Difference between CNA and Nurse tech?

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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?

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In the hospital I work in the positions are one in the same, however I think the biggest difference is the CNA position is a Certified position while in most places a Nurse Tech does not have to be certified. Where I work both are certification required positions. As for pay differences I'm not sure since they are the same at the hospital I work at.

Hope that helps some!

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?
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Specializes in Hospice, LTC, Med/Surg.

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

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Specializes in corrections, LTC, pre-op.
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

This does not sound right ! A tech is a person who supports. Example a pharmacy tech supports the pharmacist but is not a pharmacist. An LPN is a nurse, nurse tech supports nurse. I'm confused about this post.

Rn Larry

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Specializes in Hospice, LTC, Med/Surg.

Nurse Tech positions at this "teaching" hospital require that the individual must have completed at least one full year of the ADN program (at which time they have achieved the same skill level to function as an LPN and can actually take the state boards to become a licensed LPN) and they must also be actively enrolled in a nursing program to become an RN. LPN's cannot assess, manage teams, or teach...and those are vital roles for an RN....and since Nurse Tech's are studying to become an RN...they must also gain some experience in that respect. This hospital is wanting to take a more proactive role in becoming a teaching hospital and this is the path they have chosen to take with assisting Nurse Tech's in their training. I am a Nurse Tech at this hopsital even though I hold a valid LPN license. I'm paid much less than the LPN's working at the hospital because my job/position is geared toward learning to function as an RN. It is very difficult to get the learning experience that I need if all I am doing is passing meds and working as a CNA on the team. Nurse Techs also are considered as filling 1/2 of a staff position in order to allow for the time to learn on the job. Up until now, this hopsital has been utilizing Nurse Techs to fill a full staff position functioning in the capacity of an LPN and CNA which is not providing time to learn how to be an RN (which is what the Nurse Tech position is all about....a Nurse in training...not a "support person").

You are right though...many view the Nurse Tech position as a supportive role for nurses (LPN's and RN's) and this transition is most likely going to meet with some opposition from the LPN's working at the hospital.

Hooterhorse

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A nurse tech in our area is a nursing student who has completed the first 2 semesters of nursing school. They actually have more duties than a CNA. Depending on the hospital a tech can perform skills such as starting an IV under the guidance of an RN. In our area techs are not in charge at all. They fall under the RN.

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Specializes in Hospice, LTC, Med/Surg.

True, the Nurse Tech would be assigned a small team (two, possibly three patients) to manage "under the direct supervision of an RN" but allowing them to gain experience in functioning in the RN role.

hooterhorse

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Pay for any of these (including CNA) will be pretty crummy, probably $6-$9/hr.

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Thanks everyone for all your replies!! Well now that we got that answered, how about a patient care tech, is there a difference from a CNA (sorry, I'm new at this and trying to learn the different jobs so I can figure out what I want to do).

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thanks motorcyclemama, you posted as I was typing my question :)

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Specializes in Hospice, LTC, Med/Surg.

My daughter is a patient care tech, which at this hospital is the same as a CNA. You have to be a certified CNA to be a patient care tech there. That is where Larry in Florida was confused about my post...because a "tech" is a supportive role. Not all hospitals utilize Nurse Techs or even LPN's for that matter. And I'm sure that each instituation has specific definitions for each of the positions as well. A few hospitals even use the RN to do all the patient cares (more so in an ICU situation). All I'm trying to say, is that this particular institution considers a Nurse Tech as a "nurse in training" and they want to gear their training program to include more of an RN type learning experience when it comes to the management aspect of patient care...which I think is a wonderful and innovative idea. In the ADN program...three to four days being a team leader is not near enough to adequately learn how to "lead" and practice critical thinking and time management!

Hooterhorse

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

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.

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