boards need to regulate MA's

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Really sick of ma's doing all sorts of things under a dr's license. (or RN license). It is quite amazing the things they do. Scary as a matter of fact. Really feel the boards of Nursing need to take a stand on this issue. They regulate everyting else , why not MA's (medical assistants). I plan on looking into it in Ohio. Any one else ? Don't get me wrong, I love MA's Cna's etc... they are a vital part of the medical world. However, the things they are allowed to do are jaw dropping. Not that skills are difficult but the critical thinking aspect of the skill is another matter. I know they are acting under the license of a DR. but, don't want them to care for my child or 88 yo mother.

Specializes in Utilization Review.

The other week I was passing meds at the nursing home and I'd asked one of the cna's to grab a set of vitals on a resident for me....

It was a TYMPANIC thermometer, mind you, and I heard her ask the resident to STOP DRINKING! I reminded her that it was a tympanic and she told me "I'm in medical assistant school, and they told me that the patient is not allowed to eat or drink before a tympanic temp".....WHHHAAATTTT??? Are you kidding? :rotfl:

Have you ever heard such a thing???

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It's too bad that this issue keeps resurfacing, and that we can not all work together to better pt's care, and stop physicians from taking financial advantage of the limitation set as the difference between CMAs and RNS. I am a Certified Medical Assistant which means I took a regulated state board exam at the end of my achieving my Associates degrees in Medical Assisting & Science. I am regulated as every other Certified Medical Assistant is throughout the USA. There are a lot of MAs working out there that went through programs that did not require them to get their Associate'sDegree, and that did not take any boards. Physician's are hiring the uncertified MAs to save $$$ and yes all CMAs & MAs work under the physcian's license NOT the RN's. It's a money issue, why pay a RN $ 20 plus an hour when they can get a medical assitant for $8 - $11, so please do not blame Medical Assistants. Wondering how I know so much? I am presently completing my last semester of nursing school, so my credentials after taking the NCLEX will be RN., CMA.

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Specializes in Assisted Living Nurse Manager.

Here in North Dakota all CMA's have to register with the board of nursing as a UAP. They also have to have their college transcripts sent to the board proving that they have had pharmacology in order to register as a medication aid III. This is done so that the medical assistant may administer injections as per facility protocol. Most larger clinics do indeed regulate medical assisting practice along with the board of nursing. Privately owned clinics do as they wish.

I also was a medical assistant before becoming a nurse. Most of us practice within our scope of practice. If you would like to know more about medical assistants you can visit the www.aama-ntl.org for more information.

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Specializes in Addictions, Corrections, QA/Education.
Iv's , infuse fluids (sometimes as much as 2 lit. with meds), bx tissue, give medical advice, give out various meds without dr. written order, introduced as dr's nurse, look at a 12 lead and tell a pt what they think it says, "looks ok to her", tell pt's they do the same thing as a nurse but don't get payed for it, tell pt's about meds and are wrong in the information they seem to" know, "I could go on and on but I hope this gives some idea of what I'm talking about.

MA's are NOT allowed to do most of this stuff in my state. They cannot even give coumadin if the patient has an unstable pt/inr. (I mean after the orders have been written by the MD... just because the patient is unstable they cannot give it.) They cant give anything to an unstable patient. When you say IV's do you mean push meds because LPN's cant even do that. I used to be a delegating nurse and was able to teach the MA class (laws have changed since then so I dont do this anymore) and MA's can only give PO meds. They do not assess, give any medical advice, administer tube feedings, give meds without a doctors order or any of the other things you mentioned. They cannot make judgement calls. They cannot do ANYTHING invasive (at least in my state... Maryland)

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Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.
It's too bad that this issue keeps resurfacing, and that we can not all work together to better pt's care, and stop physicians from taking financial advantage of the limitation set as the difference between CMAs and RNS.

I think the reason no one wants to grab this issue and shake it is because all of the physicians would get upset. They are perfectly happy to pay for what they get. MA learn what they are supposed to and not supposed to do but many get a swelled head once they get a job. They don't realize how dangerous they are. There are of course very good MA's. I have known several and they are worth every penny they are paid and then some. It's the bad ones we discuss.

It's a money issue, why pay a RN $ 20 plus an hour when they can get a medical assitant for $8 - $11
RN's earn considerable more than $20 an hour. The last doctor I had offer me a job in his office quoted $35 an hour.

I am presently completing my last semester of nursing school, so my credentials after taking the NCLEX will be RN., CMA.

Your lower credentials come first. CMA, RN but truthfully that just doesn't look right either way. Congratulations on getting your RN, you'll be glad you did and surprised at how many doors will suddenly open to you.

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Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.
When you say IV's do you mean push meds because LPN's cant even do that.
In the state where I live LPN's can push any IV med that an RN can push. Take that back...I push Lopressor 50mg in CT special procedures and it requires an ACLS certified RN.

