Hospital orderlies

ANZSCO ID 423311

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
12,400
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
60%
Female Share
38%
Average age
48

Summary

Hospital Orderlies assist with the provision of care to patients in a hospital by ensuring wards are neat and tidy, lifting and turning patients and transporting them in wheelchairs or on movable beds, and providing direct care and support.

Also known as: Wardsperson or Patient Services Assistant.

Formal qualifications are not essential to work as a Hospital Orderly. Although some workers have a certificate II or III in health support services or health services assistance.

Tasks

  • Assists patients with their personal care needs such as showering, dressing and eating.

  • Assists patients with their mobility and communication needs.

  • Moves patients around the facility by pushing them in wheelchairs or in mobile beds.

  • Moves equipment around the facility.

  • Performs generally manual support tasks at the direction of medical staff.

Characteristics

Job Type
Community And Personal Service Workers
Skill Level
Lower skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
n/a
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Practical
  • Administrative
Physical Demand
  • Medium
  • Heavy
  • Very Heavy

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Nursing Support and Personal Care Workers, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 60% of people employed as Hospital orderlies work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 6 percentage points below the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 42 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Health Care and Social Assistance
92.0%
2
Administrative and Support Services
3.0%
3
Public Administration and Safety
2.8%
4
Accommodation and Food Services
0.5%
5
Other industries
1.0%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

29.7% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

25.1% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

21.4% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

8.2% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

10.7% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

3.0% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.4% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

1.4% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Hospital orderlies All Jobs Average
NSW 29.7 31.6
VIC 25.1 25.6
QLD 21.4 20.0
SA 8.2 7.0
WA 10.7 10.8
TAS 3.0 2.0
NT 0.4 1.0
ACT 1.4 1.9



Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
48
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
38%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Hospital orderlies is 48 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 45 to 54 years.

    Females make up 38% of the workforce. This is 10 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Hospital orderlies All Jobs Average
15-19 1.6 5.0
20-24 8.3 9.3
25-34 13.9 22.9
35-44 16.5 22.0
45-54 27.8 21.6
55-59 15.9 9.0
60-64 10.9 6.0
65 and Over 5.1 4.2
Median Age 48 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

Formal qualifications are not essential to work as a Hospital Orderly. Although some workers have a certificate II or III in health support services or health services assistance.

Visit

  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Health Industry and Community Services VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Hospital orderlies All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 2.3 10.1
Bachelor degree 9.4 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 7.5 11.6
Certificate III/IV 26.5 21.1
Year 12 22.4 18.1
Year 11 6.5 4.8
Year 10 and below 25.5 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Nursing Support and Personal Care Workers who are caring, compassionate, empathetic and physically fit with good people skills.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 37%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 37%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 36%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 36%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 32%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 32%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 30%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 30%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 30%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 29%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 29%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 29%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 27%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 23%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 23%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 23%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.

  • 23%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 23%

    Troubleshooting

    Figuring out why a machine or system went wrong and working out what to do about it.

  • 21%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 20%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 59%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 32%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 30%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 28%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 28%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.

  • 26%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 25%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 21%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 20%

    Medicine and dentistry

    Diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.

  • 18%

    Sociology and anthropology

    Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

  • 18%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 18%

    Foreign language

    Foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

  • 17%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • 14%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 13%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 12%

    Philosophy and theology

    Philosophical systems and religions, including their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and impact on society.

  • 11%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 9%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.

  • 9%

    Biology

    Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.

  • 9%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 55%

    Static strength

    Lift, push, pull, or carry things.

  • 48%

    Trunk strength

    Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.

  • 45%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 45%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 45%

    Extent flexibility

    Bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.

  • 43%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 41%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 41%

    Dynamic strength

    Exercise for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

  • 39%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 39%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 39%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 39%

    Stamina

    Exercise for a long time without getting winded or out of breath.

  • 37%

    Explosive strength

    Quickly jump, sprint, or throw an object.

  • 37%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 37%

    Whole body coordination

    Move your arms, legs, and body together.

  • 36%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 36%

    Manual dexterity

    Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

  • 36%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 34%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

  • 32%

    Balance

    Keep your balance or stay upright.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 83%

    Handling and moving objects

    Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.

  • 73%

    Helping and caring for others

    Providing personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.

  • 59%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 54%

    Doing physically active work

    Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.

  • 52%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 52%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 51%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 49%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

  • 46%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 45%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 44%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 44%

    Working with the public

    Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.

  • 42%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 41%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 41%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 40%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 39%

    Coaching and developing others

    Working out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.

  • 38%

    Controlling equipment or machines

    Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).

  • 38%

    Negotiating and resolving conflicts

    Handling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.

  • 31%

    Training and teaching others

    Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 90%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 76%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 48%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 19%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 14%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 14%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 67%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 62%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 40%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 33%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 29%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 29%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 98%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 97%

    Disease or infection

    Be exposed to disease or infections.

  • 97%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 96%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 95%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

    Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.

  • 93%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 92%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 92%

    Walking and running

    Spend time walking and running.

  • 92%

    Spend time standing

    Spend time standing at work.

  • 90%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 90%

    Health and safety of others

    Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.

  • 90%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 88%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 88%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 87%

    Bending or twisting your body

    Spend time bending or twisting your body.

  • 85%

    Making repetitive motions

    Spend time making repetitive motions.

  • 85%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 83%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 83%

    Repeating same tasks

    Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.

  • 81%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 31-1015.00 - Orderlies.


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