First aid nurse vs certified nursing assistant

The differences between first aid nurses and certified nursing assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-3 months to become both a first aid nurse and a certified nursing assistant. Additionally, a certified nursing assistant has an average salary of $32,597, which is higher than the $30,521 average annual salary of a first aid nurse.

The top three skills for a first aid nurse include first-aid, EMT and emergency situations. The most important skills for a certified nursing assistant are patients, vital signs, and home health.

First aid nurse vs certified nursing assistant overview

	First Aid Nurse	Certified Nursing Assistant
Yearly salary	$30,521	$32,597
Hourly rate	$14.67	$15.67
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	34,701	225,834
Job satisfaction	-	3.12
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	High School Diploma, 29%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	3	3

First aid nurse vs certified nursing assistant salary

First aid nurses and certified nursing assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	First Aid Nurse	Certified Nursing Assistant
Average salary	$30,521	$32,597
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $44,000	Between $24,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City	-	Portland, ME
Highest paying state	-	Hawaii
Best paying company	-	Valley Presbyterian Hospital
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between first aid nurse and certified nursing assistant education

There are a few differences between a first aid nurse and a certified nursing assistant in terms of educational background:

	First Aid Nurse	Certified Nursing Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	High School Diploma, 29%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	-	-

First aid nurse vs certified nursing assistant demographics

Here are the differences between first aid nurses' and certified nursing assistants' demographics:

	First Aid Nurse	Certified Nursing Assistant
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 35.0% Female, 65.0%	Male, 12.3% Female, 87.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 7.8% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 7.8% White, 62.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between first aid nurse and certified nursing assistant duties and responsibilities

First aid nurse example responsibilities.

Graduate from EMT training class.
Participate as a first aid responder during football and basketball games.
Work with the local fire department and EMT teams to provide first aid for the local community.
Volunteer for numerous public duties, including concerts and sporting events, as part of a first responder team
Set up rooms with suctioning device, temperature probe, pressure cuff, EKG, and respiratory monitoring for new admissions.
Educate students and professionals on the importance and techniques of providing CPR and first aid to those experiencing a medical emergency.

Certified nursing assistant example responsibilities.

Achieve lead CMA role when a nurse are not available.
Manage patient charts as relates to activity of daily living through EMR system.
Manage memory unity within facility.
Care for patients with blood born pathogens such as but not limit to HIV/AIDS.
Work per LNA practice guidelines in all aspects of care at facility: assist living; skil nursing and rehabilitation
Assist the patients with their various mobility devices such as their walkers, wheelchairs, canes and lifters if need.

First aid nurse vs certified nursing assistant skills

Common first aid nurse skills

First-Aid, 32%
EMT, 10%
Emergency Situations, 8%
BLS, 6%
Patient Care, 5%
Safety Equipment, 5%

Common certified nursing assistant skills

Patients, 23%
Vital Signs, 10%
Home Health, 7%
Rehabilitation, 5%
CPR, 5%
Quality Care, 4%

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Healthcare Support Industry
First Aid Nurse
First Aid Nurse vs Certified Nursing Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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