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What is a patient sitter and how to become one
If your first job was babysitting for $4 an hour and the result was successful, now is the time to level up. You may want to become a Patient Sitter, a position that became popular a few years ago and is now considered as one more within the health team.
The Patient Sitters are caregivers. Their job is to make the sick person feel comfortable, helping them with basic life tasks such as walking and eating. However, they can also perform more complex tasks, for example, monitoring vital signs or alerting the nursing staff when the individual needs medical help. They can also share quality time with the patient by reading a book or watching TV and if the patient is of pediatric age, playing a board game, or singing.
Don't expect to get rich working as a Patient Sitter. The pay is around $12 an hour, but it does not require a lot of previous experience or great academic training, although the ideal candidate may be a pre-med or pre-nursing student.
What general advice would you give to a Patient Sitter?
Abby Murray
Chief Human Resources Officer, Misericordia Home
Avg. Salary $29,649
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth Rate 9%
Growth Rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.94%
Asian 7.55%
Black or African American 10.57%
Hispanic or Latino 14.23%
Unknown 4.98%
White 61.73%
Genderfemale 78.47%
male 21.53%
Age - 41American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 41Stress level is very high
7.1 - high
Complexity Level is challenging
7 - challenging
Work Life balance is excellent
6.4 - fair
Patient Sitter career paths
Key steps to become a patient sitter
Explore patient sitter education requirements
Start to develop specific patient sitter skills
Skills 
Percentages Patients 40.57% BLS 11.92% CPR 7.34% Customer Service 5.53% Patient Observation 4.96% Complete relevant patient sitter training and internships
Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New patient sitters learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a patient sitter based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real patient sitter resumes.Obtain the necessary licensing
Becoming a licensed patient sitter usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed patient sitter in most of states. 25 states require patient sitters to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.State Education Exam License Url Alaska Degree required Third-party exam required Nurse Aide Arkansas Specific course required Both state and third-party exams required Nursing Assistant (Certified) California Specific course required State exam required Certified Nurse Assistant Colorado Specific course required State exam required Nurse Aide Connecticut Specific course required State exam required Nurses Aide Research patient sitter duties and responsibilities
- Conduct and facilitate PCA lead group activities as scheduled
- Apply restraints to violent and combative patients.
- Maintain OSHA and HIPAA compliance with regulatory standards.
- Train in techniques for physical restraints (CPI).
Prepare your patient sitter resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your patient sitter resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a patient sitter resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Patient Sitter Resume templates
Build a professional Patient Sitter resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Patient Sitter resume.
Apply for patient sitter jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a patient sitter job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How Did You Land Your First Patient Sitter Job
Are you a Patient Sitter?
Share your story for a free salary report.
Average patient sitter salary
The average Patient Sitter salary in the United States is $29,649 per year or $14 per hour. Patient sitter salaries range between $21,000 and $40,000 per year.
What Am I Worth?
How do patient sitters rate their job?
Patient Sitter reviews
Very fulfilling and rewarding
Hard work, not enough staff, mandated a lot. Under appreciated!
The ability to show care, love & compassion to those whom have none or family can't give time to show any. It's like being the missing piece to a puzzle we all if lucky enough get to live long enough to experience. It's making someones day by just remembering to watch their hands and face before/ after meals. To give proper attention to teeth, to let dressing am or pm still br a choice they make. I know im a good human with an oversized caring heart and although sometimes its exhausting working extra hrs or having to do all or extra work on short staffed days it's worth it. And slow and steady wins the day. They are people whom have gone through & experienced more then we will ever get too.
All the changes with certification and how you can be on the floor of a facility and know not even common sense. How they have hospitality aides, hca, and people going to start a free class. Back in the day we were called glorified babysitters I never agreed until we have just a warm body with no license(s) whom can't do anything even as small as getting ice waters. I've worked hard tobe where i am and these people take a computer class and pass we would call that our continuing education hrs but what do i know after 23 yrs. I once REALLY loved my job and still do but it's almost like being in grade school with people who have phone's lol It bothers me that many new or non licensed bodies have the audacity to come in these facilities and act like the residents are on their time! We are in their home to help provide ADL's amongst other things like them still trying to be & keep their independence. The ridiculous amount they have to spend to have the care they get from some people makes me wanna die young!! Our system sucks unless its the government making the dollar. I just wish they'd spend an 8 hr shift in these facilities before signing off on some rules & regs. Im not political by any means but those who take the dollar should get to live and experience a day of what our elderly lived ones are forced to experience daily , monthly, yearly! In fact the state hasn't even done the 18 month annual expectation in over 2 yrs at the place im contracted at 👍way to keep up on stuff and by stuff I mean our elderly living human beans. People who deserve to be served on gold plates or at least gave better food then what they serve daycares and if not that at least for it to be at high minimum warm food !! In 23 yrs of being a CNA I can only try to write a book to get out all the things I've seen ,heard. & witnessed in the years.
Nothing
Updated January 8, 2025
