A Dying Breed?

2banurse · Jan 23, 2003

I would think that it is more likely that specialists would hire RNs and LPNs over MAs, such as cardiologists. If you want to stay in the office, I would look into that.

Kris

darla80 · Jan 23, 2003

I live in TN and many of the specialist office hire both LPNS and RNs.

In the specialty areas such as Cardio, GI, Internal Med, ONC we play and important role in the delivery of Good healthcare.

I hope you find an office that can utilize your skillls and that you will enjoy...

I love office nursing email me anytime and we can chat

Joy and Smiles * Darla

New CCU RN · Jan 23, 2003

Very sad to hear about your problem!!! While I am not an office RN, I definitely can see the value in having a nurse not a medical assitant on board.....

Do agree that perhaps a specialist will utilize your skills, particularly if they do many procedures in their office...

Good luck to ya!!!!

And if that doesn't work out, maybe Public Health would interest you...something along those lines... :)

MrsK1223 · Jan 26, 2003

Hey there...i'm also an Office RN for a dermatologist. And I agree on how they are phasing nurses out of the offices. I'm only part time and really would fine with my job except management, I feel, is trying to weed me out....being the only RN in the office. Our superviser is an LPN but whose been there for 10yrs. Then our other nurse is really a medical laboratory technician. In our main office we have a couple of RN's but they deal with liposuction and lasers...we don't have that in the satelite office I work in. I've looked all over my area for office positions and no one wants to pay for an RN...as if I'm getting paid good now but I love the hours and the work and I don't go home worrying did I forget to do this to such and such patient. These are sad times and we are getting replaced with other healthcare workers that don't have near the education or experience.

Vailgang · Jan 26, 2003

I work in neurosurgery office and both of the doctors that I work for never had a nurse in their office until they started there clinic here and I was hired. I am going to school to become a RN and hope that the doctors will continue to let me work for them as an RN. I agree with looking into the speciality field. I am training a medical assistant student now and I don't see how they can replace nurses with medical assistants, they just don't have as much knowledge. Hope everything works out. Keep us posted.

WBNurse · Mar 26, 2003

Hi all. Just wanted to let you know that after a month of house cleaning and movie-watching!, I am once again employed. I was hired part-time in a 4 doctor Pediatrics office (just minutes from the old office). I will start in 2 weeks. As for the "old office", they are on their SECOND MA in a month. Thanks for your support!

Nurse Ratched, RN · Mar 26, 2003

Originally posted by WBNurse
As for the "old office", they are on their SECOND MA in a month. Thanks for your support!

Lol - the best revenge is "I told you so" (even if you only say it to yourself! ).

Glad you are getting into a wonderful new position and that you will be back nursing where you belong :).

deespoohbear · Mar 27, 2003

Wow, my doctor must think nurses are important. The only MA in his office (and I am not sure she is MA) works in the back doing billing and such. She has very little contact with the public on a day to day basis. Everyone else in the office is either an LPN or an RN. Even the first person who answers the phone and schedules your appointments is a nurse. It makes it really nice not having to go through a bunch of hoops to speak to a nurse. I deal with several offices a day from the hospital and my doctor's office and one of the surgeon's offices has nurses who routinely answer the phones. Otherwise it is a receptionist or MA (even the doctors' wives have been known to answer the phone).

Glad to hear you are working again and utilizing your skills. Good going!!

Vailgang · Mar 30, 2003

In regards to this post I thought that you all would find this interesting. I recently had a job offer in another doctor's office. I explained that I am almost an RN and would like to continue to work in the office. They said that they have had RN's before but they worked for the LPN wage (which was $2.50 less than my current job). Needless to say I never took the job.

I would love it if our office had nurses in the front office to schedule appointments and answer the phones. I know if we need to replace a person in the front office I am going to push for a nurse. I know as a nurse I wouldn't mind doing the job if I was paid as a nurse.

Nurse Ratched, RN · Mar 30, 2003

I was discussing this with one of our aides this week. She was an MA in a private practice doctor's office before taking this job. She talked about all the tasks she used to perform and roles she filled (and recognizes in retrospect that she was being used wrongly in capacities that far exceeded her job description.) I think some MA's and other non-nurse office staff think "they wouldn't let me do (whatever) if it wasn't 'ok' or if I wasn't qualified." And naturally, those who want to pay someone $5/hr rather than $20/hr will encourage that line of thinking.

melsay, LPN · Apr 9, 2003

The office I work in has just started hiring MA's at LPN pay, ticks me off......I have posted about this problem before. Not that I think anyone is better b/c of a title behind their name, but let's face it MA's are NOT acknowledged by the Board of Nursing, but it seems that all LPN's and Rn's will be totally phased out of the office setting w/in a few years. Sad but true.....