The entry level position of the nursing world, the nurse technician performs simple tasks that often require a kind heart more than any sort of technical skill. In addition to hospitals, nurse technicians help out in nursing homes and clinics, often acting as the nurses’ “eyes and ears.”

One of the nurse technician’s primary jobs is to assist patients with day to day tasks:

• walking
• bathing
• eating
• getting in and out of bed
• wheelchairs or stretchers

Nurse technicians are also sometimes responsible for monitoring vital signs, an important task when the nurse is busy taking care of other patients. In the United States, certification is required for this job.