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The differences between nursing attendants and registered 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 registered nursing assistant. Additionally, a registered nursing assistant has an average salary of $50,644, 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 registered nursing assistant are patients, BLS, and surgery.
| Nursing Attendant | Registered Nursing Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $30,630 | $50,644 |
| Hourly rate | $14.73 | $24.35 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 192,622 | 231,224 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 32% | Associate Degree, 38% |
| 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.
The main role of a certified nurse assistant is to provide basic care to patients and help them with daily activities they might have trouble doing on their own, such as bathing and getting dressed. Their responsibilities include taking vital signs, providing food to patients and helping them eat, and lifting and moving patients who cannot move by themselves. Cleaning patients and maintaining a clean and sanitized environment is also important in this role.
Nursing attendants and registered nursing assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Nursing Attendant | Registered Nursing Assistant | |
| Average salary | $30,630 | $50,644 |
| Salary range | Between $19,000 And $47,000 | Between $31,000 And $80,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Kaneohe, HI |
| Highest paying state | - | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | - | Huntington Hospital |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a nursing attendant and a registered nursing assistant in terms of educational background:
| Nursing Attendant | Registered Nursing Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 32% | Associate Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between nursing attendants' and registered nursing assistants' demographics:
| Nursing Attendant | Registered Nursing Assistant | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.8% Female, 75.2% | Male, 14.0% Female, 86.0% |
| 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, 8.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 7.5% White, 64.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |