◆ Healthcare & Medicine

What an orderly
really does.

20 tasks, each one witnessed by the sources that watched the job — and behind every one, a prompt you can use tonight.

20evidenced tasks
52,440in the US (2025)
$38,290median pay / year
6systems it runs on
See the 20 tasks ↓Open in the atlasThe full career map →
This is what one task looks like here
Assist in the physical restraint of combative patients
Assist two nurses in physically restraining a combative patient at the…2 sources agree

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The work, task by task

20 tasks
Hands on the work17
Assist in the physical restraint of combative patients+
Assist two nurses in physically restraining a combative patient at the foot of Ward B's hall, position body and limbs to prevent injury, call for code sitter if behavior escalates, and notify Charge Nurse within five minutes.
onetwiki2 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Support in operating rooms+
Support the surgical team in OR 1 by positioning the patient, handing sterile supplies to scrub tech as directed, ensuring cautery ground placement is clear, and report any equipment or room concerns to circulating nurse Carla immediately.
jdwiki2 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Keep patient areas clean and tidy+
Walk the 4th floor ward at 11:00 and tidy patient areas: remove empty trays, restock bedside tissues, straighten chairs and clear clutter around beds, report and log any biohazard spills to environmental services and the charge nurse.
jdwiki2 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Help maintain a sterile environment during procedures+
During the 13:00 procedure in Minor Ops, maintain the sterile field perimeter, replace torn gloves or drapes immediately, hand unopened sterile packs to scrub tech only, and notify lead RN if any contamination occurs.
jdonet2 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Assist in emergency department tasks+
Respond to triage surge at 18:30 by bringing stretchers and oxygen carts to room 7, assist with moving unstable patients to monitored bays under direction of charge nurse Maria, and log equipment movement and patient locations in the department board.
onetwiki2 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Transport patients within the healthcare facility+
Wheel Mr. Hernandez from bed 312 to Radiology at 10:30, confirm his ID band and mobility restrictions, secure side rails and blankets, use the corridor escort lane, hand him to the radiology tech and note departure and return times on the transport log.
jdwiki2 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Carry messages or documents between departments.+
Pick up the signed consent form from Emergency triage, deliver it to Surgical Admissions immediately, avoid public corridors during the code drill, get a receipt from the admissions clerk, and note delivery time on the department log.
onet
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Transport specimens, laboratory items, or pharmacy items, ensuring proper documentation and delivery to authorized personnel.+
Collect blood samples from phlebotomy at 8:45, verify specimen labels against the requisition, transport them in the sealed carrier to the lab within 30 minutes, get the lab tech to initial receipt, and update the chain-of-custody log.
onet
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Watch and assess2
Keep it safe1

What the work runs on

named inside the evidenced tasks
6 tasksMedical record chartingto confirm procedure details, patient positioning orders, and document intraoperative assistance
5 tasksMicrosoft Officeto track cleaning checklists and log maintenance or incident reports for follow-up
4 tasksElectronic medical record EMRdocument restraint reason, interventions and timing in the medical record
2 tasksGE Healthcare Centricity EMRto reference procedure checklists, allergy/sterile precautions, and to document breaches or incidents
2 tasksMicrosoft Outlookuse to check for any emailed notifications about courier priorities or schedule changes
1 taskMicrosoft Windowsruns any digital incident logs or timing tools the orderly might use
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The same task, four heights

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ExecuteDo today's task, with fewer mistakesyou are here → ImproveMake it easy for the next person to acceptin the atlas → DecideWork out the right move when it is unclearin the atlas → BecomeLearn the pattern so it stops coming backin the atlas →

Can AI actually do this job?

the honest answer

It can

where it genuinely helps
  • Explain the theory behind the work
  • Draft, tidy and structure your writing
  • Rehearse a hard conversation before you have it
  • Build a study plan that fits your gaps

It cannot

where it stops, completely
  • Be in the room where an orderly actually works
  • Carry the responsibility when the call is wrong — that weight stays yours
  • Notice what no one wrote down: the hesitation, the thing left unsaid
  • Live with the outcome
M · R6 of R7This job sits on healing — real theory, real diagnosis, but reality still holds the grading pen.

