MA v.s LPN on job availability alone

[Thujone]

i have the opportunity to attend a great lpn school, but i am currently two semesters into an equally great ma school (associates degree). however, i will be starting rn school in the fall of 2013. ma school will finish in the spring of 2013, and lpn school will finish in the fall of 2013. perhaps the biggest benefit of me going to lpn school will be how it affects my experience in rn school (at least the first part of it,) while ma school won't prepare me quite as well as the training is based on a different work environment. however, let's say something happens and i can't start rn school. i would need to get a job in my chosen field which brings me to my question. strictly from a job availability point of view, which do you guys think is better?

[Ambitious83]

I am agog that there is an associate degree in MA. I hold an associate degree in science that prepared me for the RN exam. An associate degree requires a LOT of work/ credits.

Why cant you apply to the nursing program with the credits you already have earned?

I went to a for profit school so my credits did not transfer unfortunately.

I wish I was able to tranfer something and the medical assistant training counted for something but community colleges aren't excepting medical assistant training as valid.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I am agog that there is an associate degree in MA.

Me, too. An associate's degree in medical assisting is one more example of credential inflation gone rampant. The job is highly routinized and does not require a degree of any type.

[Cora_Ann]

I went to a for profit school so my credits did not transfer unfortunately.

I wish I was able to tranfer something and the medical assistant training counted for something but community colleges aren't excepting medical assistant training as valid.

what at school did you go to? I only ask because I too am located in TX.

[ant2506]

In my experience...LPN over MA any day. I work with MA's and LPNs in our organization, and while good at their job, there education is lacking where it co u ts. If you want to test them, start asking pharmacology questions. One of the MA's in my office said she was higher than me on the medical heirchy model. I kinda laughed it off, not being rude, but I make considerable more with a lot less experience. And I have a medical license. When I took the NCLEX-PN, half of the questions where about delegation to UAP's (unlicensed assistive personnel) and unfortunately for her, MA's are part of that group. I have heard that some Dr. offices have office managers that are MA's and could be over a LPN, but those are few and far inbetween.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

And I have a medical license.

Just a very friendly, respectful clarification: doctors have medical licenses, but you and I have nursing licenses. :)

[Ramcharger310, ASN, CNA, RN, EMT-B]

I am agog that there is an associate degree in MA. I hold an associate degree in science that prepared me for the RN exam. An associate degree requires a LOT of work/ credits.

Why cant you apply to the nursing program with the credits you already have earned?

You can get a degree in basket weaving if you want. All it is, is that after you take your course, you take general education electives to make up the difference in credits for the associate's.

When/If I pass an lvn course, I will be granted an associates degree in vocational nursing due to my previous degree's general education electives that are already completed.