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Nursing Assistant Vs. Nurse

In the field of health care, nurses and the certified nursing assistants have definite roles. Aside from the extra schooling as well as training needed in becoming a nurse, there are several other differences among the two professions and these include the certification requirements, pay rate, and various duties they need to perform.

In order to become a nurse’s aide, which is otherwise known as the certified nursing assistant, it is essential to earn a certificate by attending classes that would frequently take approximately six weeks for completion. The nursing assistants work under the direct supervision of nursing-assistant-nurse-teamregistered nurses. They cannot do the responsibilities of a registered nurse. With regards to decision-making, they are not authorized to do on their own. Most of the CNA’s work in nursing homes as well as in assisted living facilities. However, having a certificate will allow one to work in the hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, and clinics.

In the medical field, certified nursing assistants have a unique position because they are the primary responder at the bedside of the clients. They are regarded as the ears, eyes, and hands of the registered nurses as they are the primary healthcare professionals in the identification of the needs of the patients especially if the patients’ condition is a life-threatening one. The nursing assistants are able to spend more time with the patients in comparison with the other members of the health care team. Having more interaction with the patients will make the nursing assistant an advocate of the patients’ needs.

Other duties that the certified nursing assistants can perform include the following:

• providing basic care to the patients
• measuring blood pressure, temperature, and pulse rate
• assisting patients with daily activities including cleaning, bathing, toileting
• transferring patients from one area to another

The registered nurses are required to complete the two or four-year degree program or must become a graduate from a nursing program that is approved by the state. To become certified, the nurse should be able to pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses, which is regulated by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. When one is already a license holder, the registered nurse can mostly find employment in hospitals or offices of the doctors.

Registered nurses hold the responsibility in the implementation of the medical plan of care which is given by the physician. They also implement the nursing care plan that is made by the nursing staff. They do collaboration with the other members of the health care team to ensure the well-being of the patients especially those who are in critical condition and those who needs close monitoring. Registered nurses are highly regarded in the medical and they are being supervised by the Director of Nursing of the facility based on the state’s Nurse Practice Act.

Registered nurses are the ones who supervise the CNA’s and LPN’s. They are working more closely and directly with the patients. They are able to do and accomplish the responsibilities of the nursing assistants. They can give assignments to the CNA’s and LPN’s.

Other duties of registered nurses are as follows:

• providing treatments ordered by the physician
• operating and monitoring medical equipment
• observing and recording signs and symptoms of the patients

You can read more about how to become a registered nurse on this page.

CNA to Nurse

The path from a CNA to nurse may not be an easy one especially if you have not yet acquired a nursing degree prior to becoming certified as a nursing assistant. If this is the situation that you are in, you may need to undergo just the same training and education that you would do in a normal nursing course which means an additional 4 years in school.

There are however some better options for those who have an Associate’s degree in nursing, have already finished a nursing course, or those who live in states where obtaining a required number of years working as a CNA will allow you to take the nursing licensure exam.

young-female-nurseThere are a lot of nursing graduates who prefer to work as nursing assistants first in order to gather  experience in the medical field especially if they failed to pass the nursing licensure exam. Their background allows them to challenge the exam without having to undergo an expensive training program.

Hence, you will be able to find a lot of workers who find it easier to transition from a nurse aide career to nursing.

Nurse applicants must take the NCLEX examination and if they pass, they can proceed to working as a nurse. Practically 90% of nurses educated in the United States pass the NCLEX on their first attempt. The NCLEX is the National Council Licensure Examination and is necessary for the licensing of nurses in U.S and Canada.

However, if you only have a nurse aide certification or an LPN associate degree, the path to becoming a nurse can be a bit harder. LPNs can usually go for a bridging program where they only have to take fewer units compared to a regular nursing course provided they have significant work history and have shown great academic skills during their LPN study. The course costs a lot less compared to those who will have to undergo a regular course schedule. For CNAs, the advantage of their work history will depend upon the state laws that cover nursing.

In some states, those who have already acquired 5 years of work experience in a healthcare facility as nursing assistants are allowed to take the NCLEX. Receiving this work experience is a great advantage, especially if you are not financially capable of paying for a 4-year nursing course.

For others who are not as lucky, they will need to study for the required bachelor’s degree. Most nursing schools also would not give much credit for your work experience and nursing assistant certification. The most that they can give you is to remove a few units from the required course.

The process of transitioning from a CNA to nurse will depend on the degree of healthcare education that you have had prior to becoming a nursing assistant as well as the specific laws which are governing the nursing occupation. You therefore have to research well on the rules of your state with regards to this before applying for any course that you want. You can also request some financial assistance from the facility that you are working in and agree to some conditions that they may provide with regards to the financial aid that they will extend for your education.

Prerequisites for Nursing

If you are planning to take up nursing as your course in college, then you should be well-prepared enough to comply with the prerequisites for nursing before you graduate in high school. Taking up the necessary subjects will help you your admission to the college much faster and easier as well. Different schools will have varying requirements for admission so you may need to contact the school’s registrar or admissions officer in order to know exactly what they ask from potential enrollees.

One of the most important requirements is of course the high school diploma. You will have to registered-nurse-at-hospitalfinish your secondary education first before heading on to college. This may sound easy for some, but if you are thinking about entering nursing, then you should be prepared to present your transcript with good grades in the most important subjects that will be needed for nursing. So this means that you also need to study well during your high school days. A grade of C or higher and a 3.0 GPA will be the minimum standard in applying for a nursing course.

The next thing that you should comply with is the basic subjects that will be needed for a nursing course. This includes General Chemistry, Psychology, Human Anatomy and Physiology, Introductory Biology, Nutrition, Statistics, Microbiology, and Human Development. You should be able to take these subjects during high school and should also exhibit good grades in it. The number of units or semesters required may vary from one school to another. There are however, other subjects which are a basic requirement to all college admissions. They are Mathematics, English, Arts, Humanities, and even a second language. These are general subjects but it is also important that a student should be able to pass these courses as well.

The last requisite that a student should comply with is volunteer work. Not all schools would require this but for most of them; a clinical experience would be an important factor also. Gaining first-hand experience with what it would be like to work in a medical setting will help students to understand and grasp the concept of what their future work would be. It also makes it a lot easier for students to learn the basic tasks that are done in a clinic or other medical facility. Having a good background of the nursing profession will make it clearer as well if a student really wants to pursue a nursing career or not.

Not all schools and universities will have the same uniform requirements but these are what can be commonly found on their lists. So if you wish to take up a nursing course in college, make sure that you have prepared yourself well and has done all the necessary research in order to know what your choice of college would need from you once you give your application to them. Getting some help from your school counselor is a big advantage as they can help you plan on the courses and subjects that you will have to take.

If you are already a certified nursing assistant it makes sense to continue your schooling in order to advance in the medical profession. You can visit this page to learn more about transitioning from a CNA to a nurse.