National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Version 1.0
3 - Health occupations
This broad category comprises specialized middle management occupations in health care, as well as occupations concerned with providing health care services directly to patients (professional and technical occupations in health) and occupations that provide support to health services.
33 - Assisting occupations in support of health services
This major group comprises assisting occupations in support of health services. These occupations come with Training, Education, Experience and Responsibility (TEER) identified as TEER 3. Occupations classified in TEER 3, as those included in this group with a 3 as the second digit of their code, typically require completion of a post-secondary education program of less than two years at community college, institute of technology or CÉGEP; or completion of an apprenticeship training program of less than two years; or more than six months of on-the-job training, training courses or specific work experience with some secondary school education; or the accumulation of several years of experience in a related occupation found in TEER 4, when applicable (TEER 4 includes occupations with a 4 as a second digit in their code).
331 - Assisting occupations in support of health services
This sub-major group comprises assisting occupations in support of health services, including dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants; medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations; nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates; pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants; and other assisting occupations in support of health services.
3310 - Assisting occupations in support of health services
This minor group comprises assisting occupations in support of health services, including dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants; medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations; nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates; pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants; and other assisting occupations in support of health services. They are employed by hospitals, clinics, community health centres, nursing homes, assisted care facilities, and other health care establishments; dentists' offices, and the offices of other health care professionals; pharmacies, and optical retail stores; optical and medical pathology laboratories; and educational institutions.
33100 - Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants
Dental assistants assist dentists, dental hygienists and dental therapists during the examination and treatment of patients and perform clerical functions. Dental laboratory assistants assist dental technologists and technicians in preparing and fabricating dentures and other dental devices. Dental assistants work in dentists' offices, community health centres, clinics and in educational institutions. Dental laboratory assistants are employed in dental laboratories.
Illustrative example(s)
- ceramic denture moulder
- certified dental assistant
- certified intra-oral dental assistant
- dental assistant
- dental laboratory assistant
- denture finisher
- denture wax pattern former
- orthodontic band maker
- registered dental assistant
Inclusion(s)
- dental aide
Exclusion(s)
- Dental hygienists and dental therapists (See 32111 Dental hygienists and dental therapists)
- Dental technologists and technicians (See 32112 Dental technologists and technicians)
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
Dental assistants
- Prepare patients for dental examination and assist the dentist during examinations and dental treatments
- Sterilize and maintain instruments and equipment
- Prepare dental instruments, fillings compound and various dental materials
- Take and develop X-rays
- Polish teeth and clinical crowns and apply fluoride and sealant
- Take preliminary impressions for diagnostic casts
- Educate patients concerning oral hygiene
- Perform clerical duties such as prepare invoices, process payments, schedule patient appointments, record dental procedures performed and order dental and office supplies
- May perform intra-oral duties such as remove sutures, take and record vital signs, apply desensitizing agents, topical anaesthetic, anticariogenic agents and coronal whitening, fabricate, place, and remove temporary crowns and restorations, and apply and remove rubber dams
- May also perform pulp vitality testing as well as periodontal screening and recording.
Dental laboratory assistants
- Prepare plaster models and moulds from dental impressions
- Prepare wax bite-blocks and impression trays
- Cast gold or metal alloys for bridges and denture bases
- Pack plastic material in moulds to form full or partial dentures
- Mould wax over denture set-up to form full contours of artificial gums
- Make orthodontic bands from gold, silver, stainless steel or other metals
- Finish metal framework of dentures and polish and buff dentures to obtain natural finish.
Employment requirements
- Dental assistants require completion of an eight-month to one-year college or other program in dental assistance or completion of secondary school with on-the-job training
- Registration with a regulatory body is required in all provinces except Quebec and Ontario.
- Certification by the National Dental Assisting Examination Board is required to perform intra-oral duties in all provinces except in Quebec, where intra-oral duties are not performed by dental assistants.
- Dental laboratory assistants usually require secondary school and up to two years of on-the-job training.
Additional information
- In some provinces there are two levels of dental assistants: Level I - chair-side assistant and Level II - intra-oral assistant. Progression from Level I to Level II is possible with education, training and licensure.
- Dental laboratory assistants may progress to dental technologist and technician positions with training, experience and registration.
33101 - Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations
Medical laboratory assistants and workers in related technical occupations perform pre-analysis and pre-testing tasks such as collecting blood and other samples, processing specimens, and preparing special chemicals called reagents for use in testing. They conduct routine medical laboratory tests and set up, clean and maintain medical laboratory equipment. They are employed in medical laboratories in hospitals, clinics, research facilities, post-secondary educational institutions and government research laboratories.
