[Kwality]

This is not a Certified Nursing Assistant vs Medical Assistant thread. I was just reading the differnces and similarities between a CNA and a MA. I'm trying to understand how CNA's are licensed (ex.to take blood pressure) but a MA is not licensed to do the same procedure or to draw someone's blood?
I'm curious as to why this is?

Second, I spoke to a lady who is a CNA and she is attending the same college that I'm applying to for MA training. This is just me wondering again, why not just go to school for an LPN or even ADN? I didn't think to ask her at the time how she came to her decision.

Shameful, I'm envious that if I get accepted and complete this training, I won't have a license.

What is your take on this?

I should have said certified and not licensed. Sorry.

[suzanne4]

A CNA does not have a license, they have a certification. Big difference.

Medical Assistants work in a physician's office and work under the doctor's license. A Medical Assistant does not have a license.

CNAs usually work in hospitals or nursing homes, and are given a list of approved procedures that they can legally do in their state. This can differ between states.

[elkpark]

My understanding is that certification for CNAs was developed so that a) there would be some standardized training and minimum competence, and b) so that the state could keep track of them. The CNA registry in my state doubles as a means of tracking and investigating allegations of abuse & neglect against specific individuals (much the same way the BON functions for nurses), so that CNAs who get fired from one place for mistreating patients/residents can't just go merrily from job to job without their histories following them. I'm not criticizing CNAs as a group, at all, but there are a few bad apples in every barrel ...

In my state, substantiated allegations of abuse or neglect are mandatory firing offenses, and facilities are required to check any new CNA applicants with the state registry to see if they have any history of substantiated allegations.

Don't feel slighted or left out because, as an MA, you're not certified! It's not a "higher" credential or recognition, it's about protecting the public. Frankly and bluntly, CNAs are certified and MAs aren't because CNAs typically work long hours, often with minimal direct supervision, with very vulnerable patients/residents. They have much more opportunity to abuse patients than MAs, who typically work in outpatient offices and don't spend that much time with any individual patient. I'm sure that, if states started getting frequent complaints of abuse or neglect by MAs, a similar certification system would be put in place for MAs pretty quick (but that's not anything to aspire to ).

[MIA-RN1]

MA's can get certified if they graduate an approved school. My coworker and I are both working as MA's. I was trained on the job along w/ my nursing school experience, she went to school to be an MA and has yet to sit for the certification exam.

[TheCommuter]

MAs are not licensed, though they can be either certified or registered.

1. Registered medical assistants are certified by a board known as the American Medical Technologists.

2. Certified medical assistants are certified by a board known as the American Association of Medical Assistants.

If you wish to become a medical assistant, you might want to ask your trade school's admissions representative if the graduates are allowed to sit for certain national examinations that will lead to certification as either a Registered Medical Assistant or Certified Medical Assistant. Read this link for more information.

[Kwality]

Originally Posted by suzanne4

A CNA does not have a license, they have a certification. Big difference.

Medical Assistants work in a physician's office and work under the doctor's license. A Medical Assistant does not have a license.

CNAs usually work in hospitals or nursing homes, and are given a list of approved procedures that they can legally do in their state. This can differ between states.

Thank you for the clarification. I didn't read it clearly. Sorry for the incorrect wording.

[TriageRN_34]

Just throwing this out there...but did you know EMT/Paramedics also do not have 'licenses'..they are certified...and considering what they do, and the standards they too are accountable for..makes you think...

Just food for thought there....

[elkpark]

Originally Posted by TheCommuter

MAs are not licensed, though they can be either certified or registered.

1. Registered medical assistants are certified by a board known as the American Medical Technologists.

2. Certified medical assistants are certified by a board known as the American Association of Medical Assistants.

If you wish to become a medical assistant, you might want to ask your trade school's admissions representative if the graduates are allowed to sit for certain national examinations that will lead to certification as either a Registered Medical Assistant or Certified Medical Assistant. Read this link for more information.

These are voluntary certifications, though, like the specialty certifications in nursing -- MAs are not required to be certified by the state in order to work (at least, not in my state), as CNAs are, and are not really accountable to anyone but their employer.

I'm not saying that's a bad thing -- as I noted earlier, the whole business of certifying NAs started up as a response to situations of abuse & neglect involving (some) nursing assistants, and abusive NAs being able to move freely from job to job without people catching on until it was too late.

[npaiz2007]

I agree cna's also get paid more and ma's also do the same thing!!!

[txspadequeen921]

I read somewhere that New Hampshire licenses their nursing assistants..