Does anyone else find this offensive?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

"Fast paced multiple physician practice seeking fulltime Medical Assistant/LPN"

MEDICAL ASSISTANT/LPN?? I emailed them regarding their job posting and they said "its the same thing and they get paid the same". What are your thoughts?

Specializes in Emergency Room.
You are correct. There are certain meds LPN's can give especially IV push.

Would you be surprised to learn, after reading all of my posts, that I actually never attended a formal Medical Assisting training program? I was an Army Reserve medic who, while attending LPN school, worked as a Medical Assistant with the skills that I learned from the Army. It's kind of ironic that I was permitted to do more in my job as an MA than I would eventually be allowed to do upon completion of my LPN training.

i just couldn't resist stepping all into this discussion, given the fact that I have done BOTH!

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Specializes in Hospice / Psych / RNAC.
Would you be surprised to learn, after reading all of my posts, that I actually never attended a formal Medical Assisting training program? I was an Army Reserve medic who, while attending LPN school, worked as a Medical Assistant with the skills that I learned from the Army. It's kind of ironic that I was permitted to do more in my job as an MA than I would eventually be allowed to do upon completion of my LPN training.

i just couldn't resist stepping all into this discussion, given the fact that I have done BOTH!

How much an hour were you making?

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Specializes in Emergency Room.
How much an hour were you making?

$14/hr as MA (but that was several years ago-1999)

And I haven't worked at all since 2003-been staying home with my babies!

My last nursing job (2003), I made $18/hr.

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Specializes in Medical-surgical.
"Fast paced multiple physician practice seeking fulltime Medical Assistant/LPN"

MEDICAL ASSISTANT/LPN?? I emailed them regarding their job posting and they said "its the same thing and they get paid the same". What are your thoughts?

I agree that it is very offensive. I think LPN's do not get enough credit for their achievements and what they bring to the field. I know an experienced RN in our ER who is very outspoken and stated to my face that LPN's are pointless and are glorified CNA's. I was shocked. I work with many LPN's who have been doing nursing for 20 years and know more than the charge nurse for the shift.

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Specializes in Emergency Room.
I agree that it is very offensive. I think LPN's do not get enough credit for their achievements and what they bring to the field. I know an experienced RN in our ER who is very outspoken and stated to my face that LPN's are pointless and are glorified CNA's. I was shocked. I work with many LPN's who have been doing nursing for 20 years and know more than the charge nurse for the shift.

Did you take the time to read through this thread...even just skim through it...before commenting? I can't understand how you, who have experienced first-hand an RN unjustly belittling an LPN, would turn right around and do what amounts to the very same thing to MAs in this thread! In what way are you offended by this??? The employer posted an ad for an MA or an LPN because IN THAT PARTICULAR FACILITY, either an MA or an LPN could do the job. Now tell me...how is that offensive?

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Specializes in Medical-surgical.

wasnt trying to offend anyone. just stating my opinion

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Specializes in M/S, Travel Nursing, Pulmonary.
"Fast paced multiple physician practice seeking fulltime Medical Assistant/LPN"

MEDICAL ASSISTANT/LPN?? I emailed them regarding their job posting and they said "its the same thing and they get paid the same". What are your thoughts?

IDK. When I read it, my impression was not "LPN is the same as Medical Assistant" but:

We have this position, and want to fill it with either an LPN or a Medical Assistant.

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Someone help me to understand. If I am the charge nurse of a physicians office and I have a MA working under me, how am I responsible for them if they are not licensed or have a certification? They dont really follow the nursing model, from what I understand they are more like doctors assistants. So if something happens and they go up the chain of command, how could I be responsible when we have two totally different ways of being trained? Its like blaming the nurse for what the radiology tech does, its two different things...or am I crazy?

To answer your question. Many years ago I worked at an oncology clinic where the CNA was allowed to flush and draw from central lines. I called my BON (kansas) who informed me that was under the physician's license, and she could do pretty much what he said she could do.

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If it's offensive, then you are too sensitive. In a doctor's office setting, regardless of educational preparation, they perform about the same function. What exactly is the problem?

Same as most offices around here advertise for ARNP/PA when they have an opening for midrange practitioners.

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Specializes in Interested in Everything.
We did not get that additional brigade as originally planned, so no, that did not happen after all.

To answer your other question, I am prior service. I was a medic. My husband is still on active duty. I am currently completing my ADN through the Excelsior distance learning program. All I have left is to pass that dastardly CPNE before I can take my state board exam. I am scheduled to take the CPNE in September. Provided all goes well with that, I count on being T. Ciurro, RN no later than November! YAY!

What about you? Are you military?

Good luck on everything. I know you'll do well & pass. I was in the Army National Guard from 1998-2000. I got out b/c of a pregnancy hardship (She had Trisomy 18 & was stillborn). My husband is off active duty, but is in the Army Reserves.

I'm glad Stewart didn't get that extra brigade. That place was already crowded as it is.

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Becoming a Certified Medical Assistant and becoming an LPN both take about a year. I don't understand why we are assuming that one education is more difficult than the other and I mainly don't understand why LPN's "deserve" more than CMA's. I think that's offensive, honestly.

My school offers both the MA and LPN program. The MA program is 55 credits and the LPN program is 66 credits. However, 5 of those credits are generic courses like interpersonal communication (blah!), college survival skills (big waste), and intro to practical nursing (useless for people who already know the basic duties of an LPN.)

Both have to take biology, both take pharmacology, LPN program has more clinical. MA program has more med term and also a human disease course. MA also has more office type work where the LPN learns the foundations of nursing.

They are both certificate programs, not a degree program. They both take exams to be certified or licensed.

The way I see it, they are difficult in their own way.

I'm neither an LPN or a CMA, but I don't see the big deal with the job posting. The office wants someone who can do all of those tasks and they recognize that both an LPN and CMA can do those. The office is actually being smart by doing this because they will have more applicants to choose from rather than if they just limited their search to a CMA or LPN only.

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They indicated that they would consider either for the job opening and wanted to convey that information, nothing more, nothing less. Very common to see MA/LPN dual job listings. However the response to the email was terse and a little on the rude side and conveyed a lot about the attitudes in that workplace. Probably wouldn't want to work there.

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