Medical Assisting or RN?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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Hello!

I have struggled for the last few years deciding what to do as a career but every job I've had (and liked) included helping others! Currently im a CNA at an adult family home and it's very rewarding. The last year I've been set on being an RN until hearing people's experiences...I know this sounds bad but I'm a quiet learner (I get good grades) and have always been an awesome helper at following advice and directions, I haven't always loved being the leader. I also have worked previously at a bar where I worked til 3am and can't go back to late hour shifts which I've heard is a major part of nursing, I love my family and really would enjoy a Monday through Friday job with limited work on holidays and weekends. I also don't want to be constantly mentally drained when I come home...I know I would love the aspect of caring for people but since I've had a hard time deciding what to do in my career I don't want to jump into something that has those previous stated cons to me just because you make more money. As an MA i like that it's a mix of patient and office work as I've loved being an office assistant, I love that there's specialty clinics like dermatology or OBGYN clinics, and that although it's probably stressful and a lot of work, I won't be burdened by mistakes and tons of paperwork since I'm not responsible for total care for patients. In the Seattle area I've heard MAs making upwards of 50,000 a year although I'm sure I would start at the bottom. I also thought it would be a great foot in the door to nursing and see if I would like to go back. I have just two more nursing pre-reqs left and am planning to apply for winter programs (won't make fall application deadlines) I would love to hear other people's opinions about what they have found in their time being an RN an MA.

thanks!!

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Specializes in ED.

I think you would get more insight into nursing from the CNA standpoint instead of the MA one. If it is what you want in the end go for the RN.

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I ruled out MA pretty quickly. It might be an OK job if you're not too concerned with pay and you like regular office hours, but it also seems to be a dead end. I wouldn't call it "a great foot in the door to nursing", either. It's totally different and you'd be starting over if you did decide to purse nursing at a later time.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
I wouldn't call it "a great foot in the door to nursing", either. It's totally different and you'd be starting over if you did decide to purse nursing at a later time.
I concur. Medical assisting is part of the medical model of care provision. Nursing, on the other hand, is part of the nursing model.

If you want to become a nurse, stick with the nursing model. I completed a medical assisting program years ago and it is not related to nursing in any shape, form or manner. Moreover, very few MAs earn $50k annually due to market saturation.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

While $50,000 sounds like a really nice income, Seattle has a VERY high cost of living. You have to think about that if you're comparing salaries.

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Specializes in Home health, Addictions, Detox, Psych and clinics..

Very few MAs make more than 50k, in fact sometimes LPNs don't make 50k a year. I think becoming an LPN would be a better route into nursing for sure, more so than becoming an MA, as an LPN is a nurse. A lot of clinics still post adds for "MA or LPN", where the LPN will generally get paid a little more than the MA would, generally. Decisions decisions :)

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Personally, I would rule out MA. As a CNA with a few years experience (and a few pay raises), I make more than some MAs in my area. MA education usually requires a 2 year associates degree, and you'll come out making CNA wages or just a few bucks above what a CNA makes. If you ask me, sacrificing time and money for an associates degree that will barely provide for a family is not worth it. My view on this has absolutely nothing to do with the job duties or hours an MA may work--it's all about if 2 years is worth so little pay.

Edit: If you can find a path to MA that doesn't require an associates, such as on the job training, I suppose that's a different story. But it may be hard to come by something like that.

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I already have my AA so that wouldn't be an issue. LPN's I heard are a dying field because of MA's taking their place so I'm reluctant to go to school for that and the fact that there are NO schools offering LPN programs in seattle. I generally think my reasoning for all this is 1. I don't want to get stuck with **** night shifts for the first three years of nursing, 2. I don't really know if the hospital setting is for me. and 3. HOURS!!!! no weekends or holidays makes more time for my dogs and family. I've also been a CNA for about 5 months now and its fine work but my back and body have taken a beating and i've heard RN work is quite similar. I want to help people but maybe I'm too selfish to lose my own health along the way...

Heres a new question: What are your guys thoughts on LPN schooling? And are they a good in between for both hospitals and specialty day time clinics?

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Heres a new question: What are your guys thoughts on LPN schooling? And are they a good in between for both hospitals and specialty day time clinics?
I was an LPN for the first four years of my nursing career. It served as the foundation of everything I know about nursing.

I also lived nicely on the income I earned as a single female LPN: single family house, two vehicles, vacations, plenty of money saved, and a flexible work schedule that enabled me to return to school to obtain my RN licensure.

I completed a MA program years ago and was never able to find work in that field due to saturation in the job market. Medical assisting is the most graduated program in the US, which means a lot of MAs searching for a limited number of jobs.

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In both of your posts here you stress the need to NOT work nights, weekends or holidays and if you go into nursing you just have to expect that this will be what you WILL be working. Yes of course you can find jobs in clinics that are set Monday through Fridays but those jobs either go to those with plenty of experience to pull from or pay quite a bit lower than acute care (or both). You don't get both great pay and great hours until you've got some time in the field that makes you worth something to those kinds of employers.

If you're ready to commit to those evenings, nights, weekends and holidays until such time as you can land a better gig then go for it. If not, change your plans to match up with the reality you should expect.

You also mentioned being a follower of directions rather than a leader and if you're the RN responsible for the clinic (outside of the MDs) then you will be the leader, and the responsible person. Same for hospital nursing, you are in charge when an RN is needed to be in charge. Doesn't mean you have to go all Patton on someone lol just that you can't expect that an RN license will go without having to be the leader sometimes, maybe a lot. Your patient, your lead. Just worth considering is all.

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RN, go all the way, you will get bored and regret to going for the full license, the job outlook is worth it.

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