Help confused...HHA, CNA or LPN?

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Hi,

I live in Pa (outside of Philadelphia) and am looking to go back to school in the health field after being home for many years as a stay at home mom. I am confused about the differences between a HHA, CNA and LPN? So I am hoping you can answer some questions.

  • How is the training/schooling different for each?
  • Are the hours for each position flexable (I am hoping to work why my kids are in school or overnight, as my oldest os only 10)
  • Is the pay the same starting out for each position? What about long term salary? Benefits?
  • Any specific school's or agencies that are better then others to learn from of work at in the Pa area?

Any other advice specific to Pennsylvania would be great. Thanks

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Specializes in Hospice.

I'll leave the PA specifics to others, but I can offer some answers to your other questions:

How is the training/schooling different for each?

HHA and CNA training is usually only a few weeks long, and requires only a high school diploma. Some states require a test at the end of training to obtain certification as a HHA or CNA.

LPN school on the other hand I usually a year long course of study that will require taking pre-requisite courses such as anatomy, physiology, chemistry, medical terminology and more depending on the program you apply to. Successful completion of an LPN program allows you to take the NCLEX-PN exam, which upon passing, grants you a license to practice nursing at the LPN level.

LPN is a licensed profession, while HHA and CNA (in most states) are not.

Are the hours for each position flexable (I am hoping to work why my kids are in school or overnight, as my oldest os only 10)

Yes. There can be a lot of flexibility in scheduling for many positions in the healthcare field.

Is the pay the same starting out for each position? What about long term salary? Benefits?

No, the pay is not the same. HHA and CNA make less than LPNs, even starting out. (In my area, not too different from PA, HHAs and CNAs make about $9.00 to $11.00 an hour to start, while the average starting wage for LPNs is about $18-20. Even over the long term, LPNs will make more than HHAs or CNAs.

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Thank you

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