PCA vs CNA

[cerda394]

Is a patient care assistant the same thing as a CNA?

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

CNAs are often regulated through a Board of Nursing or the State. Patient care associates may not be.

Hopefully someone will come by who knows more about it than I do.

[roser13, ASN, RN]

I really think it's a facility thing - different names for the same position.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

CNA means "certified nursing assistant." The Board of Nursing may have some very clear and definite ideas about who gets to call herself "certified," but a PCA, "patient care assistant" could be anybody.

If you have a question about a specific case, your best bet is to call the state BoN and ask what the law is there.

[roser13, ASN, RN]

CNA means "certified nursing assistant." The Board of Nursing may have some very clear and definite ideas about who gets to call herself "certified," but a PCA, "patient care assistant" could be anybody.

If you have a question about a specific case, your best bet is to call the state BoN and ask what the law is there.

Good to know. I had no idea that Boards of Nursing had anything to do with CNAs.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Every hospital that I worked at/did clinicals at called their nurses' aides something different. At one hospital, they were called PCTs (Patient Care Technicians), at another PCAs (Patient Care Assistants), at yet another CAs (Clinical Assistants). Some of the people working in these roles were Certified Nurses' Aides, some were not. In the community (at least in my state), a PCA is a Personal Care Attendant and can be anyone.

ETA: so while a PCA may not have the official CNA certification, the job that they are doing very well may be the same thing as a CNA job. At least in the places I've worked.

[smartnurse1982]

Good to know. I had no idea that Boards of Nursing had anything to do with CNAs.

Depends on the state.

In NJ Cna's deal with Dept of Health and Senior Sevices.

The Bon deals with Home Health Aides

[cdsavannah59, CNA]

A PCT has more training then a CNA, the hospital I work at will not hire a CNA unless they have a PCT certificate to verify additional training skills that are required

[cdsavannah59, CNA]

I would like to also state that I used to work in Homecare and had the title of Patient Care Assistant because I didn't have my CNA yet, all that was required was that you pass CNA knowledge test they give to be able to be hired as PCA. I quit that job shortly after I got my CNA certificate mostly because when I was hired I was told I would make more money If I Had my CNA but only to discover after getting CNA that they refused to increase my wages. My pay was low and any increase in my wage would of meant less the company made on the hourly rate they charged insurance company.

[DMfutureRN]

Not in MO. In the program I took PCTs get more training and we also get to do things like urethral catheterization (depending on the facility), dc IV's, do blood draws, and 12-lead EKGs. We also went through a lot more of the medical side of things in addition to patient care tasks. You don't need to be certified as a PCT here either like you do in some other states. However, a lot of hospitals are preferring/requiring you have the CNA certification before they will hire you, which I think is silly because PCT training is more in depth and it's tough to challenge the CNA exam having had just your PCT training. Don't know if it's like that in the other states but that's how it is in MO from my experience :)