The Certified Nurse Assistant Is One Of The Three Nursing Careers

So you have decided to pursue one of the three nursing careers

. Before you go and put your name on a waiting list at a college, here is some information about this career you should know.

There are 3 types of nursing careers basically. The Certified Nurse Assistants, the Licensed Practical Nurses, and of course Registered Nurse. Based on information from Payscale.com and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these 3 occupations show salary ranges from $25,000 to $46,000 a year.

Certified Nurse Assistant

The main duty of a Certified Nurse Assistant is to perform general patient care. Certified Nurse Assistants perform patient care that does not require a nursing license to carry out. General Certified Nurse Assistant duties are changing dressings, taking vital signs, assisting patients when walking and leaving the room, clean patient rooms and feeding patients. Certified Nurse Assistants are also responsible for assisting Licensed Practical Nurses and Registered Nurses in routine patient care.

A 2 to 3 month training course is all that's required in becoming a Certified Nurse Assistant. These are usually taken at either community colleges or vocational schools that offer Certified Nurse Assistant courses. Salaries can be as high as $25,000.

Licensed Practical Nurse

The Licensed Practical Nurse performs all of the duties of patient care that a Registered Nurse would perform with a only a couple exceptions. These exceptions include writing the care plans for patients and they are also not allowed to administer IV medications. A Licensed Practical Nurse has to complete a state approved course which is from 9 to 12 months depending on the particular school, then pass a state board exam.

Licensed Practical Nursing courses are typically hosted at vocational schools and community colleges. According to Payscale.com, The average annual salary of a Licensed Practical Nurse with less than one year of experience is approximately $33,000.

Registered Nurse

Registered Nurses (RNs) hold seniority over Licensed Practical Nurses. Registered Nurses are required to oversee hospital and medical center staff and assist them in routine medical tasks. Registered Nurses answer to doctors and are responsible for carrying out their exact orders on patient care and while administering medications. The minimum education required in order to become a Registered Nurse is an Associate's degree in Nursing; a licensing test is also required.

Registered Nurses who earn their Bachelor's degree in Nursing will be eligible for more advanced positions such as nursing administration.

by: Steven Swihart

POST COMMENT

MBA career success Are you ready for a Career Change? Making Your Career Mommy Conducive Hints For A Career Search Plan Useful Facts About Your Career Search The Principal Step Of Your Career Search How To Initiate An Excellent Career Search The Role of EQ for a sucessful career Beginning of the modelling career Why You Should Consider Career Cufflinks Hiram Warren Johnson: Warren Career On Dates Benefits Of Advancing Your Career With Phlebotomy Certification Getting Into Retail Careers