Student nursing assistant vs patient sitter

The differences between student nursing assistants and patient sitters 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 sitter. Additionally, a student nursing assistant has an average salary of $35,704, which is higher than the $29,649 average annual salary of a patient sitter.

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

Student nursing assistant vs patient sitter overview

	Student Nursing Assistant	Patient Sitter
Yearly salary	$35,704	$29,649
Hourly rate	$17.17	$14.25
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	206,225	188,756
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 30%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	3	3

Student nursing assistant vs patient sitter salary

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

	Student Nursing Assistant	Patient Sitter
Average salary	$35,704	$29,649
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $47,000	Between $21,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	-	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	Carondelet High School
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between student nursing assistant and patient sitter education

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

	Student Nursing Assistant	Patient Sitter
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 30%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	-	-

Student nursing assistant vs patient sitter demographics

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

	Student Nursing Assistant	Patient Sitter
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 15.0% Female, 85.0%	Male, 21.5% Female, 78.5%
Race ratio	Black 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, 10.6% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.5% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between student nursing assistant and patient sitter 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.

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.

Student nursing assistant vs patient sitter skills

Common student nursing assistant skills

Patients, 27%
Vital Signs, 14%
Direct Supervision, 11%
CPR, 9%
Patient Safety, 6%
Blood Pressure, 3%

Common patient sitter skills

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

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Healthcare Support Industry
Student Nursing Assistant
Student Nursing Assistant vs Patient Sitter

Updated January 8, 2025

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