They do not assess, give any medical advice, administer tube feedings, give meds without a doctors order or any of the other things you mentioned. They cannot make judgement calls. They cannot do ANYTHING invasive (at least in my state... Maryland)
The problem is they are not supposed to do these things but many do.
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Specializes in Operating Room.
Let's talk about what physician delegation work (MA or PA) is all about--finances and control. MAs are a cheap nurse substitue. An MA can do RN-type tasks but won't get RN-level wages (maybe not even LPN/LVN wages), a big savings to the doc. And PAs--a cheap physician substitute (but they at least get pretty good training, compared to an MA).

Starting to sound like the CRNA-MDA issue.

Personally, I think the nursing profession has brought this situation upon itself, without having the minimum education standard for RN's. (ie. BSN degree).

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Starting to sound like the CRNA-MDA issue.

Personally, I think the nursing profession has brought this situation upon itself, without having the minimum education standard for RN's. (ie. BSN degree).

How would all RN's having a BSN , MSN or phd change what an MA can or can't do ? I'm not slamming what you said I'm just trying to broaden my thoughts on the subject. Most of the nurses in our ER are BSN, but the MA's I know are still doing IV , IV meds (one works at a wellness center), one works for a urologist (does tissue BX's), another gives medical advice over the phone (most is wrong advice -such as , don't take your Levaquin, it porb. caused you to pass out. The Dr will want to put you on Bac . - the pt just hada cysto and had no hx of allergies )

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It's too bad that this issue keeps resurfacing, and that we can not all work together to better pt's care, and stop physicians from taking financial advantage of the limitation set as the difference between CMAs and RNS. I am a Certified Medical Assistant which means I took a regulated state board exam at the end of my achieving my Associates degrees in Medical Assisting & Science. I am regulated as every other Certified Medical Assistant is throughout the USA. There are a lot of MAs working out there that went through programs that did not require them to get their Associate'sDegree, and that did not take any boards. Physician's are hiring the uncertified MAs to save $$$ and yes all CMAs & MAs work under the physcian's license NOT the RN's. It's a money issue, why pay a RN $ 20 plus an hour when they can get a medical assitant for $8 - $11, so please do not blame Medical Assistants. Wondering how I know so much? I am presently completing my last semester of nursing school, so my credentials after taking the NCLEX will be RN., CMA.

Please tell me how your cirification regulates you in any way. I am ACLS, PALS ,TNCC, CCRN .CPR CNN ,CFN certified, I have to maintain CEU's out the yazoo inorder to keep the cirtifications, but, The Ohio Board of Nursing it the big daddy,They regulate RN's to the max. They are the regulatory agency that can remove me from nursing faster than I can blink my eyes. AACN can take away my certification but can't remove my license unless they go to the OBN. If you don't maintain your CEU's for MA will they just take your cirtification or are you no longer an MA ?

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Specializes in hospice, and home health.

I resent the fact that CMA'S are looked upon as cheap substitutes. I am very passionate about my job and the care my patients receive from me. I WILL NOT PERFORM SOMETHING THAT IS OUT OF MY POTENTIAL FOR A DR. OR ANYONE! And yes, I have been fired from jobs because of this. But you know what, I am the one that can lay my head down at night knowing that if that patient dies during the night, IT WILL NOT BE BECAUSE OF AN UNSKILLED PROCEDURE THAT I PERFORMED.

Also, not everyone has the opportunity to go straight into nursing school, working as a medical assistant is paying my way through nursing school now as I try to further my career. Also, If it were not for MA'S or CNA's. then that would be more work for you all to do, and give you all something else to gripe about.

I am very offended by the comment that we are cheap labor. If you know so much, then why did you stop at your nursing degree? Why did you not go on to become the DR?

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Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.

Personally, I think the nursing profession has brought this situation upon itself, without having the minimum education standard for RN's. (ie. BSN degree).

Sorry, I don't see any correlation what-so-ever whether an RN has his/her ADN or BSN in relation to what we are discussing.

The nursing profession has not brought about this situation. It has been brought about by physicians too cheap to pay for licensed help and schools only too willing to take people's money and tell them they are going to be just as good as a nurse in half the time.

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Specializes in Long Term Facilitly.

In my state we have QMAs..............I do believe it is a six to eight week corse, then so many clinincal hours..........then the state test. I work with QMA's daily. Some are pretty good while others are really missing the boat. I have one that really is missing the boat. Her critical thinking skills are zero. She can't keep focused, she's terribly late on her drugs ( 8 a.m. given at 2:00 p.m.), and many other things. I have spoke to her several times about keeping on task and explaining how important her job is. She takes everything real personal instead of taking accountablility.

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