Nurse Tech and Nurse Aide

[i_am_tired]

Hi everyone! I was just wondering what's the difference between these two. Some people say that they're the same. So i just wanted to make sure. :confused: Could anyone please enlighten me? :)

Thanks x

[laurenjmc]

I've worked at a few different hospitals and usually the CNAs are helping with direct patient care- bed baths, emptying foleys, charting I&Os, making beds, and assisting the RNs or MDs with various tasks. I've never heard of a "Nurse Tech" but we have had patient techs or tech partners. They are usually running things to the lab, transporting pts, helping with transfers or just being an extra set of hands. The main difference- on the floor anyways- has been that the CNAs have assigned pts and the techs are basically assigned to the entire unit. I have worked both positions and they have pros and cons. The CNAs made more money with the exception of the ER where they only hired techs and paid them more (they had to have EMT certs). Hope that helps! I'm in Southern California too so obviously it might be different where you are.

[sakura_k]

I think it depends on where you're working. In some cases, nurse techs = CNAs. But I believe some hospitals hire nursing students who've finished the first handful of quarters of nursing school as nurse techs and they're able to do more than CNAs.

I think this all really varies from location to location, though.