What the work pays

two countries, two different measures

United States

this exact occupation · BLS 2025
  • $38,290 a year — the middle: half earn more, half earn less
  • The lowest tenth earn near $32,240; the top tenth near $50,600
  • 52,440 people employed in this occupation

India

the occupation GROUP, not this job · PLFS via ILOSTAT 2025
  • ₹15,575 a month — the median for Service and sales workers, the group this work sits in
  • India publishes pay by broad occupation group, so this covers many jobs besides this one. It is a shape, not a salary.
read this carefullyThese two numbers are not comparable and must not be converted into each other. One is a yearly figure for this job alone; the other is a monthly figure for a whole family of jobs. What travels between them is the pattern, not the amount: experience lifts pay almost everywhere.

Where the evidence lives

open any of it yourself
O*NETThe US Department of Labor's own record of this job10 of these tasks ESCOThe European skills and occupations register3 of these tasks Job descriptionsReal postings, in the wild6 of these tasks WikipediaHow the world describes this work9 of these tasks US Bureau of Labor StatisticsPay and employment, by occupation2025 figures UK NOS SFJFD2Maintain physical security and order in custodial environmentsnational standard UK NOS LANRVN18Assist the veterinary surgeon as a scrubbed nurse to perform surgical national standard

Close to this work

12 nearby
Healthcare & MedicineClinical Research Coordinator27 evidenced tasks Healthcare & MedicineBiomedical Engineer25 evidenced tasks Healthcare & MedicineNursing Assistant25 evidenced tasks Healthcare & MedicineSurgeon24 evidenced tasks Healthcare & MedicineOrthopedic Surgeon24 evidenced tasks Healthcare & MedicineLicensed Practical Nurse24 evidenced tasks Healthcare & MedicinePublic Health Officer23 evidenced tasks Healthcare & MedicineMidwife23 evidenced tasks

Questions people actually ask

Your shift usually mixes transport, cleaning, and support tasks. Expect to move patients to X‑rays, ORs, or wards; collect soiled linen and trash; and deliver specimens or pharmacy items with proper documentation.

You’ll also stock dressing packs, assist in the emergency department or orthopaedics, and help maintain sterile areas during procedures. Many shifts include meal tray runs, mortuary transports, and occasional patient shaving or cast application support.

You’ll often log activities in an electronic medical record (EMR) like GE Healthcare Centricity or another EMR for transport or specimen delivery notes. Facilities expect basic Microsoft Office skills and Microsoft Outlook for messages.

You won’t be doing clinical charting beyond documenting transports or deliveries, but learn how to find patient locations and confirm orders in the EMR. Ask your trainer for the exact EMR workflows your site uses.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports 52,440 people employed in this category. The median pay is $38,290 per year. The lowest tenth earn about $32,240, and the top tenth about $50,600 (BLS).

Local pay varies by state, hospital type, and shift differentials (nights/weekends). Ask the employer for their pay scale and any extra pay for on‑call or special units.

Yes. Orderlies support emergency departments and may assist in the physical restraint of combative patients. Employers usually require training in safe restraint techniques and de‑escalation—often classroom plus supervised practice.

You should be certified in basic safety protocols, know the facility’s restraint policy, and be able to request security or clinical staff quickly. Never attempt a restraint without the approved training and team present.

You can use AI only if your employer approves and the tool meets privacy rules (HIPAA in the U.S.). Don’t upload patient identifiers into public AI tools. Use approved templates or EMR‑integrated helpers for notes and scheduling.

AI might help summarize common checklists or suggest time blocks for rounds, but final documentation must be entered into the EMR and verified by you. Ask your supervisor which tools are allowed.

Employers look for reliability, clear communication, and safe patient handling. You must be able to push stretchers, watch traffic when escorting pedestrians across hospital roads, hold stop signs, and observe safety rules.

Also demonstrate basic computer literacy (EMR, Outlook, Windows), attention to sterile technique in the OR, and respect for policies about specimen delivery, medical waste disposal, and transporting deceased patients.

km/h RPM

How far can AI take you?

one question
Be honest — how far can a language model take you on healing?
There is a real answer, and it is not the flattering one.