Difference between CNA and Nurse tech?

Nurses General Nursing

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This may be a dumb question but what is the difference between a CNA and Nurse tech? I am trying to decide between the two. Is there a pay difference as well?

Specializes in cardiac.

I work in the NE ohio area as a nurse tech and make around 12 dollars/hr. The nursing assistants (CNA/STNA) make a little less. Techs can insert foleys--with assistance and remove foleys and ivs,etc in addition to having the same amt of pts as a cna would.

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Specializes in Hospice, LTC, Med/Surg.

Nurse Techs where I'm at pass medications in addition to the foley's and IV's. Just cannot do a IV Med push unless an RN is standing right there monitoring everything and taking responsibility.

Hooterhorse

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As I was saying before a nurse tech will be able to do more than a CNA and the pay is also higher for a nurse tech in our area. CNAs make about 6-7/hr and a nurse tech makes anywhere from 9-12/hr depending on the hospital.

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Pay for CNA work really depends on where you live....I live in NH/Mass and you can make anywhere from 10-16 dollars an hour.

But you're talking about some very high cost of living areas, too. $16 there won't take you any further than $9 here (Tennessee).

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.
Nurse Techs where I'm at pass medications in addition to the foley's and IV's. Just cannot do a IV Med push unless an RN is standing right there monitoring everything and taking responsibility.

Hooterhorse

You are giving meds w/o a license? Or, is the RN standing right there? Are you working using your LPN license? I guess I don't understand this "nurse tech" position. At the large (710 bed, level one trauma center) that I worked at for 10 years, we too had "nurse techs." Like you they had completed the first clinical year of a nursing program. However, they couldn't pass meds at all, because they are not licensed. You had said that you were an LPN, is that how YOU (and/or students that are already LPNs) do this? Otherwise, it is practicing waay outside your scope.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
The hospital that I work at is going to be treating the Nurse Tech's more like nurses than CNA's or PCT's by givng the Nurse Tech's a small group of patients to manage (as in the role of a Nurse). I am so exited because I'll have more of an opportunity to learn to function as a nurse! This is going to be hard for the LPN's to accept because in the hospital they are utilized as CNA's also...so in actuality, a Nurse Tech could be heading up a team consisting of an LPN and/or a CNA.

In most cases....a Nurse Tech is going to school to be an RN and will have completed at least the equivalent to an LPN's education.

Jean & Houdini

We used to have Med Surg Techs that did similar things. They had a patient assignment and did all care, including giving and taking report, except for passing meds. They did away with them when there were concerns we were violating the Nurse Practice Act here in Florida.

I think what you describe is a very bad idea.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

Here is the Wisconsin Dept of Regulation and Licensing's position on the use of Nurse Technicians. Hope it helps to clarify some points.

http://drl.wi.gov/dept/papers/pap03.pdf

Also, when I worked as a NT, the pay wasn't super-there were CNAs making more than I did. That being said, the experience was invaluable! and it sure did make the transition to GN a lot less scary.

Yes, I did do assessments, passed meds, started IVs and put in foleys, dropped NGs: all under the direct supervision of the RN. We were able to do any skills that we had learned and been checked off for in skills class at school.

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It sounds as though nurse tech's can do whatever a nurse can do...what's the need to even finish nursing school? Who needs nurses anymore?

Or is it wishful thinking that a person can get around completing nursing school and still function in the role of nurse?

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Specializes in Hospice, LTC, Med/Surg.

From the Wisconsin BON website:

"The Nurse Technician performs tasks delegated to him or her by the RN under direction supervision. While tasks or procedures may be delegated to the Nurse Technician, the functions of assessment and evaluation may not, including the preparation or alteration of a plan of care. The Nurse Technician may assist the RN in these functions, but may not perform them in their entirety".

In Nursing Clinicals, although we managed a team and performed our "own" assessments, evaluations and care plans....there was always a nurse right there supervising and certainly doing her own assessment, evaluation and care planning in addition to what we were doing. The nurse tech position is just an extension of our clinical experience with supervision by the RN's at the hospital instead of our clinical instructor (who often times had eight of us to watch....making the med pass experience a rare activity). Although I hold a valid LPN license and the hospital has a copy of my license, I am NOT fuctioning in the capacity of an LPN there. Anything and everything I do is supervised by the RN (and an LPN when it comes to the routine daily med pass). So by giving a NT a small team to manage....it will be patients already part of the RN's caseload and the RN will be supervising the NT's management of those few patients assigned.

Currently NT's have been funtioning like PCT's leaving no time for an opportunity to experience managment, delegation, assessment, evaluation, and care planning. Having the NT involved with the care of a full patient load of six to eight patients also does not allow time for the opportunity to fully reasearch and understand each patient's history which is essential in developing critial thinking skills. In nursing school, we reasearch (clinical prep the night or day before) but that is not always possible when your relied upon to help care for an entire team of six to eight patients doing vitals and morning cares. Start low and go slow....I think this will be an invaluable experience to get through the last semester of nursing school with flying colors and function safely as a graduate nurse!

Hooterhorse

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Specializes in Hospice, LTC, Med/Surg.

The nurse tech is a very limited position with special qualifying factors that have to be met in order for a hospital to utilize a nurse tech (short term and the hospital must provide an RN to supervise). It is not to a hospital's benefit to have a nurse tech ....it is a position which requires time and money that the hospital invests in the person's education with hopes that the person may continue employment with them once they finish nursing school and pass the state boards!

Hooterhorse

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Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.

i was just thinking the same thing. what do we need the rn's for if we have nurse techs that can do so much!!!

it sounds as though nurse tech's can do whatever a nurse can do...what's the need to even finish nursing school? who needs nurses anymore?

or is it wishful thinking that a person can get around completing nursing school and still function in the role of nurse?

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The nurse tech falls under the RN so a nurse tech never has free run in a hospital. Working as a nurse tech gives a student nurse the opportunity to have an easier transition from student to RN. A contract is signed at the hospital that I am applying to. This is a temporary position (no more than 2 years) and you must be in good standing at your school.

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