LPN versus CMA

Nurses LPN/LVN

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I was thinking at first of going for my Medical Assistant degree, since I want to work in a clinic so badly. I heard so much about how LPN's are getting phased out and only CMA's are getting jobs at clinics, and CMA's are higher up than LPN's. This of course coming from recruters from CMA programs. It would seem that the only difference between CMA's and LPN's are the fact that Med Asst's. get training in lab and x-ray. Well, I already am a certified Phlebotomist, and so I have that going. Any of you guys and gals work alongside Med Assts? Anyone work in clinics? :balloons:

Actually we do more than LPN's..

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Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.
Actually we do more than LPN's..

No you don't

Thats why you don't work in hospitals, you can do certain tasks and your schooling is short and you don't qualify for a PROFESSIONAL license.

Please get out of this daze you were in. Back office skills do not substitute for real licensed skills.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, LTC/Geriatric.
Actually we do more than LPN's..

No, you don't :banghead: :banghead:

Where is the dead horse smiley???

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Specializes in IM/Critical Care/Cardiology.
I'm very proud to state that I'm an MA! There is absolutly nothing wrong with being one. I do plan to further my education to acquire a degree as a PA. Not to say you can't keep the title of an MA and do more with it. All the while I am an MA currently I am proud and happy with my scope of practice. I strongly suggest to those who aren't current on the abilities, skills, & knowledge of an MA's please stop trying to degrade the title.

I reside in the state of Tn. and the pay and scope here is comfortable. I have nothing against LPN's or CNA's, we are all brothers and sisters in this crusade in excellent healthcare practices but I can't continue to read the put downs and let downs by other healthcare professionals. It depends on your STATE WHAT YOUR SCOPE OF PRACTICE INTALES!!

If your state limits an MA's scope then the program can only offer such. MA's receive admin courses, gen ed, (or pre-req's) & clinical ie infection control, pharmacology/admin of med, assist techniques/physical exam, assist minor surgery, basic lab procedure/routine blood & urine testing and CPR CERT. My God does this not count for anything

For the record LPN's are professionals trained in basic nursing techniques and direct pt. care. They also practiceunder the direct supervision of an RN or physician and are employed in similar settings as an RN. Once again your state may call for more or less. As for MA's we function under the supervision of licensed medical professionals and is competent in both admin/office and clinical/lab procedures.

Lets not forget that certifications and liscensure increase your pay scale. We are in this together noone is better than the other (even tho the pay is better ;~&gtwink.gif we just all have our parts to play.

Try an google The AAMA, AMT, CAAHEP,

P.s there are CMA's (certified medical assitant) and RMA (registerd medical assistants we weren't formally recognized untill 1978 but th orginization was founded in 1956.

Does anyone understand my frustration?

I do note your frustration. I was a CMA before an LPN. However, "direct patient care" is not the same for an Ma or CMA OR RMA! Diresct patient care is learned at a different level as an LPN: as is with an RN, direct patient care also includes alot of physiology and theory, going even further yet.

Yes, all of us have a scope of practice, I believe the difference is just that, not the same as, nor to be compared, absolutely different, our own scope of practice.:twocents:

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You are sadly mistaken.

I just left a hospital to go into a specialty. So whatever person lied to you or hatred you have toward MA's I wish you would keep that negative energy to your self.

I attended a universityfor two years to aquire my ASMA and for the record there is more to an MA than back office work. To your dismay that is a plus to have those office skills. Sure you are a license practical nurse but, I can do what you do plus ins billinb & coding as well as give injections, perform vp's and start IV's not to mention lab work! I have two certifications and I'm preparing for my registration in my state which is as equally hard as the NCLEX-VN . So do some more research rather than go off of hear say or negative individuals. My credentials hold the same respect and validity as yours!

There are certain things you can't do as an LPN if you wanna through stones!!

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What do you do that I don't?

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Now here's someone with some knowledge about this subject and its not a onesided discussion........its about time!

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Now here's someone with some knowledge about this subject and its not a onesided discussion........its about time!
Since this is a nursing forum with over 300,000 members who are mostly nurses and nursing students, the chances of this discussion remaining one-sided are high. There are numerous "MA versus Nurse" discussions on these forums, and they typically tend to not turn out well for a variety of reasons. The main reasons are that no one's mind will be changed with any new posts, and that we're not really hearing any new revelations.
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I don't understand what all the fuss is about? Why should we give a rats behind about what a CMA can or cannot do?

