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New York Health Careers

Nursing Assistants

What Do Nursing Assistants Do?

Nursing assistants provide basic patient care under the supervision of a registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, or other medical staff. Nursing assistants may take and record a patient’s temperature, pulse, and blood pressure; assist patients with activities of daily living, such as feeding, bathing, dressing, and toileting; help patients to get in and out of bed; and assist with nursing procedures. They also answer calls for assistance and help, deliver messages, serve meals, make beds, and tidy up rooms. Nursing assistants also observe patients’ physical, mental, and emotional conditions and report the status or changes to the nursing or medical staff.

Nursing assistants who work in long term nursing care are often principal caregivers since they have more frequent and direct contact with the nursing home residents than do other staff members. Since nursing home residents are likely to remain for an extended period of time, nursing assistants often develop ongoing relationships with them. These relationships play an important role in continuity of care and can impact quality of care and health outcomes.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics groups nursing assistants with orderlies. For more information about this occupation, go to: http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/nursing-assistants.htm

Where Do Nursing Assistants Work?

Nursing assistants work primarily in institutional settings such as hospitals, assisted living centers, and nursing homes.

How Much Do Nursing Assistants Earn?

In 2022, the average annual income reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for nursing assistants in the United States was $36,220. The New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) reports that, in 2023, nursing assistants in New York earned a median annual salary of $46,073 (nursing assistants in the 25th percentile made approximately $36,193 while those in the 75th percentile made approximately $50,027).

Supply and Demand

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the number of jobs for nursing assistants and orderlies in the U.S. will increase by 5% between 2021 and 2031. The New York State Department of Labor projects that the number of jobs for nursing assistants in the state will increase by 17% between 2020 and 2030. The need for nursing assistants is growing because as the country’s population ages, demand for health care services rises, particularly long-term care for older adults.

New York Educational Requirements

Training and education requirements for nursing assistants who work in hospitals vary by institution. In some instances, employers may require a high school diploma or G.E.D and may provide on-the-job training; others may require prior nursing assistant experience; some may want both. Nursing assistants who work in nursing homes in New York must be certified, which includes completing an approved 100-hour training program, passing a competency examination, and becoming listed on the New York State Nurse Aide Registry.

Certified nursing assistant training is available in a variety of settings, including high schools (usually through a Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) program), propriety schools, community colleges, adult education classes at some universities, and in some instances, nursing homes and nonprofit community organizations. The training topics will likely include body mechanics, nutrition, anatomy and physiology, infection control, effective communication, and patients’ rights. The training also instructs participants in how to assist people with activities of daily living, such as bathing, eating, and grooming.

Financial Support

Many opportunities for financial support, loans, and scholarships exist for those wishing to study to become a nursing assistant. Please visit the New York State Education Department Web site for scholarships, grants, and loans information by clicking here.

Also, check the resources listed on the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation Web site
and please refer to the resources listed on the Nursing Assistant Guides Website.
Also, a list of scholarships for becoming a certified nursing assistant can be found on this website page from FindCNAclasses.com.

Education Programs in New York (subject to change)

For a list of approved nursing aide training programs from the New York State Education Department, go to: www.op.nysed.gov/prof/nurse/nurseprogs-cna.htm

