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The differences between nursing attendants 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 nursing attendant and a certified nursing assistant. Additionally, a certified nursing assistant has an average salary of $32,597, which is higher than the $30,630 average annual salary of a nursing attendant.
The top three skills for a nursing attendant include patients, vital signs and blood pressure. The most important skills for a certified nursing assistant are patients, vital signs, and home health.
| Nursing Attendant | Certified Nursing Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $30,630 | $32,597 |
| Hourly rate | $14.73 | $15.67 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 192,622 | 225,834 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.12 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 32% | High School Diploma, 29% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 3 | 3 |
Also called a nursing aide, a nursing attendant provides fundamental patient care in residents and hospitals of long-term care facilities. Nursing attendants are supervised by registered nurses and follow physician or registered nurses' care instructions. The attendants monitor important signs and dispense medication, which depends on the experience level and the environment. They should have a good foundation of clinical knowledge and skills. Among the other skills for this job include attention to detail, good teamwork, work schedules and duties flexibility, and great verbal and written communication.
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.
Nursing attendants and certified nursing assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Nursing Attendant | Certified Nursing Assistant | |
| Average salary | $30,630 | $32,597 |
| Salary range | Between $19,000 And $47,000 | 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 |
There are a few differences between a nursing attendant and a certified nursing assistant in terms of educational background:
| Nursing Attendant | Certified Nursing Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 32% | High School Diploma, 29% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between nursing attendants' and certified nursing assistants' demographics:
| Nursing Attendant | Certified Nursing Assistant | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.8% Female, 75.2% | Male, 12.3% Female, 87.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 6.9% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | 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% |