What is the difference between a certified nursing assistant (CNA) and a home care aide (HCA)? That question will be answered in this article! You’ll also learn about a special “bridge” program that helps people quickly transition from HCA to CNA certification.
HCA vs. CNA. Certified nursing assistants and home care aides are both healthcare professionals, but they have somewhat different roles and responsibilities.
CNAs provide direct patient care under the supervision of registered nurses (RNs) or licensed practical nurses (LPNs). Certified nursing assistants are trained to assist patients with activities of daily living (ADL), such as personal hygiene and dressing. They also perform medical tasks, which can include taking vital signs, transferring, mobility and assisting with medical equipment.
HCAs are trained to help with ADLs, but they do not perform medical tasks. They help with personal care, meal preparation, light housekeeping and companionship.
Work setting. CNAs are licensed to work in healthcare centers such as hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
CNAs can also work in the same settings that a home care aide works in. Those settings may include a person’s private home, an adult family home or an assisted living facility.
Training and certification. CNAs are required to complete at least 85 hours of training from an approved program. The training includes in-person classroom instruction and hands-on clinical experience. After completing the training, they must pass a certification exam to become a certified nursing assistant in Washington state.
HCA’s must complete 75 hours of training from an approved program, some of which are offered online.
“Bridge” program. An HCA can quickly become a CNA—providing them with access to higher wages and better career opportunities—by completing a 24-hour “bridge” program.
HCA/CNA “bridge” programs provide the required skills and clinical practice that prepare students to take the nursing assistant-certified exam in Washington state.
Lynden Healthcare Education is currently focused on training certified nursing assistants in Whatcom County; we do not provide training for the HCA to CNA “bridge” program. If you are an HCA, you can advance your career through an approved “bridge” program.
Once you become a licensed nursing assistant in Washington state, please consider exploring careers in the long-term care industry. Our friends and neighbors at Christian Health Care Center are often hiring CNAs to work at their Lynden long-term care center.
