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Nurse extern vs certified nursing assistant

The differences between nurse externs and certified nursing assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a nurse extern, becoming a certified nursing assistant takes usually requires 1-3 months. Additionally, a nurse extern has an average salary of $37,156, which is higher than the $32,597 average annual salary of a certified nursing assistant.

The top three skills for a nurse extern include patients, vital signs and CPR. The most important skills for a certified nursing assistant are patients, vital signs, and home health.

Nurse extern vs certified nursing assistant overview

Nurse ExternCertified Nursing Assistant
Yearly salary$37,156$32,597
Hourly rate$17.86$15.67
Growth rate6%9%
Number of jobs569,180225,834
Job satisfaction-3.12
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 53%High School Diploma, 29%
Average age4442
Years of experience23

What does a nurse extern do?

The job of a nurse extern is to assist the mentor nurse in their nursing duties. They help the mentor nurse in various medical procedures such as administering medications or starting intravenous therapies. They provide or help with personal patient care, including changing bed linens, oral hygiene, and bathing. Nurse externships typically have different requirements that include having finished nursing school, completing a clinical nursing course before the training, and being registered in a nursing program.

What does a certified nursing assistant do?

A certified nursing assistant generally assists patients in their healthcare needs and medical procedures. They support patients in their daily activities by monitoring patients' temperature and food intake, ensuring the cleanliness of the patient's room, and keeping documentation of patients' conditions for reference of nurses and doctors. A certified nursing assistant should also communicate with patients' families and provide updates as often as needed. It is also important that a nursing assistant is patient and compassionate enough to attend to direct patient needs, which could get demanding or challenging at times.

Nurse extern vs certified nursing assistant salary

Nurse externs and certified nursing assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Nurse ExternCertified Nursing Assistant
Average salary$37,156$32,597
Salary rangeBetween $29,000 And $47,000Between $24,000 And $42,000
Highest paying CityHuntington Park, CAPortland, ME
Highest paying stateHawaiiHawaii
Best paying companyMenorah Medical CenterValley Presbyterian Hospital
Best paying industryHealth CareHealth Care

Differences between nurse extern and certified nursing assistant education

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

Nurse ExternCertified Nursing Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 53%High School Diploma, 29%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common collegeEmory University-

Nurse extern vs certified nursing assistant demographics

Here are the differences between nurse externs' and certified nursing assistants' demographics:

Nurse ExternCertified Nursing Assistant
Average age4442
Gender ratioMale, 14.3% Female, 85.7%Male, 12.3% Female, 87.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 9.9% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%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 Percentage9%7%

Differences between nurse extern and certified nursing assistant duties and responsibilities

Nurse extern example responsibilities.

  • Organize and manage regular clinics involving external physicians, including ophthalmology, ENT, Med/Surg, orthopedics, and podiatry professionals.
  • Assist patients with activities of daily living, obtain vital signs and assessments, and perform 12 lead EKG's.
  • Perform initial assessments on patients in outpatient oncology clinic; recording vital signs, significant medical history and chief complaints.
  • Shadow to adult medical-surgical nurse staff- head-to-toe assessment, assist with medication administration, computer charting with co-signor, and telemetry monitoring
  • Obtain ACLS, to ensure patients receive the best quality of care.
  • Obtain ACLS certification and then float to all critical care areas as needed.
  • Show more

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.
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Nurse extern vs certified nursing assistant skills

Common nurse extern skills
  • Patients, 39%
  • Vital Signs, 11%
  • CPR, 4%
  • Direct Patient Care, 4%
  • Direct Supervision, 4%
  • Patient Care, 3%
Common certified nursing assistant skills
  • Patients, 23%
  • Vital Signs, 10%
  • Home Health, 7%
  • Rehabilitation, 5%
  • CPR, 5%
  • Quality Care, 4%

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