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The differences between registered nursing assistants and prns can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-3 months to become both a registered nursing assistant and an prn. Additionally, a registered nursing assistant has an average salary of $50,644, which is higher than the $39,642 average annual salary of an prn.
The top three skills for a registered nursing assistant include patients, BLS and surgery. The most important skills for an prn are patients, healthcare, and occupational therapy.
| Registered Nursing Assistant | PRN | |
| Yearly salary | $50,644 | $39,642 |
| Hourly rate | $24.35 | $19.06 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 231,224 | 72,309 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 38% | Associate Degree, 41% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 3 | 3 |
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.
A PRN or a "pro re nata" employee is responsible for covering a shift or a specific situation, especially during short-staffing or the need to complete a particular task. The PRNs often work for a medical industry without a regular or full-time commitment, having the freedom to manage their time and take multiple assignments from different organizations. A PRN must have excellent communication and organization skills, providing quality healthcare services to the patients and the organization.
Registered nursing assistants and prns have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Registered Nursing Assistant | PRN | |
| Average salary | $50,644 | $39,642 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $80,000 | Between $17,000 And $89,000 |
| Highest paying City | Kaneohe, HI | Davis, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Huntington Hospital | Erlanger Health System |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Professional |
There are a few differences between a registered nursing assistant and an prn in terms of educational background:
| Registered Nursing Assistant | PRN | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 38% | Associate Degree, 41% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between registered nursing assistants' and prns' demographics:
| Registered Nursing Assistant | PRN | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 14.0% Female, 86.0% | Male, 21.0% Female, 79.0% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.6% Asian, 8.3% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |