Hi to all,
I am new in the CMA field in North Carolina. I am working in a doctor's office now. I have been there close to six months. I have an Associate Degree in Medical Assisting. I was wondering how to go about going from CMA to LPN.
I did not really want to do this, I am 34 and have two kids. I just wanted to be a CMA. However, I am doing the exact same work as the LPN's at our office and getting paid a LOT less. I have asked of their training and I have taken all of the same exact courses. I also had to pass an exam through the AMT to be Certified or I could not work as a CMA. I am refered to as a nurse at work by the patients and the staff including the docs. If a patient asks me, I say I am a Certified Medical Assistant, they don't know what I am talking about, they think I said CNA. The only thing that I do not preform in our office is IV's. Other than that they have me do everything else. I give injections, vaccinations, preform wet preps, EKGs, triage, the whole nine yards. I feel now I should try to be an LPN if I have to do the same job, so I can receive the same pay and status. I am working as a nurse but can't really call myself one. It is very frustrating. Not only was I trained in all the clinical procedures I also was trained to do all of the clerical procedures. I can do billing, coding, as well as patient care. I am sometimes put in different areas if the doc I work with is off. I was just wondering how to go about the move from CMA to LPN and if anyone has any information. I am doing way more than I thought I would be and now I feel I may have cheated myself by not going to LPN school but the waiting list to get in to a program was pretty long. Do the classes I have taken count or would I have to take them all again?
Thanks So Much, Olivialen