ASA College
1293 Broadway, New York, NY 10001
151 Lawrence St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
(877) 679-8772
Access Careers
474 Fulton Ave, Hempstead, NY 11550
(516) 433-0034
1930 Veterans Hwy, Islandia, NY 11749
(631) 630-9410
Monroe 2 BOCES
Center for Workforce Development
Rochester Technology Park
160 Wallace Way, Bldg 9
Rochester, NY 14624
(585) 349-9100
Center for Instruction, Tech,
& Innovation (Citi)
179 County Route 64
Mexico, NY 13114
(315) 963-4251
New Age Training
145 W 30th St  8th Fl
New York, NY  10001
(212) 947-7940
Educational Opportunity Centers in NYS
Buffalo
Bronx
Capital District
Long Island
Manhattan
Rochester
Syracuse
Westchester
Fulton-Montgomery Community College
2805 State Hwy 67
Johnstown, NY 12095
(518) 736-3622
Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga BOCES
555 Warren Rd
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 257-1551
Finger Lakes Community College
3325 Marvin Sands Dr
Canandaigua, NY 14424
(585) 394-3522
 Mohawk Valley Community College
1101 Sherman Dr
Utica, NY 13501
(315) 792-5400
College of Staten Island CUNY
2800 Victory Blvd
Staten Island, NY 10314
(718) 982-2000
Kingsborough Community College
2001 Oriental Blvd
Brooklyn, NY 11235
(718) 368-5000
Finger Lakes Health
196 North Street
Geneva, NY 14456
(315) 787-4039
New York Medial Career Training Ctr
36-09 Main St 5th Fl
Flushing, NY 11354
(718) 460-1717 
Rochester Regional Health
Learning Center
1630 Portland Ave
Rochester, NY 14609
(585) 922-1381
Allen School of Health Sciences
163-18 Jamaica Ave
Jamaica, NY 11432
(888) 620-6745
Access Institute
8002 Kew Gardens Rd
Kew Gardens, NY 11415
(718) 263-0750
Queensborough Community College
222-05 56th Ave
Bayside, NY 11364
(718) 631-6262
Amazing Grace CNA School
212-47 Jamaica Ave  Ste 208
Queens Village, NY  11428
(718) 527-1563
Office of Adult & Career
Education Services  (OACES)
30 Hart St
Rochester, NY 14605
(585) 467-7683
IGBANS Institute of Vocational Training
216-19 Merrick Blvd
Springfield Gardens, NY 11413
(718) 276-8100
GST BOCES
(Greater Southern Tier)
N Main St (Langdon Plz)
Elmira, NY
(607) 739-7905
Samaritan Health
(Classes held at)
133 Pratt St
Watertown, NY 13601
(315) 779-5135
Jefferson-Lewis-Hamilton BOCES
20104 State Route 3
Watertown, NY 13601
(315) 779-7200
Capital Region Career & Tech School
900 Watervliet-Shaker Rd
Albany, NY 12205
(518) 862-4900
Mildred Elley
855 Central Ave, Albany, NY 12206
(888) 290-3847
25 Broadway, Fl 16, New York, NY 10004
(866) 878-0041
Lehman College- CUNY
250 Bedford Park Blvd W
Bronx, NY 10468
(718) 960-8000
Phoenix Nurse Aide Training Center
540 E 180th St, Ste 201
Bronx, NY 10457
(718) 484-7604
ABC Training Center
50 E Fordham Rd
Bronx, NY 10468
(718) 618-5589
Hostos Community College
500 Grand Concourse
Bronx, NY 10451
(718) 502-8246
ValuCare
550 Front St
Hempstead, NY 11550
(516) 345-4777
Cambridge Business Institute
50 Clinton St  Ste 303
Hempstead, NY 11550
(516) 874-5059
Schenectady County Community College
Center City
433A State St. 2nd Fl
Schenectady, NY 12305
(518) 621-4007
Big Apple Training
200 Hamilton Ave, White Plains, NY
(914) 437-7373
4653 White Plains Rd, Bronx, NY 10470
(718) 231-3600
Eastern Long Island Academy of 
Applied Technology- Eastern Suffolk BOCES
201 Sunrise Hwy
Patchogue, NY 11772
(631) 419-1628
Wilson Tech
507 Deer park Rd
Dix Hills, NY 11746
Huntington Station, NY 11746
(631) 549-4900
Nassau Community College
One Education Dr
Garden City, NY 11530
(516) 572-7501
Medgar Evers College
CNA Test Preparation
1650 Bedford Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11225
(718) 270-4900
UpSkill-Buffalo Public Schools
Adult Education Division
389 Virginia St
Buffalo, NY 14201
(716) 888-7088
Erie 1 BOCES
1526 Walden Ave
Cheektowaga, NY 14225
(716) 821-7500
Catholic Health
Buffalo area locations
144 Genesee St
Buffalo, NY 14203
(716) 706-2112
Elderwood Careers
5775 Maelou Dr
Hamburg, NY 14075
(888) 826-9663
The City College of New York
160 Convent Ave
New York, NY 10031
(212) 650-7000
School of Allied Health
545 8th Ave, Ste 400
New York, NY 10018
and
91 N Franklin St. Ste 301
Hempstead, NY 11550
(212) 564-2351
NY Institute of Medical Careers
67-09 Woodside Ave 1st Fl
Woodside, NY 11377
(718) 565-9500
NY Institute of Health Careers, LLC
89-44 162nd St
Jamaica, NY 11432
(718) 206-1750 
ACE Institute of Technology
312 W 36th St,  2nd Fl. New York, NY 10018
(212) 695-9700
4040 75th St Ste 4038, Elmhurst, NY 11373
(718) 575-3223
St. Ann’s Community
1500 Portland Ave
Rochester, NY 14621
(585) 697-6000
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