CNA vs Medical Assistant

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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What is the difference between a CNA and a medical assistant?

This is just a personal opinion, as I have come across many job advertisements while looking for work lately. Most of the positions that I consider to be "exciting" require CNA certification. While I do not know how to differentiate between each of the profession's responsibilities, it seems to me that medical assistants is the title assigned to assistive personel in the office setting, and CNAs are usually employed in the inpatient setting. Many of the Medical Assistant positions that I have seen posted have required CNA certification. CNA vs. Medical Assistant seems to me to be whatever title has been designated by that facility, depending on the type of setting and the region that it's located in. These may not be facts, but observations that I have gathered.

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I took an MA program and paid $7000.00 for the 8-month training.

I also had the oppotunity to take a free CNA class.

The MA jobs all ask for years of experience and pay very little. I was able to get a CNA job with a starting payd rate of 2500.00/month

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Actually there is a vey big difference between CNA and a MA.At least in Texas there is.First here a cna is nothing more than a butt wiper in a nursing home!!Period, I was one for years...it sux. Nobody has any respect for you, you work harder than anyone else,mke a little over 7 an hour..hospitals don't want you nor do clinics, just nursing homes.A cna can take vitals,and do minimal charting, however they can give a bath, clean up after incontinent episodes,feed, and change clothes and beds.Now a medical assistant, I suppose can also do all that,but they typically don't, in fact a nurse can do all that also, BUT they won't...Here in Texas the MA (s) work front and back office, do full phlebotomy, work the floor right along with the nurses, can and does full charting and phone orders, minor procedures(casting, suturing and removals, or prep, etc.) They wok n Clincs, labs and hospitals. They can take an x-ray, run blood samples, as well as take thier ownblood samples, file all billings and coding, order meds,patient ed, and chart all activities, daily just like many nurses, in fact Medical Assistants here can do more in some cases than lvns can.And they make 12-14 dollars an hour first year..but hey to each thier own

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yes, i really think it depends on region and even practice. I worked as a CNA in Maryland. I worked in labor and delivery at a very busy hospital starting IVs, inserting foleys, participating in lady partsl deliveries, etc. It was my first job as a CNA. The CNAs in my hospital did phelbotomy, EKGs, all/some of the above duties mentioned that CNAs do in Texas, but I had the exact same certification that the professionals had in the nursing home down the street, and they probably only did hygiene and feedings. Just depends on where you are I think. And I think that the title just varies with what your facility wants to call ya!

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Certified Nursing Assistant:

* Depending on the school, anywhere from 75 to 400 hours

* Works as a nurse's assistant, carrying out patient care under the RN or LPN

* From what I've seen, usually works in hospitals and LTC, but sometimes in physician's offices

* Starting wage around here for a CNA is $10.00/hr. (Minimum wage here is $7.25)

* Many LPN programs will allow you to fore go X amount of hours in the program if you are a CNA

* Does a lot of the "dirty" work (although I wouldn't call any nursing job "clean" hehe) such as wiping, changing diapers, making beds, bathing

* High demand (at least in my area) and ample chances for advancement

Medical Assistant:

* Anywhere between 8 months and 2 years, depending on certification and if you wish to obtain a degree alongside it

* Is commonly seen in physician's offices, but rarely in hospitals

* Trained in both front office (billing, reception, phones) and back office (vital signs, patient care) however their exact scope of practice in the back office differs depending on the state you are in

* Makes between $8.00 and upwards of $15.00/hr depending on place of employment (For example: my mother is a radiologic technician who works at a small, but successful orthopedic surgeon's office. There is only my mother and a medical assistant. The medical assistant is the "manager" of the office.)

* Unfortunately due to their usefulness and average lower pay than that of a licensed nurse, they are sometimes coerced or ordered to perform procedures they are not licensed to do.

* Not much room for advancement, but a great, steady job for those who find the physician's office much more comfortable than a hospital or LTC setting.

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Again Like I said to each thier own, and take into consideration the area your in.Where ya'll are it appears a CNA has the exact job our MA(s) do here, and our MA(s) have the job that your CNA(s) do there.I myself have been a CNA and feel there is nothing wrong with that field, at least for a while,Iwould never recommend it for long term.I am also a medical assistant now, but again amin school working on my bachelors. When all is said and done, I will be a Registered Nurse. But that is because thats the path I wanted from the beginning.I didn't want to be a LVN or LPN depending on area, again in the area I live in this is not a desirable job, and it doesn't afford many opportunities for advancement, or decent pay.I think the best way to make the comparison is to find out the scope and salares for both field in your area and make an informed opinion on that instead of what other people say, at the end of the day it's only you that has to live with your decision, not the rest of us that have posted here.I do personally feel that since you posted the question, than you must be questioning your field and career choices, if your not truly happy where you are than change something now and fast.Thereare many soured workers in our fields, no matter what venue of the medical profesion you look at. We are public servants, our primary goal is t care for those in need, happily and as cheerfully as possible.We take the good with the bad and ugly, if your not feeling what you do, then you are not only letting yourself down,but also all those that depend on you daily.That is what you are wanting to avoid.

