I have a question as to what I should do?

[pumpkin1984]

Hello all, I am new to Allnurses.com!

Ok I am starting Maric college and going into the medical assistant program. I thought that this will give me some tools I need on my road to nursing. Anyways I just wondered what I should do after I graduate in July. 1. do my pre-reqs for the lvn program at my community college and get on a waitlist. 2. go to an expensive trade school where there is no waitlist, I have been looking into Hondros college in Cincinnati,OH. Or 3. should I go to somewhere like Baldy View ROP or Visalia adult school, take my lvn there for cheap and get my rn somewhere else. I am so confused because I know my medical assistant program may not transfer but I need that experience. Even though I am a care provider, I don't know injections or drug calculations. Please Help, what should I do!

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I completed a medical assistant program a little over 7 years ago, and it did not help me with the LVN program whatsoever. The MA program is strictly skills-based. In other words, you are learning skills, but you never learn the full reasoning or theory behind them.

My advice is to pursue the LVN program at the cheapest cost possible. However, earning an LVN license cheaply tends to involve plenty of waiting and patience, because everyone wants to go the the least expensive schools to save money (obviously).

Good luck! :)

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

I feel the same as TheCommuter; the medical assisting course really doesn't cover much for the LPN program. It is a skills oriented course. You may be familiar with terms, but there is no rationale of why things are the way they are presented. For example, they may show you how to do an EKG, and may even show you some of the more dangerous rhythms that require that the physician be alerted immediately. However, you will not be taught of what exactly the heart is doing, why, or what medications would be administered. Or, if a blood pressure is high, you are taught to inform the doctor. But, they may not teach you of what questions to ask, what meds to give, how the medications should work or WHY the blood pressure elevation is dangerous.

I echo the comment of try and get into an LPN program, and at times, you may have to pay more, but, there will be more opportunities offered to an LPN than to the medical assistant. Also, the schools do not always mention that the rate of pay is low for medical assistants and many of them have a hard time finding jobs. Most of them make close to minimum wage and have no medical insurance. And, they are truly limited to working in a doctor's office. To work in a nursing home, you would need to obtain a nursing assistant certification. In fact, the medical assistant functions higher than a CNA, but has less opportunities of working elsewhere. Just food for thought. I do say, though, that medical assistants are worth their weight in gold in the office, as any other member of the health care team. Good luck!

[Conqueror+, BSN, RN]

Get your LPN first and now. I work with several Medical Assistants at my nursing home. They work as CNA's and why spend that kind of time and money when it only takes a month to become a CNA ?