Rma

egglady, LPN · Jun 11, 2008

A LPN is a nurse- any sort of MA is not. CMA, or RMA or whatever MA you get does not make you a nurse.

Banjoeer · Jun 11, 2008

Im thinking about taking the medical assistant program at a school near me. The lady i talked to said that I would be a RMA, registerd medical assistant. So my question is what is the difference between a RMA and a CMA, and the difference in a RMA and LPN.

Some of the schools try to sell the medical assistant programs .... I had an admissions recruiter for a private school tell me directly that medical assisting was a gateway to nursing... That is a misrepresentation of fact.

Medical assisting programs are not bad programs.. But NOT Nursing. Do your research in the field before you go commit... And don't trust everything the college/school tells you.

The medical assistant essentially work in clinics and dr's offices with duties ranging from reception, filing, taking vitals, urine samples, and some (limited) blood work .... They assist "medical professionals".

A CMA (at least in Oregon) is a Certified Medication Assistant.... To become a CMA, you must first be a CNA (certified nursing assistant). It requires an additional 80 hours of training. The CMA can administer non injected medications. Without the training a CNA can't... (in this state anyway)

A LPN is a licensed practical nurse. Often the schools call the programs "Practical Nursing". LPNs are gaining in popularity in some state and losing ground in other states. In Oregon many positions are LPN or RN. The RN designation pays more.

Of course, I could be wrong... YMMV:paw:

jb2u, ASN, RN · Jun 11, 2008

When I was a CMA, there was NO difference between CMA and RMA. The only difference was who you took the test through. One company certifies you; the other registers you.

The difference between LPN and C/RMA is night and day.

CNA's learn how to help the nurse. CMA's learn how to help the doctor.

It doesn't cost a lot to become a CNA and you can do it in a short amount of time.

It cost an arm and a leg to become a CMA and can take up to 2 years!!!

Pay is/was about the same.

An LPN is a nurse!! Some dr offices will hire LPN's especially if they want/need to start IVs in their offices. I've also seen LPN's manage doctors' offices.

I'd say if you want to become a PA or MD/DO, then I'd say go for the CMA.

If you want to be an LPN/RN/NP/etc, then go the CNA route.

CrazyMommy, BSN, RN · Jun 12, 2008

CMA is basically a receptionist, you welcome the patients at the Dr. office, write down their names, get their insurance, make copies, take calls, make calls etc.. Actually no real pt care!!! Not here in S. TX... Took a training through the Internet, was 6 months for about $600 but never went into being a CMA. Then went for CNA took me only a month and is so much more fun. I am waiting for my acceptance letter for RN school.

caboogie · Jul 2, 2009

I could say a great deal but will try to stick to the facts.

I work in Michigan. Teach RMA for a community college, started as a CNA, went to PCA, then RMA and completed my masters in Health Science. In Michigan, RMA's do more than LPN's because the are trained for clerical, clinical and billing/coding and are frowned upon by the nursing field because RMA's have almost all but replaced LPN's in the hospital setting (an unfortunate turn of events). Many states are creating initiatives to license RMA/CMA's. RMA's are far more than receptionists, although many nurses would like to keep them in that place. In my office they perform all of the phlebotomy, wound packing, dressing changes, suture and staple removal, drainage site and tube inspections, injections, vaccinations, TB testing, vitals, medication reviews, in office CLIA testing including hematocrit spins, blood typing, ferning, prego testing, hemoccults, pap smears, culture collections, well baby check ups, catheter care, post op surgical care, in office surgery assistance .... oh my gosh...the list goes on and on. Our RMA's answer directly to the surgeons with no RN supervision. Check out the AMT website and look under scope of practice for RMA's. It might astound you. And I made $18.00 an hour as an RMA. It is the wave of the future and we are all in this ultimately to take care of people. We need to also take care of one another. I will agree that if you attend a school, make it a community college and not a private college. There are, without a doubt, rip off diploma mills. Now, I am a practice manager for a surgical unit and love what I do. I am very proud that I began as an RMA and I am proud of all the LPN's and RN's that I worked right beside trying to make the world a little better place to be in. Blessings and best wishes in whatever field choice you make.

DolceVita, ADN, BSN, RN · Jul 2, 2009

Hmmm... I had a medical assistant take blood and do vitals on me as part of my pre-NS physical. She entirely misrepresented herself, when I asked if she was a nurse she said "yes" and I didn't see her name badge until later on.

I should have said something.

