care giver vs cna job questions?

[thomasbrooks07]

I am in a CNA class right now and I finish 3-12-10 I have been looking at online job sites to see what the job market is like. I have seen very very few cna jobs but a lot of caregiver job postings. The caregiver jobs I have seen pay 5 to 15 cents more then the states minimum wage. Is a caregiver the same thing as a CNA or is it something different? Do they want CNAs for those jobs but have a different job title so they can pay 3-5 dollars less then the average CNAs pay?

I was also was wondering should I wait 3 more weeks until my class is finished and I am signed up for the state licensing test or should I not look for a job until after I have my license in my hand?

[caliotter3]

You are most likely correct in your assumption that the word "caregiver" is used to attract someone willing to work for less pay. Also, people do not always distinguish the "licensing" aspect when they are looking for a generic caregiver. They are looking for a caregiver, not a "license" or "certificate" bearing caregiver, per se. A CNA usually can get more pay than someone off the street, otherwise, why bother? I would just wait for your certificate if you can, because then you won't have to go back and haggle for your wages; you can start out at what they want to pay for a CNA. Also, if they offer the option to extend your training so you can also obtain a Home Health Aide certificate, I would do that too. Just makes you stand out better in the job market. JMO