Major health risks in a hospital come not only from illness or injury, but also from the danger of patients slipping and falling while trying to perform daily activities, such as bathing. A Hospital Attendant keeps these risks in check. As a Hospital Attendant, you help patients perform routine tasks like eating or moving around, and assist the hospital staff in taking care of important duties, including keeping rooms tidy and delivering food to the right patients.

Aside from these daily responsibilities, a Hospital Attendant may also be in charge of taking a patient’s vital signs. This helps Nurses keep an eye on a patient’s health throughout their hospital stay. Vital signs include blood pressure, heart rate, and temperature.

Often, it’s necessary to check this two or more times a day, depending on the patient’s condition. If you notice any change in the patient’s physical, mental, or emotional state, you inform the Nurse or Doctor on duty immediately.

Your work varies between assisting patients and performing physical tasks, such as preparing a hospital room or shower area for the next patient. Regardless of what jobs you undertake, you play a valuable role in patient health. Doctors and Nurses have so little time to spend with each patient that it is often the Hospital Attendant who is the first to notice when there’s a significant change in a patient’s condition. The relationships you build with your patients allow you to see the small, yet crucial, details that others may overlook.