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Professional nursing assistant vs geriatric nursing assistant

The differences between professional nursing assistants and geriatric 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 professional nursing assistant and a geriatric nursing assistant. Additionally, a professional nursing assistant has an average salary of $44,336, which is higher than the $34,595 average annual salary of a geriatric nursing assistant.

The top three skills for a professional nursing assistant include vital signs, PNA and patient care. The most important skills for a geriatric nursing assistant are patients, rehabilitation, and vital signs.

Professional nursing assistant vs geriatric nursing assistant overview

Professional Nursing AssistantGeriatric Nursing Assistant
Yearly salary$44,336$34,595
Hourly rate$21.32$16.63
Growth rate9%9%
Number of jobs131,582137,681
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 65%Bachelor's Degree, 23%
Average age4242
Years of experience33

Professional nursing assistant vs geriatric nursing assistant salary

Professional nursing assistants and geriatric nursing assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Professional Nursing AssistantGeriatric Nursing Assistant
Average salary$44,336$34,595
Salary rangeBetween $28,000 And $69,000Between $25,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City-New York, NY
Highest paying state-Hawaii
Best paying company-Careerstaff Unlimited - A Genesis Healthcare Company
Best paying industry-Health Care

Differences between professional nursing assistant and geriatric nursing assistant education

There are a few differences between a professional nursing assistant and a geriatric nursing assistant in terms of educational background:

Professional Nursing AssistantGeriatric Nursing Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 65%Bachelor's Degree, 23%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common college--

Professional nursing assistant vs geriatric nursing assistant demographics

Here are the differences between professional nursing assistants' and geriatric nursing assistants' demographics:

Professional Nursing AssistantGeriatric Nursing Assistant
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 26.2% Female, 73.8%Male, 13.4% Female, 86.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 7.1% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 20.3% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 9.2% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between professional nursing assistant and geriatric nursing assistant duties and responsibilities

Professional nursing assistant example responsibilities.

  • Initiate cardiopulmonary resuscitation in emergency situations.
  • Cycle through all areas of perioperative care, including pediatric and adult pre-op and post-op, and the short stay unit.
  • Provide behavioral/emotional support and supervision for those with dementia and Alzheimer's.

Geriatric nursing assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage memory unity within facility.
  • Commend for teamwork and compassion towards the residents.
  • Transport patients to the ICU or emergency department.
  • Maintain CPR certificate while practicing in a healthcare facility.
  • Complete other tasks such as feeding and assisting with activities of daily living (ADL).
  • Perform ADL's such as feeding, bathing, dressing, toileting, and personal hygiene.
  • Show more

Professional nursing assistant vs geriatric nursing assistant skills

Common professional nursing assistant skills
  • Vital Signs, 41%
  • PNA, 13%
  • Patient Care, 10%
  • Administer Medications, 9%
  • ADL, 8%
  • Mental Health, 7%
Common geriatric nursing assistant skills
  • Patients, 26%
  • Rehabilitation, 12%
  • Vital Signs, 11%
  • Home Health, 10%
  • CPR, 10%
  • Medical Equipment, 4%

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