What Does A ClinicalSupport Aide (CSA) Do?
Even if you've neverheardthis title before, you probably know whata clinical support aide does, sincethe role nameis pretty self explanatory.However, we wantto offeryou a formal definition: Clinical support aides (also known asclinical supportworkers or healthcareaides) work in hospitals,medical clinics,doctors’ offices,laboratories, andother healthcare settings wheretheyprovide support to healthcareworkers such asdoctors, nurses, midwives, andothers. Their work includestaskssuch as preparingpatients for examinationsorprocedures, explainingtreatmentsto patientsor familymembers, and updatingpatientrecords.
The work performed by CSAsallowshealthcareprofessionalstodeliver high quality care to patients andtheir familiessincetheyare usuallyinvolvedin thetypeof care that guaranteesthecomfort andgeneral well beingof thepeople theytreat.
It shouldbenoted that by providingdirect care to patients, CSAshavethe opportunityto develop manyclinical skills,as well as empathy andcompassion,that can helpthem move on to other roles such asnursing,physiotherapy,or midwiferyif they choseto do so. Anotheroption for CSAsis to grow in theircareer paths to thepointwherethey won'tneeddirect supervision andmayeven start supervisingotherclinical supportstaff.
Types Of ClinicalSupport Aides (CSA) Roles
Consideringthatclinical supportaideshelpdifferenthealthcareprofessionalsin a multitudeof specialties, we can say that thereare many types of CSAs, dependingon their knowledgeandskills:
1. Healthcare Assistant This is another way to refer to clinical support aides. It could be considered the generic term to name the healthcare workers who support healthcare professionals in the performanceof their duties.
2. MaternitySupport Worker - These workers help midwives, nurses, pediatricians, and other specialists in caring for mothers in labour and newborn babies.
3. Occupational TherapySupport Worker These CSAs are dedicated to assisting occupational therapists in helping those who struggle with day to day activities, making it possible for them to live full and independent lives.
4. Physiotherapy Assistant - PTAs work under the direct supervision of physiotherapists (PTs) to treat patients with physical impairments.
5. Radiography Assistant or Imaging Support Assistant These workersassist radiographers in operating x-raysand any other imaging deviceused to diagnose diseases or health conditions.
6. Speech and Language TherapyAssistant These healthcare workershelp speech pathologists or speech therapists treat speech and language impairments in children and adults so they cancommunicatebetter with others.
7. Dental Support Worker - Dentists need help too, which is why Dental Support Workers assist them in treating patients and diagnosing dental problems that may be affecting patients' ability to eat or speak.
Other CSAs don't provideassistance to a specifichealthcareprofessional andinstead perform a specificandspecializedtask. These are some of them:
1. NewbornHearing Screener, a role that involves screening babies to help identify those who have permanent hearing loss.
2. Phlebotomist, a role dedicated to retrieving blood samples and other specimens, as well as preparing specimens for laboratory testing.
3. Cardiographer,a role that specializes in assessing and monitoring patients' hearts and blood vessels.
Duties And ResponsibilitiesOf A Clinical Support Aide
As you can see, clinical supportaidescan work in differentareas of medicine, healthcareandwellness,assistingprofessionalsandsupportingpatients.However, their roles are not as differentas you might think,as the basicduties andresponsibilities of clinical supportaidestendto be the same regardless of thefieldwherethey work.
Here are themain dutiesandresponsibilitiesof clinical supportaides:
1. Provide support to doctors, nurses, and lab techs with diverse patient facing or support tasks.
2. Performinglimited patient care tasks supervised by healthcare professionals.
3. Setting up exam rooms ahead of medical examinations.
4. Recording patient medical history after examinations or treatments.
5. Collecting blood and urine samples from patients for analysis.
6. Assisting healthcare professionals s in completing diagnostic testing.
7. Makingsure doctors have the equipment, supplies and paperwork they need.
8. Providing additional support to doctors, nurses, and lab techs.
9. Other duties and responsibilities as needed to support the workflow in hospitals, clinics or lab settings.
ClinicalSupport Aide Salary In Canada
Across Canada,on average, clinical supportaides(CSA) earn a salary of $50,000 per year or $24 dollars per hour.However, accordingto multiplesources, entry level clinical support aides couldstart much lower, at about $45,000 per year.
CSA salaries dependon the settingwhereeach aideworks (hospital,or LTC, for instance),the provinceandcity, andtheskills andexperiencetheyhaveto offer.
How To Become A ClinicalSupport Aide In Canada
To become a Clinical SupportAidein Canada,there are certain requirementsand qualificationscandidatesneedto have.Of course, it is nothingcomparedto nurses, doctors, or other specialists, butthere are certain steps to follow:
1. High school diploma, GED certificate,or General Certificateof Secondary Education (GCSE),depending on where youlive.
2. Vocational certificatein medical assisting, preferably from a community collegeor vocational school. Most certificateprograms canbe completedin about a year.
3. Specimencollection training and/or experience collecting, handling, and processing specimens, if possible.
4. Experiencein a medical setting, which can be from a formaljob, volunteering or even from caringfor a family member.
5. Strong communicationand organizational skills.
6. Ability to follow procedures and instructions carefully.
We hope thisarticle helpsyou understandthediverseandrich natureof the Clinical Support Aide (CSA) role in healthcare.Hopefully,all of this information will serve you to pursuea career in this fieldor recommend it to a friend.
In anycase, make sure to remember that onceyou are ready to move forward with your career, you can findemploymenton our Caring Supportplatform, wherewe cater to thisand manyother roles. Discoverall of thepossibilitieshealthcarehasto offer by joining the platform today
Andfor questionsor comments aboutClinical Support Aides (CSAs)or anyother role in the fieldof healthcare,leave a message below. We're hereto help.
Thankyou for reading!
Source:https://www.caringsupport.com/blog/allabout-clinical-support-aides
