I have what is probably the most simple questions you'll ever hear on this page but where goes anyway... What is a CNA? I have seen so many posts which use this abbreviation and have no idea what it means. Thanks for letting me ask my silly question.

Kimberly

I was wondering the same thing, lol... :)

originally posted by wannabe rn kim

i have what is probably the most simple questions you'll ever hear on this page but where goes anyway... what is a cna? i have seen so many posts which use this abbreviation and have no idea what it means. thanks for letting me ask my silly question.

kimberly

certified nursing assistant.

When we have questions about terms or abbreviations used on this bulletin board, many of them are located in the glossary. The glossary is accessed by clicking on a button near the top of each page. While we all have questions, and none of them are really silly or stupid, because they have all been asked before, the answers to many of the abbreviations questions is located in the glossary.

Welcome to the Allnurses family Wannabe RN Kim and jenn234 :)

Chuck

Originally posted by cbs3143

When we have questions about terms or abbreviations used on this bulletin board, many of them are located in the glossary. The glossary is accessed by clicking on a button near the top of each page. While we all have questions, and none of them are really silly or stupid, because they have all been asked before, the answers to many of the abbreviations questions is located in the glossary.

Welcome to the Allnurses family Wannabe RN Kim and jenn234 :)

Chuck

Thanks for the tip and for the welcome! I never would have clicked there otherwise because on another board I go to, the glossary is just about the codes and smilies to use on the page. :)

Thanks,

~Jenn

You are quite welcome Jenn,

Feel free to ask questions anytime, because there are no silly questions. There is an amazing amount of knowledge and experience on this board.

Chuck

Don't worry about asking, I noticed the both of you who didn't know are in Canada. Sometimes abbreviations used in the States are for job descriptions, etc. only in the States. Also, sometimes they are regional or hospital to hospital.

Where I work, it's PCT (patient care tech), we don't use the term CNA at all.

I HAVE ALSO HEARD PCA (PATIENT CARE ASSISTANT). WHICH PCA IS ALSO THE ABBREVIATION FOR PATIENT CONTROLLED ANALGESIA.

I thought there was a thread once that addressed all the abreviations????? Is it still around?

Zoe

We have PSAs (Personal Service Assistant) and PCTs (Patient Care Tech) where I work. PSA=CNA, PCT is like a CNA+ since they also do phlebotomy and EKGs.

Another hospital nearby uses NA I and NA II: Nurse Assistant I=CNA, and NA II=PCT.

Confusing, eh?

Yet another, PSP= Patient Support Partner.

Woah! LoL, that's a lot of titles...

Thanks. :)

Dont forget the NT (or sometimes referred to as CNA/NT) which in certain areas (like mine here in Florida) is called a Nurse Tech -basically a CNA who is a nursing student, and typically allowed to do procedures that CNAs are not. (My facility tries to allow NTs to do more procedures as their education progresses. You go through an extensive check-off list before being allowed to do them, and then its still up to your nurse (how comfortable does the nurse feel?).