Can a graduated nurse be a medical assistant ?

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Specializes in Nurse.

Hello everybody,

This may be a dumb question but I have graduated with my BSN and was wondering if I could apply for a medical assistant position? I know for a medical assistant position you have to have a medical assistant license but I basically have done all duties of a medical assistant in nursing school and have done duties of a registered nurse.

I am in the process of taking my NCLEX again and I do want to be a registered nurse but I figured this would be an amazing opportunity to practice my clinical skills again until I pass my NCLEX. The feedback would be much appreciated . Thank you!

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I don’t know the answer to your question, but take a look at job postings to see what is required.

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Specializes in ICU.

Yup. You can get a job as a MA, but you will get paid less. I'm an LPN- I applied for and got an offer for a job as an MA.. but it was significantly less than working as a Nurse. Ultimately, I refused and found something paying about $8 more

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Specializes in Nurse.

Thank you so much for the response. I know I will get significantly less but I am trying so hard to get my foot in the door because I have been out of practice for 2 years now.. it is a long story and a lot has happened since I have graduated nursing school. I am studying for the NCLEX and in all honesty do not know when I will pass it. It could be a month from now or three months from now.

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Specializes in Psychiatric and Mental Health NP (PMHNP).

You should be able to get a job as an MA. A lot of clinics employ LPNs in this role. Good luck.

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MAs and LPNs are interchangeable because of duties. Haven’t you noticed that open positions are listed as MA/LPN? As a BSN, you weren’t taught certain things specific to LPN or MA role. A medical assistant isn’t an untrained professional, they have way more education than a CNA, and they require a diploma or more commonly an ADN. Just because you may have learned the skills and tasks doesn’t mean you’re qualified to perform them in a MA role. Good luck!

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14 minutes ago, Gingeriffic said:

...As a BSN, you weren’t taught certain things specific to LPN or MA role. ...

What exactly is included in either an MA or LPN program, that is specific to those programs, that isn't included in an RN program?

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Specializes in Psychiatric and Mental Health NP (PMHNP).
21 minutes ago, Gingeriffic said:

MAs and LPNs are interchangeable because of duties. Haven’t you noticed that open positions are listed as MA/LPN? As a BSN, you weren’t taught certain things specific to LPN or MA role. A medical assistant isn’t an untrained professional, they have way more education than a CNA, and they require a diploma or more commonly an ADN. Just because you may have learned the skills and tasks doesn’t mean you’re qualified to perform them in a MA role. Good luck!

I'm an NP and have my own MA (primary care clinic). She is great and here is what she does:

takes and records vital signs

takes brief history to fill me in before I see patient

she can draw blood for labs

she will perform certain in office tests like the pregnancy test and give me results

helps me prepare for procedures like I&D by getting materials together

vaccinations and simple injections

simple wound dressings, fitting braces

call patients and informs them of simple test results, reminders, etc.

set up and administer ekg

ear lavage

administer nebulizer tx

administrative duties like helping keep supplies stocked, etc.

quite a bit of work on the EMR

We have 2 LVNs and they can do simple rx refills, dress more complicated wounds, catheters, answer after hour calls, in addition to the above.

My MA is very young and did this right after high school graduation. She took an MA certification course through a CC.

A BSN RN new grad would need some training for the duties in that particular practice, but I see no reason that he or she would be unable to perform the MA duties.

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Medical assistants get administrative things in their schooling. And my understanding is that LPNs receive training more focused on ambulatory duties compared to ADN more inpatient. Most clinics require CMA or RMA and you can’t become certified or registered unless you completed a diploma or degree medical assistant program.

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A BSN isn’t “unable” to perform MA duties. It’s a matter of not being an MA. Go ask a clinic and see what they say, instead of asking a bunch of nurses if you “can” take vitals and give shots. Of course you “can.” But you probably won’t get hired as a medical assistant just because you went to nursing school. Two different things. Go be a tele tech or nursing tech if you want to get a jump start while you prepare for boards. Unless you want to work in a clinic basically doing the same thing anyway

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Here’s a posting for an MA/LPN opening. Do you meet the requirements to work as an MA?

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Specializes in ICU.

I think you actually need your license to practice though.. I'm not sure you can just be an MA because you graduated nursing school ?

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