assist occupational therapists in treating patients. They help patients improve their lives and perform daily tasks. They could help a person learn how to move from a bed to a wheelchair or help an injured worker re-learn how he can perform his job. OT assistants also make sure exercises are done correctly and provide assistance.

Learn More

AT A GLANCE

Salary

$40—60K

Job Growth

28.73%

Education Required

specialized training or certification or associates degree

Next Up:

Physical Therapist Assistants

Physical therapist assistants assist the physical therapist in treating patients. They may help them exercise, apply hot or cold packs, or perform special ultrasound or electrical treatments. They may help patients increase their strength and assist in developing treatment plans or keep track of the patient’s progress.

Learn More

AT A GLANCE

Salary

$40—60K

Job Growth

28.84%

Education Required

High School diploma or equivalent

Next Up:

Medical Assistants

Medical assistants perform administrative and certain clinical duties under the direction of a physician. Duties may include scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, and billing and coding information for insurance purposes. Clinical duties may include taking and recording vital signs and medical histories, preparing patients for examinations and drawing blood.

Learn More

AT A GLANCE

Salary

$25—40K

Job Growth

10.93%

Education Required

specialized training or certification or associates degree