What qualifies a person to perform the role of a health care assistant?

A health care assistant must have a high school diploma. A health care assistant must have patient-care skills, which are typically acquired by completing a health care assistant certificate program, according to Study.com.

A health care assistant must have some medical knowledge, which is also acquired by completing a certificate program. Some employers require health care assistants to have CPR or basic life support certification. Health care assistants must have general administrative assistant skills, computer skills and record-keeping skills. People who hold certified medical assistant, or CMA, certificates or certified nursing assistant, or CNA, certificates are sometimes called health care assistants, depending on the employer.