Patient Sitter Job Description: Roles, Skills, and Duties

Crafting an effective patient sitter job description requires a delicate balance of specificity and broad appeal. Recruiters need to outline the competencies, experiences, and attributes necessary for a candidate to thrive in this role while highlighting the distinct value they bring to patient care. In this guide, discover the key elements that make a patient sitter job description both comprehensive and appealing, ensuring you attract compassionate, reliable, and dedicated individuals to your healthcare team.

What Is a Patient Sitter?

A patient sitter (also called a hospital sitter, patient safety attendant, or patient companion) is a non-clinical caregiver whose primary responsibility is continuous observation and support of patients who are at risk of injury, falls, wandering, confusion, or self-harm. Unlike nurses or licensed clinicians, patient sitters do not perform medical procedures but act as vigilant observers, emotional supports, and early detectors of escalating risk. They complement the clinical team by reducing the incidence of patient accidents, alerting staff to changes, and giving patients added oversight and reassurance.

Where to Find a Patient Sitter?

• Hospital internal recruitment/transfers: Some current staff may wish to move into a less clinically intense role.
• Healthcare job boards and aggregators: Post the patient sitter job description on major healthcare or general job boards.
• Nursing schools, allied health programs, or technical training schools: Graduates or students seeking entry roles may be good candidates.
• Staffing/agency partners: Partner with agencies that specialize in non-clinical patient care staffing.
• Local community colleges and vocational institutions: Advertise in caregiver/patient care aide programs.
• Social media & targeted recruiting ads: Use geographic and interest targeting to reach caregiving candidates.
• Internal referrals & employee networks: Staff may know reliable candidates; incentivize referrals.

Patient Sitter Job Description Template

We are seeking a compassionate patient sitter who will provide one-on-one supervision, companionship, and safety monitoring to patients at risk of harm, self-injury, confusion, or falls. The ideal candidate should be vigilant, empathetic, and able to report changes in patient condition promptly.

Patient sitter Responsibilities

• Continuously observe and stay with the assigned patient without distraction
• Monitor patient behavior, mental status, and general well-being
• Assist with non-clinical basic needs (e.g., helping patient reposition, comfort, simple tasks)
• Provide emotional support, companionship, and reassurance
• Alert and escalate to nursing staff or supervisor if the patient's condition changes or risk is detected
• Document observations and changes in patient status
• Maintain confidentiality of patient information
• Adhere to hospital/clinic policies, safety protocols, and code of conduct
• Avoid performing any medical or invasive procedures not authorized

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent (some institutions may prefer post-secondary education)
• Experience working in a clinical or caregiving setting is a plus
• Basic training in CPR/first aid or life-safety procedures
• Ability to read and interpret behavioral cues
• Ability to work variable shifts, including nights, weekends, and holidays
• Physical ability to sit or stand as needed, assist with light patient movement
• Background check clearance, compliance with health screening, or immunization policy

Required Requirements

• Caring, compassionate, and kind in nature
• Strong observation skills, communication, patience, empathy
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Good problem-solving skills

Challenges in Hiring a Patient Sitter

• Healthcare hiring is increasingly competitive. More than 50% of TA leaders say the market is tighter year over year. As staffing shortages persist, many hospitals lean on agency or temporary staff, making hiring for non-clinical roles more urgent.
• Healthcare turnover and recruitment are expensive. For example, it costs roughly USD 61,110 to cover the turnover of one bedside registered nurse.
• Staff burnout is widespread. Many healthcare workers (including support roles) consider leaving within two years.
• In 2025, hiring for registered nurse roles takes an average of 66 days to fill, with much of that time spent in sourcing. Although that stat is for clinical roles, the same systemic delays (vetting, background checks, training) often apply for non-clinical roles like patient sitters.
• Because patient sitters operate in emotionally difficult environments (patients in distress, mental health settings, etc.), not every candidate is well-suited. Evaluating temperament, resilience, judgment, and interpersonal skills is more complex than just checking credentials.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire?

• The average salary for a patient sitter is $41,712 per year or $20 per hour in the United States, which is in line with the national average.
• Advertising the role, screening, interviewing, background checks, and administrative overhead.
• Training costs (orientation, shadowing, safety, communication protocols).
• If a sitter leaves, you incur the costs of finding and training a replacement, plus any temporary coverage.
• Even if the turnover cost per sitter is lower than for a nurse, the accumulation across many staff matters.
• Employer-paid benefits (insurance, holiday pay, shift differentials, etc.).
• Scheduling inefficiencies or gaps (overtime cost, temporary agency backfill).
• If a patient sitter position remains vacant, the hospital may face higher risks (falls, injury) or an increased burden on nursing staff.

Conclusion

A patient sitter job description is a crucial tool for recruiters aiming to attract capable, compassionate candidates who can provide supervision, comfort, and safety to vulnerable patients. By clearly defining responsibilities, qualifications, reporting relationships, and expectations, you increase the chances of finding suitable staff and reducing turnover. Use the template above as a foundation, tailor it to your facility, and remain flexible as you adapt to evolving healthcare staffing dynamics in 2025 and beyond.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What should I include in a patient sitter job description?

A: You should include a clear summary, key duties & responsibilities, required qualifications and credentials, reporting structure, working conditions, compensation, and benefits.

Q: How does a patient sitter's job description differ from a nursing job description?

A: A patient sitter job description focuses on non-clinical observation, companionship, and risk monitoring, without including medical procedures or licensed nursing duties.

Q: Is prior clinical experience necessary in a patient sitter job description?

A: It’s often optional. Many recruiters list experience in caregiving, behavioral health, or patient observation as a plus, but not always mandatory.

Q: What shifts or scheduling details should a patient sitter's job description mention?

A: You should note whether you require nights, weekends, holidays, on-call shifts, or flexibility in hours, so candidates know expectations up front.

Q: How often should recruiter teams review and update the patient sitter job description?

A: At least annually, or whenever staffing challenges, role expectations, protocols, or regulatory requirements change, to ensure relevance.