Patient sitter vs nurse technician

The differences between patient sitters and nurse technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-3 months to become both a patient sitter and a nurse technician. Additionally, a nurse technician has an average salary of $33,005, which is higher than the $29,649 average annual salary of a patient sitter.

The top three skills for a patient sitter include patients, BLS and CPR. The most important skills for a nurse technician are patients, CPR, and vital signs.

Patient sitter vs nurse technician overview

	Patient Sitter	Nurse Technician
Yearly salary	$29,649	$33,005
Hourly rate	$14.25	$15.87
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	188,756	195,553
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 30%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	3	3

What does a patient sitter do?

The primary job of a patient sitter is to provide patients with care and companionship. You will be responsible for a few duties that always include supervising patients, assisting them with basic personal hygiene and care, and monitoring their vital signs. As a patient sitter, you are expected to refrain from doing unauthorized or additional functions, identifying changes in patient's conditions, and maintaining patient information confidentiality. You are also expected to comply with relevant standards, procedures, and policies.

What does a nurse technician do?

Nurse technicians, also known as nursing aides, assistants, or attendants, usually work in clinics, hospitals, and nursing homes. Primarily, they help a registered nurse by providing essential mobility, care, and support to patients. Everyday routine duties include maintaining patients' hygiene and moving them using wheelchairs or stretchers around the facility for their meals, treatment, events, and other activities. They do tasks that help improve a patient's comfort level and become their caregivers in the long run. This job requires a high school diploma along with the completed certified nursing assistant (CNA) program.

Patient sitter vs nurse technician salary

Patient sitters and nurse technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Patient Sitter	Nurse Technician
Average salary	$29,649	$33,005
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $40,000	Between $26,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Washington	Oregon
Best paying company	Carondelet High School	Carondelet High School
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between patient sitter and nurse technician education

There are a few differences between a patient sitter and a nurse technician in terms of educational background:

	Patient Sitter	Nurse Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 30%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	-	-

Patient sitter vs nurse technician demographics

Here are the differences between patient sitters' and nurse technicians' demographics:

	Patient Sitter	Nurse Technician
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 21.5% Female, 78.5%	Male, 16.9% Female, 83.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.5% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.6% Asian, 8.0% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between patient sitter and nurse technician duties and responsibilities

Patient sitter example responsibilities.

Conduct and facilitate PCA lead group activities as scheduled
Apply restraints to violent and combative patients.
Maintain OSHA and HIPAA compliance with regulatory standards.
Train in techniques for physical restraints (CPI).
Provide therapeutic companionship and close observation of patients in a safe and clean environment
Transport patient to MRI department.

Nurse technician example responsibilities.

Manage memory unity within facility.
Deliver timely and quality patient care on rehabilitation unit under direct supervision of staff nurses.
Assist patients with ADL's: bathing, transferring, ambulating, changing bed linens, skin care, etc.
Assist and serve patients with activities of daily living (ADL) in a manner conductive to their safety and comfort.
Assist new surgical patients with appropriate equipment to meet rehabilitation needs, and offer mental encouragement for a more positive recovery.
Pick up patient for surgery.

Patient sitter vs nurse technician skills

Common patient sitter skills

Patients, 41%
BLS, 12%
CPR, 7%
Customer Service, 6%
Patient Observation, 5%
Continuous Observation, 4%

Common nurse technician skills

Patients, 26%
CPR, 9%
Vital Signs, 8%
Rehabilitation, 5%
Home Health, 5%
Direct Patient Care, 5%

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Healthcare Support Industry
Patient Sitter
Patient Sitter vs Nurse Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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