Illustrative example(s)
- medical laboratory aide
- medical laboratory assistant
- medical laboratory technician
- phlebotomist
- phlebotomy aide
Inclusion(s)
- blood bank technician
- renal technician
Exclusion(s)
- Biological technologists and technicians (See 22110 Biological technologists and technicians)
- Chemical technologists and technicians (See 22100 Chemical technologists and technicians)
- Medical laboratory technologists (See 32120 Medical laboratory technologists)
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Collect, label, sort and prepare blood, tissue and other samples from patients
- Log and validate patient samples and prepare them for testing
- Set up medical laboratory equipment
- Prepare chemical reagents to be combined with biological samples for testing
- Conduct routine laboratory tests and sample analyses
- Perform quality assurance of testing techniques and record results
- Clean and maintain medical laboratory and medical laboratory equipment.
Employment requirements
- Medical laboratory assistants and related technical workers require completion of a college certificate program in medical laboratory science.
- Certification by the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science is usually required by employers.
Additional information
- Some employers may require medical laboratory technicians to have a diploma.
- Medical laboratory technicians may progress to supervisory or technologist positions with a combination of additional education, training and experience.
33102 - Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates assist nurses, hospital staff and physicians in the basic care of patients. They are employed in hospitals, nursing homes, assisted care facilities for the elderly and other health care establishments. Emergency medical care attendant are employed by private ambulance services, urgent care centers or other health facilities.
Illustrative example(s)
- health care aide
- hospital attendant
- long term care aide
- nurse aide
- nursing attendant
- orderly
- patient care aide
- patient service associate
- personal care attendant - medical
- psychiatric aide
- resident care aide - medical
Inclusion(s)
- emergency medical care attendant (non-paramedical)
- emergency medical responder (non-paramedical)
- first aid attendant
- medical attendant - patient transfer
Exclusion(s)
- Emergency medical assistant (See 32102 Paramedical occupations)
- Emergency medical attendant (See 32102 Paramedical occupations)
- Licensed practical nurses (See 32101 Licensed practical nurses)
- Other assisting occupations in support of health services (See 33109 Other assisting occupations in support of health services)
- Personal care attendant - home care (See 44101 Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations)
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Answer call signals; supply and empty bed pans; bathe, dress and groom patients; serve meal trays, feed or assist in feeding of patients and assist patients with menu selection; weigh, lift, turn, and position patients; shave patients prior to operations; supervise patients' exercise routines, set up and provide leisure activities for patients, accompany patients on outside recreational activities and perform other duties related to patient care and comfort
- Take patients' blood pressure, temperature and pulse; report or record fluid intake and output; observe or monitor patients' status and document patient care on charts; collect specimens such as urine, faeces or sputum; administer suppositories, colonic irrigations and enemas and perform other procedures as directed by nursing and hospital staff
- Administer, in emergency situations, first aid to injured or ill individuals within the scope of competencies
- Transport patients by wheelchair or stretcher for treatment or surgery
- Carry messages, reports, requisitions and specimens between departments
- Make beds and maintain patients' rooms
- Maintain inventory of supplies
- May perform maintenance tasks such as assisting with the set-up and maintenance of traction equipment, cleaning or sterilizing equipment, maintaining and repairing equipment, and assembling, setting-up and operating job-related equipment
- May transport patients between care facilities.
Employment requirements
- Some secondary school education and on-the-job training or a personal support worker, nursing aide or health care aide college or private institutional program, or a college nursing orderly program and supervised practical training are required.
- Completion of specialized courses such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid is usually required.
- An appropriate class of driver's licence may be required for medical attendants.
33103 - Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants
Pharmacy technical assistants perform technical tasks related to preparing medications under a pharmacist's supervision. They also assist in filling prescriptions and managing patient files. Pharmacy assistants perform clerical functions and assists pharmacists and pharmacy technicians with drug dispensing tasks. Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants are employed in retail and hospital pharmacies, long-term care facilities and by pharmaceutical manufacturers.
Illustrative example(s)
- pharmacy aide
- pharmacy assistant
- pharmacy technical assistant
Exclusion(s)
- Pharmacy clerk (See 64100 Retail salespersons and visual merchandisers)
- Pharmacy technicians (See 32124 Pharmacy technicians)
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Assess prescriptions for completeness
- Enter clients' information and prescription details in databases
- Help pharmacists and other pharmacy staff with preparing, packaging and labelling of pharmaceutical products
- Assist in maintaining inventories of medications and pharmaceutical products
- Compound oral solutions, ointments and creams
- May process medical billing information
- May price and stock items on shelves.
Employment requirements
- Pharmacy technical assistants usually require completion of up to two-years of a Pharmacy Technical Assistance vocational program.
- Pharmacy assistants usually require completion of a Pharmacy Assistant college program, ranging from six to twelve months or completion of secondary school and several months of on-the-job training.
