CNA....Nurse Aide....????

Giant Panda · Apr 1, 2010

Not entirely sure of the specific differences myself, but did a quick search and came up with this.

Nurse Assistant
A Nurse Assistant is a person who has completed basic health care training and provides support services for a nursing staff. A Nurse Assistant is sometimes called an orderly. When certified by a state agency, a Nurse Assistant has the title of Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA).
Nurse Aide
A Nurse Aide's job description is similar to that of a Nurse Assistant. A Nurse Aide, also known as a nursing aide or unlicensed assistive personnel, provides hands-on health care under the supervision of a nursing or medical staff. Nurse Aides may bathe or groom patients, bring meals or take basic health measurements like pulse rate.
Formal Training
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, both a Nurse Assistant and a Nurse Aide may receive training offered by high schools, vocational centers or on-the-job training in a nursing care facility. Some states require a Nurse Assistant or Nurse Aide who works in a psychiatric setting to have formal training.
A Nurse Aide or Nurse Assistant working for an employer who receives reimbursement from Medicaid or Medicare must also comply with federal government guidelines. The federal government requires a Nurse Assistant or Nurse Aide to complete a competency test that covers a wide variety of job duties.
Certification
Some employers may require a Nurse Assistant or Nurse Aide to take a competency test to determine the ability to accomplish required tasks. If a Nurse Assistant or Nurse Aide is required to have formal training, the typical training program is 75 hours of class work, and 16 hours of clinical work. Upon completion of the program, a Nurse Assistant or Nurse Aide is known as a certified nursing assistant (CNA).

Maybe this will give you some insight on some of the differences, but hopefully, someone who is 100% on the differences will come by and share their two cents. :)

Girl Scout · Apr 1, 2010

Wow, where I'm at, NA is usually no formal training. Meaning they just cold applied at nursing facility somewhere and were hired, and learned on the job. Unless they have experience and the facility hiring them doesn't care about the C part. But just a random person applying to be an NA doesn't have the benefit of classroom learning, and they don't have certification, which means a little less pay.

I would just take the CNA course. The C will help you get started out here, and will get you *slightly* better pay (I'm talking tens of cents, not dollars, usually). If you want to let the C lapse you just need to make sure it's what you really want to do, and if the place you're working will allow it.

Also, I don't know if the "assistant" or the "aide" is any different. I'm sure it just depends on where you work. Where I am, they're interchangeable and we do a lot, from bathing to bandaging.

Dorali, BSN, LPN, RN · Apr 1, 2010

My gut tells me to just go ahead and take the CNA class, if you can afford it. I bet its worth it.

Plus, from what I understand (and this may just be in OK), if you work for a LTC facility for 6 months they are supposed to reimburse you for the cost of your class. Double check that, but its what I was told.

rayne215 · Apr 1, 2010

Ok i see...CNA is LPN Nurse aide is RN? ? or rather a CNA is a state certified nurse assiant where Nurse Aide is not 'certified' ok...make sense!