Oh yes -- she did my TB test wrong and I had more like a 3 step test.

caboogie · Jul 2, 2009

i am certain what you say is true. i have had an rn administer a tb as though it were an im, massage it and realizing that it was a mistake give me another injection in the same forearm (lol). however, i was the fool for allowing her to do so when i knew it was wrong. out of respect i allowed her to continue. i do not do that any longer. if i have blood drawn and the tech is not doing it properly, i tell them and refuse to allow them to proceed until they either follow through correctly or are replaced by someone who will. then i notify their superior. it is my responsibility to protect the next patient as well as myself. i do this what ever the title may be.

the title alone neither denotes brillance nor ignorance. shame on the facility that hired her without thoroughly evaluating her skills first.

we all know good and bad healthcare providers on multiple levels of status and degree. to state that all rma's are bad and that their training is inadequate based on the fact that they are an ma would be an error.

i am surrounded everyday by high quality, hard working, caring and gifted ma's. in the hospital, in the offices, in er, ob/gyn....competencies are a requirement and they must be verbally and visually evaluated and checked off to be employed with us. we would do this if the person was an ma, lpn or rn. all of which, are considered nursing staff at our hospital.

i too went the traditional route of nursing school after my rma associates, but decided that as an rn i would be heavily weighed down in paperwork and administrative duties. i was asked to administer a drug that i felt uncomfortable giving and was told by the attending that i was abandoning my patient and failing to carry out his orders. that is when i had to seriously evaluate why i wanted to be a nurse. was it the pay and three day work weeks or patient care? i elected to complete my bs and ms in health science with strong managerial training. having been an rma only enhanced my future. i manage and work right along with np's & rn's and we have a total repsect for one another, not based on the acronym of our pins, but a respect founded on our committment, intention and common goals.

by pure definition, nurse means:

a person educated and trained to care for the sick or disabled.

a woman employed to take care of a child; a nursemaid.
a woman employed to suckle children other than her own; a wet nurse.

[*]one that serves as a nurturing or fostering influence or means: "town life is the nurse of civilization" (c.l.r. james).

[*]zoology. a worker ant or bee that feeds and cares for the colony's young.

v., nursed, nurs-ing, nurs-es.

v.tr.

to serve as a nurse for: nursed the patient back to health.
to cause or allow to take milk from the breast: a mother nursing her baby.
to feed at the breast of; suckle.

DolceVita, ADN, BSN, RN · Jul 2, 2009

Caboogie you misunderstood. She was a CMA and her name badge said so. She lied when I asked if she was a nurse.

I am not suggesting a CMA should be ashamed of being such. But if a CMA is asked "are you a nurse" they are entirely misrepresenting themselves and it is not legal to do so. You can cite as many definitions of nurse/nursing as you wish but you cannot say you are a nurse, while giving someone medical care, when you are not.

caboogie · Jul 2, 2009

Yes...we are in total agreement on this :-)

mtennguy · Jul 9, 2009

I screwed up my nursing career by going to a 4yr college when I wasn't ready, and I flunked 1/3 of the classes I took. I've retaken almost all of those classes and graduated with a 2yr degree in pre-nursing. I can't get into ANY nursing schools in Tennessee because the first thing the nursing directors look at is your GPA. I just graduated with my certificate for medical assisting, paid $13,000 to go to Remington college and I'm stuck in unemployment h*ll. So please heed my warning, go for LPN or RN....if you can get accepted. I'd donate $20,000 and a kidney just to get into a nursing program. I called a nursing program director because the school had empty seats in the program and she told me that they had to let go of some of the nursing instructors. By the way, does anyone know if there's a bridge RMA-LPN? Thanks and good luck.

ohiocleveland · Jul 9, 2009

I could say a great deal but will try to stick to the facts.
I work in Michigan. Teach RMA for a community college, started as a CNA, went to PCA, then RMA and completed my masters in Health Science. In Michigan, RMA's do more than LPN's because the are trained for clerical, clinical and billing/coding and are frowned upon by the nursing field because RMA's have almost all but replaced LPN's in the hospital setting (an unfortunate turn of events). Many states are creating initiatives to license RMA/CMA's. RMA's are far more than receptionists, although many nurses would like to keep them in that place. In my office they perform all of the phlebotomy, wound packing, dressing changes, suture and staple removal, drainage site and tube inspections, injections, vaccinations, TB testing, vitals, medication reviews, in office CLIA testing including hematocrit spins, blood typing, ferning, prego testing, hemoccults, pap smears, culture collections, well baby check ups, catheter care, post op surgical care, in office surgery assistance .... oh my gosh...the list goes on and on. Our RMA's answer directly to the surgeons with no RN supervision. Check out the AMT website and look under scope of practice for RMA's. It might astound you. And I made $18.00 an hour as an RMA. It is the wave of the future and we are all in this ultimately to take care of people. We need to also take care of one another. I will agree that if you attend a school, make it a community college and not a private college. There are, without a doubt, rip off diploma mills. Now, I am a practice manager for a surgical unit and love what I do. I am very proud that I began as an RMA and I am proud of all the LPN's and RN's that I worked right beside trying to make the world a little better place to be in. Blessings and best wishes in whatever field choice you make.

The scope in practice of a RMA is not same in every State. I have a few good friends who have been a RMA for over 10 years and do not do half the things you listed above, so consider yourself lucky. I also know RMA's who have completed a program and cannot find a job for whatever reason. Most RMA provide advance basic care, almost in line with EMT-B who provides basic first aide while the paaramedic provides advance care. So, the differance beteeen an RMA/LPN is that of level of care one is sllowed to perform according to their license/certification.

I can tell you i would trust an LPN to perform medical care on me in a hospital setting before I would let an RMA as you stated your State replacing LPN's with RMA... wow .... JMHO