English
中文
Health Care Worker (HCW) and Registered Nurse (RN): What’s the Difference?

There’s a common misconception that all health care professionals are the same, when, in fact, each of them undertakes specialised training, contributing to a difference in their capability level, job scope, and service pricing. This article will help you understand the many differences between an HCW and an RN.

As you care for your loved ones, you will most likely be supported by many different home care professionals, each responsible for providing specific types of care and services. Here’s a review of two of the most common — and confusing — types of health care professionals: Health Care Workers (HCW) and Registered Nurses (RN).

Health Care Worker:  

Health Care Workers assist clients with personal care tasks, including bathing and dressing. They can also provide some basic healthcare-related services, such as measuring vital signs, administering medications, or assisting with medical equipment.

In Hong Kong, health care workers must be certified. To achieve certification, a health care worker must complete at least 300 hours of formal training through the government-approved “Health Worker Certificate” course provided by the Employees Retraining Board. In order to practice, the health care worker must pass the certification examination and be registered as a health worker at the Licensing Office of Residential Care Homes for the Elderly of the Social Welfare Department .

Registered Nurse:

In a home setting, registered nurses often serve as case managers, taking care of the planning and coordination of care, overseeing all aspects of the home care service that the client receives through the agency. Registered nurses can perform health assessments, develop care plans, provide nursing care, and supervise other members of the home care team, including enrolled nurses and health care workers.

A registered nurse should hold a Bachelor’s degree in nursing obtained from a 5-year tertiary education program. To practice as a registered nurse in Hong Kong, one must be registered or enrolled as a registered nurse with the Nursing Council of Hong Kong. 

Here’s a simple infographic to help you visualise the differences.

You Might Also Like:

 

其他話題 Other Topics

最新的文章 Latest Posts

By Chelsea Yeung March 3, 2025
第一型糖尿病(Type 1 diabetes),曾被稱為幼年型糖尿病(Juvenile diabetes)或胰島素依賴型糖尿病(Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus,簡稱IDDM),是一種影響全球數百萬人的慢性疾病。與第二型糖尿病不同,第一型糖尿病是由於免疫系統攻擊並破壞胰臟中產生胰島素的細胞所致。胰島素是調節血糖的關鍵激素,缺乏胰島素會導致血糖過高,長期下來可能引發嚴重的健康問題。Evercare為你整合第一型糖尿病的成因、症狀、治療與生活管理,幫助你更全面地了解這一疾病。 目錄 —> 1. 第一型糖尿病是什麼? —> 2. 症狀與診斷方法 —> 3. 病情管理 —> 4. 掌握你的健康!Evercare居家照護服務,助你輕鬆管理糖尿病 —> 5. 常見問題
流感懶人包-病徵-預防及應對方法
By Chelsea Yeung February 13, 2025
每年流感季節,病毒傳播速度急速增加,特別是對於長者、小童和免疫力較弱的人士,流感可能帶來嚴重的健康威脅。Evercare將為你整合流感基本知識、預防方法以及應對方法,讓你和家人健康渡過流感高峰期。
By Chelsea Yeung January 3, 2025
照顧者壓力爆煲,如何自救?「照顧者憂鬱症」不僅對照顧者的身心健康造成影響,也會影響到病患的照顧品質。因此,了解並應對照顧者憂鬱症至關重要。Evercare為你整合四大自救方法,幫助照顧者有效應對憂鬱症,為自己的健康與幸福找到平衡。

喜歡我們的文章嗎?

超過3,000位照顧者已經訂閱我們的資訊!訂閱我們的資訊,你可獲得免費護理工具、專家護理知識和同路人分享。立即訂閱,也可以隨時取消。請在此填寫你的姓名和電郵地址:

Share by: