What's the difference?

[PUZZLEPIECES]

What's the difference between a CNA, a developmental tech, and a PCT? They all the same to me, so I was just curious. Thanks.

[Loloberry]

I think it depends on what state you live in. I could be wrong, but I think PCT's usually work in hospitals and not so much nursing homes, whereas CNA's work mostly in nursing homes. I live in Oregon though where there are no PCT's. Here there are different level's of CNA's. I work in a hospital so I have a CNA II license in acute care. I have no idea what a developmental tech is though. Anybody else, please feel free to correct me!

[turnforthenurse, MSN, NP]

It really depends on the institution and the state that you live in. Different institutions also have interchangeable terms.

To give you an example, I used to work as a PCNA (patient care nursing assistant). Actual CNA's (who are actually certified) were still just referred to as a PCNA. The hospital also utilized PCT's. What I could do as a PCNA:

* very basic patient care/AM care

* meeting pt needs/answer call lights

* feeding pts

* I&O

* blood sugars

* d/c IV's & foley catheters

* help with transporting pts

* admitting pts to telemetry (I worked on a tele floor)/hooking them up to the 5-lead

* simple, non-steril dressing changes

* ambulation

PCT's did all that, + they were allowed to draw blood and insert foleys.

I got a job as an NT (nurse tech) and at that hospital, the CNA's were just called NA's (nursing assistants). As a tech, I did all of the above, plus:

* blood draws

* blood cultures

* wound cultures

* foley cath insertion

* IV insertion

* tracheostomy suctioning/care

* sterile dressing changes

* enemas

We were not allowed to touch central lines. NA's were limited to what I mentioned above for when I worked as a PCNA. They were also not allowed to do blood sugars at that hospital.