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This has become a good debate with some very good posts on both sides. Personally, I love my MA program. I'm in the second semester (at a comm college), I'm joining the honors program, got invited to join a national honor society, and am having the time of my life. In CNA school, the most medical thing we learned to do was vitals. Thats it. In my second semester, I'm covering drug injections, sterilization, basic surgery assisting, and exam room procedures. Next semester its onto to the lab where I'll be doing phelb, ekgs, running tests on cultures ect, more surgery assisting. The list goes on and on. I was raised on the idea that knowledge is power. I applaud CNAs who love their jobs and work hard every day. Ya'll give so much. Me, I hated the restraints that the state nursing board imposed on what we could and could not do. Even when CNAs have vast knowledge, in NC your not allowed to tell the patient/residents family anything other then the basic needs like when she ate ect. Anything technical if you answer it, you could be in big trouble with the state. The scope of practice is narrowly defined. The future MAs in our program who are doing their clinical rotations are giving flu shots, working in the lab and even helping deliver babies. After earning my MA degree I'm going to go on to either Medical Lab tech or sonographer. And I really hate this but I'll admit it, tell someone your a CNA where I live and you might as well say your a garbage man. People around here give no respect to CNAs. Its really sad. Even when your the one taking care of their relative. I know its my sinful pride but I couldn't take everyone being so nasty.

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Actually there is a vey big difference between CNA and a MA.At least in Texas there is.First here a cna is nothing more than a butt wiper in a nursing home!!Period, I was one for years...it sux. Nobody has any respect for you, you work harder than anyone else,mke a little over 7 an hour..hospitals don't want you nor do clinics, just nursing homes.A cna can take vitals,and do minimal charting, however they can give a bath, clean up after incontinent episodes,feed, and change clothes and beds.Now a medical assistant, I suppose can also do all that,but they typically don't, in fact a nurse can do all that also, BUT they won't...Here in Texas the MA (s) work front and back office, do full phlebotomy, work the floor right along with the nurses, can and does full charting and phone orders, minor procedures(casting, suturing and removals, or prep, etc.) They wok n Clincs, labs and hospitals. They can take an x-ray, run blood samples, as well as take thier ownblood samples, file all billings and coding, order meds,patient ed, and chart all activities, daily just like many nurses, in fact Medical Assistants here can do more in some cases than lvns can.And they make 12-14 dollars an hour first year..but hey to each thier own

CNA's do more than just wipe butts. Even so there is nothing degrading about being a "butt wiper", although there are many in and outside of healthcare who try to frame it that way. Providing perineal care is part of providing care to the ill and elderly, and if someone I love is in an LTC or hospital, I would hope whoever is giving them perineal care does so with compassion. I'm sure most people who are not able to provide their own perineal care are glad someone does it for them so they don't have to lay around in their excrement.

CNA's don't "just" work in nursing homes. With a little experience and sometimes extra training CNA's work in the hospitals. The nurses can't do it all themselves and hospitals can't ask MA's to do it as MA's consider themselves to be above "butt wiping."

P.S. there are CNA's who are trained in EKG and Phleb as well and who perform those duties in a hospital setting.

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Medical assistant- 10 months, $11,000 for school

CNA- 3 weeks $600 for school

This is what was available to me so I became a CNA. I always have a job. I know MAs who do not and end up working as CNAs. From my online research it looks like the pay is similar.

Think about it. How many doctors offices are there and how many MAs can each one use?

Now think of how many CNAs it takes to care for all the people in all the hospitals and nursing homes 24/7 365 days a year.

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MA school for me, for two years is 4500 including books but I'm getting a full ride with Pell grants so I'm not paying a thing out of pocket and I'm getting money for living expenses.

CNAs where I am make 9 dollars an hour and there are way, way more of them than there are jobs. I know people who literally worked the phones for weeks until they even got an interview as a CNA, there are two choices out here LTC or the hospitals.

MAs are starting out with no exp making 12-14 an hour. Thats a quote from recently graduated MAs All of the county health departments have them in large numbers, and all of the doctors offices have them. My kids peds office has 25 or so of them and thats just one office.

The biggest reason not to become a CNA (and for me to keep from using my license) is respect. I've talked to doctors, lab techs, EMTs, RNs, no one gives respect to CNAs. And every doctor, RN, ect I've talked to about the MA program says "way to go", "great idea" and "thats where the jobs are" even nurses are coming around in our area

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People have many reasons for becoming a CNA; I would be interested in knowing how many of us really expect respect. There is always going to be someone who disrespects you for what you choose to do with your life. The important part is to take pride in whatever it is you're doing.

It's been my experience that MA's without experience have just as tough a time finding work as CNA's with no experience, if not more so. The truth is the MA field is swamped. If I had a dollar for every newbie MA I've spoken with or heard about who can't find a job I'd be able to take a long vacation.

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I obsolutely believe it depends in the area you live. MAs in my area have a hard time finding jobs if they don't have 2, or more years of experience.

I found jobs as a new MA, but the pay was $9.00+ and since I paid $6,000.00 for the program. I couldn't repay the loan, pay rent, bills and food with that pay.

I was lucky enough to get a CNA course for free and end up getting hired and earning a starting rate of 2500.00/month with all benifits.

I'm now at 2965.00/month. I don't clean butts, but I do help the nurse clean the work station and supply. It all depends where you're

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