33109 - Other assisting occupations in support of health services
Other assisting workers in support of health services provide services and assistance to health care professionals and other health care staff. They are employed in hospitals, medical clinics, offices of health care professionals, nursing homes, optical retail stores and laboratories, and medical pathology laboratories.
Illustrative example(s)
- audiometric assistant
- audiometric technician
- autopsy assistant
- blood donor clinic assistant
- cast room technician
- chiropractic assistant
- clinical laboratory helper
- medical device reprocessing technician
- morgue attendant
- ophthalmic assistant
- ophthalmic laboratory technician - retail
- ophthalmic lens grinder
- ophthalmologist assistant
- optical laboratory assistant
- optometrist assistant
- orthopedic technologist
- rehabilitation aide
- therapy aide
Exclusion(s)
- Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations (See 33101 Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations)
- Medical technologists and technicians (See 3212 Medical technologists and technicians)
- Operating room technician (See 32101 Licensed practical nurses)
- Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment (See 32109 Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment)
- Pathologists' assistant (See 31303 Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals)
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
Audiometric technicians
- Under the supervision of audiologists, administer tests such as pure tone hearing screening, impedance tests and noise level measurements using equipment such as audiometers and sound level meters to determine hearing thresholds of patients
- Instruct patients on test procedures and record results
- Monitor, check and calibrate auditory equipment
- May take earmold impressions and fit and adjust hearing instruments.
Orthopedic technologists
- Assist orthopedic surgeons in the treatment of orthopedic diseases and injuries by applying and adjusting casts, splints, bandages and other orthopedic devices
- Assist in the application, maintenance and adjustment of traction equipment
- Clean and dress wounds
- Remove casts, sutures, staples and pins
- Instruct patients and their families and other health care professionals with respect to orthopedic matters.
Rehabilitation aids
- Prepare and maintain equipment and supplies
- Assist in activities for the rehabilitation of patients as directed by health care professionals
- May perform routine office functions.
Ophthalmic assistants
- Take patients' general medical and ophthalmic history
- Operate ophthalmic testing and measuring instruments to aid ophthalmologists in assessing patients' vision
- Instruct patient on diagnostic test and record results
- Assist ophthalmologists in minor office surgery
- Administer eye drops, ointments and medications as directed by ophthalmologists
- Clean and maintain ophthalmic instruments and equipment
- Perform various administrative duties.
Optical/ophthalmic laboratory technicians and assistants
- Operate laboratory equipment to grind, cut, polish and edge lenses for eyeglasses according to prescriptions received and fit lenses into frames
- Make minor repairs for customers such as replacing frame screws or straightening frames
- Maintain and repair optical laboratory equipment or machinery.
Sterile processing technicians
- Operate and maintain sterilization equipment such as instrument washers, sonic sinks, cart washers and steam autoclaves to clean and disinfect trays, carts, linens, supplies, instrumentation and equipment for re-use according to standardized safety practices
- Reassemble equipment and assemble packs of sterile supplies and instruments for delivery to hospital departments.
Blood donor clinic assistants
- Set up and dismantle equipment
- Prepare and maintain cleanliness of collection areas
- Maintain supplies
- Monitor donors throughout procedure and assist with post-donation care and donor reaction care as assigned under the supervision of a registered nurse
- Record information on donors
- Label and process donated blood.
Morgue attendants
- Assist pathologists at autopsies by laying out surgical instruments
- Prepare solutions for preservation of specimens
- Transfer bodies from morgue to examining table
- Remove organs and tissue specimens, as instructed by attending pathologist, and placing them in preservative solutions
- Clean and sew up bodies for release to funeral home.
Employment requirements
- Audiometric technicians usually require a specialization in industrial audiometry testing.
- Orthopedic technologists usually require completion of secondary school
and
several months of on-the-job training
or
a college orthopedic technologist program. - Registration with the Canadian Society of Orthopaedic Technologists is available and may be required by employers.
- Ophthalmic assistants require completion of a six to twelve month ophthalmic assistants college program or a minimum of one year of on-the-job training under the supervision of an ophthalmologist, and completion of an approved ophthalmic assistant home study program.
- Certification by the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology may be required by employers.
- Health care courses or short-term college programs related to the work of medical therapy aides, such as recreational therapy programs, are available and may be required by employers.
- Sterile processing technicians require completion of secondary school and a six- to nine-month sterile processing college program.
- Completion of secondary school and several months of on-the-job training are usually required for other assisting occupations in this unit group.
Additional information
- Ophthalmic assistants may progress to ophthalmic technician positions with training and experience.
- Certified Ophthalmic Assistants may also have additional specialty certification such as Registered Ophthalmic Ultrasound Biometrist (ROUB) or Certified Diagnostic Ophthalmic Sonographer (CDOS).
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