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Student nursing assistant vs patient care assistant

The differences between student nursing assistants and patient care 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 student nursing assistant and a patient care assistant. Additionally, a student nursing assistant has an average salary of $35,704, which is higher than the $32,799 average annual salary of a patient care assistant.

The top three skills for a student nursing assistant include patients, vital signs and direct supervision. The most important skills for a patient care assistant are patients, vital signs, and PCA.

Student nursing assistant vs patient care assistant overview

Student Nursing AssistantPatient Care Assistant
Yearly salary$35,704$32,799
Hourly rate$17.17$15.77
Growth rate9%9%
Number of jobs206,225261,345
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 45%High School Diploma, 26%
Average age4242
Years of experience33

Student nursing assistant vs patient care assistant salary

Student nursing assistants and patient care assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Student Nursing AssistantPatient Care Assistant
Average salary$35,704$32,799
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $47,000Between $23,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City-San Diego, CA
Highest paying state-Hawaii
Best paying company-Microsoft
Best paying industry-Health Care

Differences between student nursing assistant and patient care assistant education

There are a few differences between a student nursing assistant and a patient care assistant in terms of educational background:

Student Nursing AssistantPatient Care Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 45%High School Diploma, 26%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common college--

Student nursing assistant vs patient care assistant demographics

Here are the differences between student nursing assistants' and patient care assistants' demographics:

Student Nursing AssistantPatient Care Assistant
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 15.0% Female, 85.0%Male, 14.4% Female, 85.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 7.1% White, 56.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 7.3% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between student nursing assistant and patient care assistant duties and responsibilities

Student nursing assistant example responsibilities.

  • Insert straight catheters and manage Foley catheters.
  • Manage memory unity within facility.
  • Provide high-quality patient care within surgical, acute-care, rehabilitation and nursing-home settings.
  • Work with patients in a chemical dependent rehabilitation program and assess psychiatric patients in a therapeutic milieu floor.
  • Provide high-quality resident care and assist with ADL.
  • Obtain experience in performing 12 lead EKG tests.
  • Show more

Patient care assistant example responsibilities.

  • Conduct and facilitate PCA lead group activities as scheduled
  • Assist patients in achieving independence and increase functional ability.
  • Manage ventilator settings, suction tracheostomy, tube-feeding assistance.
  • Answer call lights, vital signs, EKG'S, transporting patients to other areas, keep rooms clean and orderly.
  • Provide high quality patient care as an in-demand per-diem RCA within, home-healthcare, nursing home settings and memory support care.
  • Work extensively with Alzheimer and dementia patients.
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Student nursing assistant vs patient care assistant skills

Common student nursing assistant skills
  • Patients, 27%
  • Vital Signs, 14%
  • Direct Supervision, 11%
  • CPR, 9%
  • Patient Safety, 6%
  • Blood Pressure, 3%
Common patient care assistant skills
  • Patients, 23%
  • Vital Signs, 9%
  • PCA, 8%
  • CPR, 7%
  • Home Health, 6%
  • Customer Service, 5%

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