As long as they're NOT calling themselves nurses then they are welcome to bust their humps for a fraction of what I make. :)

I can't even fathom bragging about doing 90% of what an LPN does for less pay?

Is that something to be proud of?

Don't get me wrong I have the same issues with LPNs who brag about doing 90% of an RNs job for fewer dollars.....what's so great about being used as cheap labor?

It really boggles the mind. :confused:

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Specializes in Med/Surg, LTC/Geriatric.
You are sadly mistaken.

I just left a hospital to go into a specialty. So whatever person lied to you or hatred you have toward MA's I wish you would keep that negative energy to your self.

I attended a universityfor two years to aquire my ASMA and for the record there is more to an MA than back office work. To your dismay that is a plus to have those office skills. Sure you are a license practical nurse but, I can do what you do plus ins billinb & coding as well as give injections, perform vp's and start IV's not to mention lab work! I have two certifications and I'm preparing for my registration in my state which is as equally hard as the NCLEX-VN . So do some more research rather than go off of hear say or negative individuals. My credentials hold the same respect and validity as yours!

There are certain things you can't do as an LPN if you wanna through stones!!

You start IV's???????? :no:

Now there's a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Sigh, no...you can't.

I have no hatred whatsoever towards MA's. But MA's CANNOT do everything an LPN can do. Read my post on my 16 of this thread.

Have a nice day. :)

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Specializes in Mother-Baby, Rehab, Hospice, Memory Care.
You are sadly mistaken.

I just left a hospital to go into a specialty. So whatever person lied to you or hatred you have toward MA's I wish you would keep that negative energy to your self.

I attended a universityfor two years to aquire my ASMA and for the record there is more to an MA than back office work. To your dismay that is a plus to have those office skills. Sure you are a license practical nurse but, I can do what you do plus ins billinb & coding as well as give injections, perform vp's and start IV's not to mention lab work! I have two certifications and I'm preparing for my registration in my state which is as equally hard as the NCLEX-VN . So do some more research rather than go off of hear say or negative individuals. My credentials hold the same respect and validity as yours!

There are certain things you can't do as an LPN if you wanna through stones!!

You obviously have a huge chip on your shoulder about this... For the last time CMAs are not nursing staff, therefore NO you cannot "do more than LPNs". Yes you may have excellent skills in the tasks you perform, but in no legal way are you a nurse nor could you legally perform as one.

In the hospital did you have your own patients? Did you assess them? Did you give medications? Did you do patient teaching? Did you give injections and IV meds? Did you report changes to the doctor and receive orders? Did you participate in their plan of care? I'm surely guessing NO, because you have no license.

Good for you that you are proud of your job. We are not trying to put you down. Until you go to nursing school you really don't know what you don't know. By the way anybody can be taught coding and billing and office skills, it doesn't take a degree, license or certification to do those things. That is why any facility would not waste the resource of a licensed person doing those tasks.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

By the way, check out some of the other discussions on MAs. As I've previously mentioned, this issue has been discussed extensively, and no one's mind is going to be changed by any new revelations.

1) https://allnurses.com/forums/f8/why-hire-lpn-rather-than-ma-doctor-s-office-324791.html

2) https://allnurses.com/forums/f8/cna-vs-cma-321077.html

3) https://allnurses.com/forums/f8/not-bashing-m-s-314799.html

4) https://allnurses.com/forums/f8/question-about-cma-certified-medical-assistants-318956.html

5) https://allnurses.com/forums/f8/medical-assisting-questions-283615.html

6) https://allnurses.com/forums/f8/boards-need-regulate-ma-s-242238.html

7) https://allnurses.com/forums/f8/what-heck-medical-assistant-schools-doing-182392.html

8) https://allnurses.com/forums/f8/differences-between-medical-assistants-registered-nurses-167893.html

9) https://allnurses.com/forums/f8/would-nurses-support-ma-licensure-154666.html

10) https://allnurses.com/forums/f8/medical-asst-vs-nurse-82438.html

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