Orderly

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This article is about orderlies in medical work. For the 1964 film that portrays the profession, see The Disorderly Orderly. For the soldier acting as an officer's assistant, see Batman (army).

A medical orderly or orderly is a hospital attendant whose job consists of assisting medical and/or nursing staff with various nursing and/or medical interventions. These duties are classified as routine tasks involving no risk for the patient.

Orderlies are often utilized in various hospital departments. Orderly duties can range in scope depending on the area of the health care facility they are employed. For that reason, duties can range from assisting in the physical restraint of combative patients, assisting physicians with the application of casts, transporting patients, shaving patients and providing other similar routine personal care to setting up specialized hospital equipment such as bed traction arrays.

Orderlies are typically found in Emergency Departments, Operating Rooms, Psychiatry, Long Term Care, and Orthopedics.

Orderlies are described as non licensed hospital assistants that are instructed to perform delegated functions under the direct supervision of a licensed practitioner in the health care setting. While the role of nursing has traditionaly been filled by women, most orderlies are men, as they may be asked to assist nurses in physically demanding procedures.

Orderlies have been phased out of health care facilities in recent years and their function are now replaced by the Patient Care Assistant and/or Certified Nursing Assistant.