Medical Assistant or CNA

Nurses General Nursing

Published

My goal is to become an LVN but first I want to get my foot in the door. Should I go pay to go to school and become a Medical Assistant get hired at a hospital and work there for a year and then go back to school for the LVN program. Or get into the CNA program and get hired by a hospital and work there for a year then go back to school for the LVN program?

Please help!

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

I think the CNA would give you a more relevant experience.

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Specializes in DOU.

Do they even hire medical assistants in hospitals? They work primarily in doctor's offices where I live...

I vote CNA.

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Thats what I'm thinking is CNA, all of the LVN programs I'm looking at require you to take the CNA program but I'm not sure if I can get hired just as a CNA for the time being while I finish school.

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Specializes in DOU.

I'd be surprised if you couldn't.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

Most medical assisting programs are very expensive and unfortunately, most graduates have a hard time getting jobs when they graduate. Those that do get hired in hospitals are working as the equivilant to clerks and aides, anyhow, but without the CNA certification, they are limited to just those positions. I say take a CNA course that has additional classes in phlebotomy and EKG.

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Specializes in long term care Alzheimers Patients.

I agree with Pagan, my daughter took a medical assitant course which was very expensive,she now owes a lot in student loans,she never got a job as a ma and is now working as a Cna I say go for your Cna

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oops, sorry.

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I don't know if you have this option where you live, but after a year of clinicals in my ASN program you become a CNA. Maybe you can find something of the sort that allows for opportunity to get your foot in the door prior to graduation.

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just out of curiosity does anyone know what a typical CNA salary is?

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Specializes in Med/Surg.
I don't know if you have this option where you live, but after a year of clinicals in my ASN program you become a CNA.

Why go through all that? You can become a CNA in 6 weeks by signing up for a free class at a nursing home, there are other places that offer the 6 week class but usually you have to pay for those.

just out of curiosity does anyone know what a typical CNA salary is?

I am hearing around $10 an hour

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Specializes in heart failure and prison.

I am a medical assistant and I do work in a hospital. I think as a CNA, you will get more inpatient experience. Where I go to school, my class mate is a CNA and she really helped me with inpatient care. Like giving bed baths, turning pt and so on. Now on the flip side, when we are in the ER, I showed her how to draw blood and put lines in. Both are good, but if I had it to do all over again, I would become a CNA, not only that, you can watch what the nurses do and ask questions. So when you get to clinicals, you will have an idea about the real world.

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