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Medical attendant vs patient care assistant

The differences between medical attendants and patient care 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 medical attendant and a patient care assistant. Additionally, a patient care assistant has an average salary of $32,799, which is higher than the $32,495 average annual salary of a medical attendant.

The top three skills for a medical attendant include patients, vital signs and patient care. The most important skills for a patient care assistant are patients, vital signs, and PCA.

Medical attendant vs patient care assistant overview

Medical AttendantPatient Care Assistant
Yearly salary$32,495$32,799
Hourly rate$15.62$15.77
Growth rate9%9%
Number of jobs90,396261,345
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 34%High School Diploma, 26%
Average age4242
Years of experience33

Medical attendant vs patient care assistant salary

Medical attendants and patient care assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Medical AttendantPatient Care Assistant
Average salary$32,495$32,799
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $39,000Between $23,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City-San Diego, CA
Highest paying state-Hawaii
Best paying company-Microsoft
Best paying industry-Health Care

Differences between medical attendant and patient care assistant education

There are a few differences between a medical attendant and a patient care assistant in terms of educational background:

Medical AttendantPatient Care Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 34%High School Diploma, 26%
Most common majorMedical Assisting ServicesNursing
Most common college--

Medical attendant vs patient care assistant demographics

Here are the differences between medical attendants' and patient care assistants' demographics:

Medical AttendantPatient Care Assistant
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 29.1% Female, 70.9%Male, 14.4% Female, 85.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 6.0% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 7.3% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between medical attendant and patient care assistant duties and responsibilities

Medical attendant example responsibilities.

  • Adhere to OSHA guidelines while performing instrument sterilization in addition to managing medical inventory.
  • Pass medication, food prep, help with ADL s, wash laundry, and chart behaviors, dressing, etc ...
  • Follow HIPAA privacy policy guidelines.
  • Maintain confidentiality at all times according to hospital policy and procedures and HIPAA requirements.
  • Assist patients and family members with personal and environmental difficulties which accompany a predispose illness.
  • Keep records on individual pet, including daily observations and information activities perform, meals sever, and medication administer.
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Patient care assistant example responsibilities.

  • Conduct and facilitate PCA lead group activities as scheduled
  • Assist patients in achieving independence and increase functional ability.
  • Manage ventilator settings, suction tracheostomy, tube-feeding assistance.
  • Answer call lights, vital signs, EKG'S, transporting patients to other areas, keep rooms clean and orderly.
  • Provide high quality patient care as an in-demand per-diem RCA within, home-healthcare, nursing home settings and memory support care.
  • Work extensively with Alzheimer and dementia patients.
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Medical attendant vs patient care assistant skills

Common medical attendant skills
  • Patients, 44%
  • Vital Signs, 18%
  • Patient Care, 17%
  • CPR, 8%
  • Administer Medications, 6%
  • Surgery, 2%
Common patient care assistant skills
  • Patients, 23%
  • Vital Signs, 9%
  • PCA, 8%
  • CPR, 7%
  • Home Health, 6%
  • Customer Service, 5%

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