Certified Medication Technician

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Do any of you know much about these? They keep going on and on about it in my CNA class. I guess the state of North Carolina will be listing the position on the NC Board of Nursing next year. The instructors seem to think that a lot of opportunities and job openings will be avaliable to them.

Learn the skills and information you will need to take the state Med Tech Exam.

Our Med Tech class includes instruction on:

Safe medication administration

Proper infection control

Medical Terminology

Physician orders & transcribing

Medication monitoring techniques

Methods to monitor RX effects/side effects/adverse reactions

Proper storage of medications

Proper documentation procedures

Reference/resources in Rx administration.

I'm just wondering is this is something that's being "hyped up". Or if this will be a more common job.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

There are lots of varying opinions on this subject. Read this thread, please, for some insight:

https://allnurses.com/forums/showthread.php?t=100772

You will see what I mean if you read the posts there. Personally, as an RN, I think it's a terrible idea. I already said why in the other thread.

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Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.

This is not by any means a "done deal." There is great opposition to this proposed very dangerous legislation here in North Carolina.

Please refer to this thread also:

https://allnurses.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96392

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THANK YOU SO MUCH...both of you!

I will NOT be taking the class. I thought it sounded odd that a person could learn about all those meds in such a short amount of time. I guess that the CMT's here will even be allowed to give insulin injections. I know that's not a big deal, but still.

I'm just now getting my CNA certification. I take my test on the 31st this month. Then I start classes back up again in the fall for the rest of my nursing pre-reqs (5 more classes!).

Thanks again for the links. I will try to get a part time CNA job instead of taking the CMA class. I'm sure I'll get more "nursing" experience as a CNA also.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

You are sure to hear opinions that totally disagree with Vicky's and mine. The best thing to do is decide for yourself if you want this HUGE responsibility for information that simply CANNOT be learned in just a few days/weeks. It takes nurses years to learn the "ins and outs" of med administration. I find it a travesty that they would simply allocate this responsibility to people with a few weeks' or less, training. It's dangerous to me. But many will argue I am wrong. That is why I said, visit those threads and hear some opposing opinions. Then, form your own! Good luck to you. I wish you the best.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho.

Bad idea as far as im concerned.

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I work right now as a certified medication aide in the state of Texas...and some of the people's comments on here about them are very offensive to me...I dont want to hear how CMA's are bad people and we don't know how to pass medications correctly, or we are going to steal them, or whatever else negative you have to say....So I'm going to stay out of it...all i know is...it doesn't take a brain surgeon to read a MAR correctly and admin. a med....its pretty simple...nurses can make medication errors...

anyways...my take on being a med aide is somewhere in one of those post....but im going to stop now before my blood starts to boil

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no one has said that med aides are "bad people", the issue is safety. Let's put it this way, when you go into the doctors office for common complaints, probably 75% of the time the RN could figure out what is wrong and know which drug needs to be used to treat the problem. This would be the case for patients with a normal presentation and hx. But what about the zebra? the person with atypical symptoms or multiple systems in stages of disease? to recognize, diagnose and treat people with abnormal presentations youwill most likely need a physician or an NP/PA. It is the same concept with medication administration. Most people can read correctly and follow directions to physically give the medication, but what about symptoms and recognizing problems that could be occuring when the patient has multiple medications? What about signs that the med is not working or is possibly causing an allergic response, etc... Now imagine knowing the risks involved with giving medications and knowing you are now responsible for another person giving meds under your license? I am not a nurse yet but, I know first hand how dangerous it can be for someone not truly qualified to take on this responsibility. It isn't about someone being a better, more honest person, it's about someone being more qualified for the job by virtue of education.

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Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.

This is exactly what the problem is with med-aides. Some feel it is nothing more than reading a piece of paper. I am a nurse in Texas and I work with all the med0aide students in our faclity during their clinical. The only thing these people know is they are pushing a med cart, there is no clue about anything in the med cart. You can give meds all day long but it is dangerous if you dont know why you giving it or what the side effects are. Some of these meds are monitored by labs and thoses lab values need to be considered before med admin. Oh I could go on all day... Read my post im sure it is in the link above... And I no one ever said you were a bad person.

I work right now as a certified medication aide in the state of Texas...and some of the people's comments on here about them are very offensive to me...I dont want to hear how CMA's are bad people and we don't know how to pass medications correctly, or we are going to steal them, or whatever else negative you have to say....So I'm going to stay out of it...all i know is...it doesn't take a brain surgeon to read a MAR correctly and admin. a med....its pretty simple...nurses can make medication errors...

anyways...my take on being a med aide is somewhere in one of those post....but im going to stop now before my blood starts to boil

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Specializes in Hemodialysis, Home Health.
no one has said that med aides are "bad people", the issue is safety. Let's put it this way, when you go into the doctors office for common complaints, probably 75% of the time the RN could figure out what is wrong and know which drug needs to be used to treat the problem. This would be the case for patients with a normal presentation and hx. But what about the zebra? the person with atypical symptoms or multiple systems in stages of disease? to recognize, diagnose and treat people with abnormal presentations youwill most likely need a physician or an NP/PA. It is the same concept with medication administration. Most people can read correctly and follow directions to physically give the medication, but what about symptoms and recognizing problems that could be occuring when the patient has multiple medications? What about signs that the med is not working or is possibly causing an allergic response, etc... Now imagine knowing the risks involved with giving medications and knowing you are now responsible for another person giving meds under your license? I am not a nurse yet but, I know first hand how dangerous it can be for someone not truly qualified to take on this responsibility. It isn't about someone being a better, more honest person, it's about someone being more qualified for the job by virtue of education.

Couldn't have said it any better, nor could I agree more. :)

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Specializes in Critical Care/ICU.
I work right now as a certified medication aide in the state of Texas...and some of the people's comments on here about them are very offensive to me...I dont want to hear how CMA's are bad people and we don't know how to pass medications correctly, or we are going to steal them, or whatever else negative you have to say....So I'm going to stay out of it...all i know is...it doesn't take a brain surgeon to read a MAR correctly and admin. a med....its pretty simple...nurses can make medication errors...

anyways...my take on being a med aide is somewhere in one of those post....but im going to stop now before my blood starts to boil

I'm only using this quote as an example to make a point. I'm not picking on you nicolel1182.

The people who aim at minimizing or are just plain ignorant about what nursing really is and what nurses really do would be very pleased with nicolel1182's post. They have this person thinking exactly the way they want her to think...that probably one of the most important aspects of nursing can be done by anyone with a little bit of training, but not necessarily a lot of brains. Viola!!

CMA's are the perfect example of decisions made by suits who may have a degree in healthcare behind their name, but have absolutely NO working knowledge of what actually goes on in direct patient care or the safety issues that surround it.

It is considered a huge no-no for me to allow even other RN's to give my scheduled meds.

Quiet frankly, I'm offended.

I really wish they'd quit dumbing us down.

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Specializes in Urgent Care.

What about the certified medical assistants?? That CMA title is going to cause alot of confusion. Or is is CMT?

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