Patient Services Assistant

A patient services assistant works in a hospital, helping nursing staff keep wards running smoothly. They keep wards and patient areas clean and tidy, help lift, turn and move patients, and transport patients in wheelchairs or on beds between wards and departments. They may also deliver meals and supplies and give practical support to patients. It is a hands-on support role that works under the direction of nurses and ward managers.

Clean and tidy patient rooms, beds and ward areas, following infection control procedures. Help nurses lift, turn and reposition patients using safe manual handling techniques and equipment. Transport patients in wheelchairs or on beds to tests, theatres and other departments. Deliver meals, linen, specimens and supplies around the ward. Restock rooms and storerooms with equipment and consumables. Help patients with practical needs, such as getting settled or moving around safely. Report spills, hazards or patient concerns to nursing staff. Follow hospital hygiene, privacy and safety rules at all times.

The standard entry pathway requires a Certificate II or III (ABS skill level 4). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

The work is physical, with a lot of lifting, pushing and time on your feet, and manual handling injuries are a real risk. Hospitals run around the clock, so rosters often include early starts, nights, weekends and public holidays. You will be around sick and distressed people, and some tasks can be unpleasant.

Most jobs are in public and private hospitals, so there are more positions in capital cities and in large regional centres with major hospitals. Smaller towns have fewer roles. The work is hands-on and on-site, so remote work isn't possible.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 4233, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Accept own accountabilitycore
• Active Listeningcore
• Adapt to emergency care environmentcore
• Appointment Schedulingcore
• Confidentiality and Privacy Compliancecore
• Data Entry and Accuracycore
• Empathy and Emotional Intelligencecore
• Health Record Administrationcore
• Health Terminology Literacycore
• Inbound Call Handlingcore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Team Collaborationcore
• Telephone Etiquettecore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Adaptability and Flexibility
• Adhere to organisational guidelines
• Complaint Handling
• Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity
• HICAPS and Medicare Claiming Systems
• Incident Reporting
• Multitasking
• Practice Management Software (e.g., Best Practice, MedicalDirector)
• Professional Boundaries Maintenance
• Referral Coordination

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

What Patient Services Assistant workers move into, from ten years of tax records.

Last updated: 8 October 2026