What is the difference between a Nurse Aide and a Nurse Technician?

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What is the difference between a Nurse Aide and a Nurse Technician?

I want to get some experience in the hospital besides clinicals and was wondering how i can get a job being a nurse aide or a technician?

Do i have to take some classes? or is being a student nurse good enough?

Thanks,

MJ

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I don't think there is really a difference between the two. Around here you are either called a Nursing Assistant or a PCT (patient care technician). I know that PCTs do BG's, EKG's and draw blood... and I'm not sure if nursing assistants do or not. A lot of hospitals near me have a nurse externship program and will hire you once you are done one semester of nursing school. You should just check out the hospitals in your area and see what they're looking for.

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Years ago, I started out as a CNA working in long term care. Once I was hired at the local hospital, I underwent further training and was dubbed a "Nursing Tech". I was taught such skills as urinary catheter insertion, finger stick blood glucose, and simple dressing changes. Generally, "Nursing Tech" is term employed by hospitals to identify CNAs who are trained to perform tasks not normally associated w/ CNAs. Hope this helps.

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A nurse technician is an asst. that is currently enrolled in a nursing program.

Some CNA's go on to further their education and become nurses, others do not. When I worked as technician we were essentially given the same responsibilities and treatments that an LPN would except for administering medications. All of this is also dependent upon your hospital's policies.

Good luck with your studies.

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Specializes in critical care; community health; psych.

As a first semester student, there was a general recruitment by the DON of the med/surg floor where we are doing our clinical rotation. A couple of us were hired with no previous experience. This was just two weeks into clinical. Keep your eyes and ears open. The DON's like to hire and train nursing students. We're a pool of future nurses who may stay on.

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What is the difference between a Nurse Aide and a Nurse Technician?

I want to get some experience in the hospital besides clinicals and was wondering how i can get a job being a nurse aide or a technician?

Do i have to take some classes? or is being a student nurse good enough?

Thanks,

MJ

I live in WI, not sure about the rest of the country, but I worked as a Nurse Tech over the summer between 1st and 2nd year of nursing school, some may also call this a student nurse internship. Big difference here in WI from CNA to Nurse Tech, I passed meds, gave insulin, IM's, did assessments with RN supervision, changed dressings, etc... A really great experience!! No special classes needed, you just have to be done with your first year. There are alot of places throughout the country that offer this type of program, look into your local hospitals and nursing homes, if you can't find any info, call the DON and explain what you are looking for, when I did this, they created a position for me. Plus the money was nice, I started out at $11.75 an hour, not bad for teching. Good Luck!!

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I live in WI, not sure about the rest of the country, but I worked as a Nurse Tech over the summer between 1st and 2nd year of nursing school, some may also call this a student nurse internship. Big difference here in WI from CNA to Nurse Tech, I passed meds, gave insulin, IM's, did assessments with RN supervision, changed dressings, etc... A really great experience!! No special classes needed, you just have to be done with your first year. There are alot of places throughout the country that offer this type of program, look into your local hospitals and nursing homes, if you can't find any info, call the DON and explain what you are looking for, when I did this, they created a position for me. Plus the money was nice, I started out at $11.75 an hour, not bad for teching. Good Luck!!

Hey! RN 2 B,

Where are you from up north? I just moved down after 11 years in Hayward.

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RN2B5/2004:

If you give a medication and there is a problem that develops, who is covering you? You are not covered by the hospital's malpractice policy for giving meds since you don't have a license, nor do you have laibility insurance of your own. Are you working under the license of the nurse in charge on your unit, etc? Sorry to burst your bubble, but each state has laws as to who can give injections in a hospital setting, etc. when you are a student, you are covered under your school's coverage, and under the license of your nursing instrucor. The hospital that you are at may allow you to do these things, but please make sure that you are legally covered.

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where i work at, the difference between an "nurse assistant" and a "nurse tech" is that a "nurse tech" is a nursing asst. who has completed at least 2 years of nursing school (for a bsn program). the responsibilities are the same.....as the nurse assistant's responsibilities have increased (with this shortage, they have been trained to do a lot more than before). the nurses do take into consideration that you are a student, and if you take initiative, they will be more than happy to let you observe different things, explain...etc etc.

i found my job has a nurse tech has really helped me out in nursing school, and i just love it :p undefined

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RN2B5/2004:

If you give a medication and there is a problem that develops, who is covering you? You are not covered by the hospital's malpractice policy for giving meds since you don't have a license, nor do you have laibility insurance of your own. Are you working under the license of the nurse in charge on your unit, etc? Sorry to burst your bubble, but each state has laws as to who can give injections in a hospital setting, etc. when you are a student, you are covered under your school's coverage, and under the license of your nursing instrucor. The hospital that you are at may allow you to do these things, but please make sure that you are legally covered.

I work directly under an RN at this facility, under "direct supervision" And as a nursing student I have obtained insurance coverage. So thank you, I am covered.

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Glad to hear that you are covered. When I went to school there wasn't insurance for the students. But just a thought, does your student policy cover you only when you are functioning as a student? If so, it would not be covering you if you are working and receiving funds. When you are working as a tech, you are essentially working as a nursing asst for that facility with more treatments that you can do. Just please make sure that your policy covers you for that.

:balloons:

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