MA vs LPN-- which one?????

CSLee3, ASN, BSN, LVN, EMT-P · Oct 21, 2004

Simple answer...the more the education, the more the money. With an actual nursing license (LPN/LVN) you can travel state to state, work a variety of settings and it opens pathways for you to continue you education if you so choose. If an employer is hiring more MA's than LPN's it is probably financial or they do not need licensed nurses. One is a nurse the other is not.

Hope that helps....

smk1, LPN · Oct 21, 2004

lpn will give you more avnues to look for a job. MA was created specifically for the office and pretty much that is the only place you will see them. There may be a few functioning in a CNA capacity in hospitals. Lpn can work in a variety of settings including home health, long term care, some schools (in a certain role), hospitals and offices. They have more education, and should ever want to go for an RN degree, you will be much closer because a lot of your lpn credits should transfer, MA credits will not in most cases because the levels of the credits wouldn't be high enough. Just my thoughts.

tazee · Oct 21, 2004

I know in Colorado most of the hospitals are doing away with MA's and in reality the New MA's are really the LPN's. nursing is revolving so fast. and changing.

If you are a LPN you have to get your RN to have more doors open to you.

Jo Dirt · Oct 21, 2004

I know in Colorado most of the hospitals are doing away with MA's and in reality the New MA's are really the LPN's. nursing is revolving so fast. and changing.
If you are a LPN you have to get your RN to have more doors open to you.

That's true but if I were going to choose between LPN and MA it would definitely be LPN. If you want to further your nursing career that won't happen with an MA certificate. In fact, I have checked into a lot of nursing programs and there are not any MA to RN programs but there are tons of LPN to RN programs. Even in the distance learning field, Excelsior College no longer accepts MA's or surgical tech's into the ASN (associate degree nurse) program.

There are times when I thought my LPN diploma wasn't worth the paper it was printed on, because you are more limited with an LPN license. However, you have many more options as an LPN than an MA, and you will make an average of $7.00 more an hour too.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Oct 21, 2004

in reality the New MA's are really the LPN's.

Curious to know how this is?

sasa · Oct 21, 2004

i really think that an LPN is worth the education and the skill level is much higher that that of an MA (not that they dont have a place) let me tell you , i have taught a CMA course and the people in that course were rather unmotivated. i often got asked "why do i have to talk biology?" umm hello as we all know you need to know the normal to understand the abnormal. my BEST advice is to go as far as you can in nursing education. this is a career that will take you as far as you want to go a MA well thats a very limited education with out the choice to move on.

nursemike, ASN, RN · Oct 22, 2004

A good friend of mine has an MA certificate and was working as a nurse's aide (not CNA). She tried to get into LTC but can't, since she doesn't have a CNA. The LPN definitely gives you more options, and a head start in many ADN programs, and even some BSN programs, I think. Around here, the community LPN school is also a lot cheaper than commercial MA school. As I think a previous post was alluding, an LPN can always work as an MA, but an MA can't work as an LPN. Or even a CNA, apparently (that might vary from state to state, though.)

MelodyJ.WA, LPN · Oct 22, 2004

i'm an LVN student (SVN) and i was an MA before that .. the most money I ever made was $7.50 an hour .. i know i'll make more then that as an LVN, which is why I chose it. Also when i went to school for Medical Assisting they told me that they were in high demand, it took me a long time to get a job, lookin in the want ads and everywhere else for a job, i haven't seen anything for MAs .. but there are ALOT of positions for LVNs, i'm confident that i made the right choice.

tazee · Oct 22, 2004

Exactly LPN/LVN is in demand as well as RN too. Hopefully it will stay in demand for many more years to come.

sheliamd · Oct 22, 2004

Thanks a bunch...I thought LPN's made more than MA's but wanted to hear from others.

angel337, MSN, RN · Oct 22, 2004

if i could do it all over again, i would have been an LPN. i was an MA for years. i got so sick of being referred to as "nurse" when i wasn't a nurse. i am a RN now and i think the MA experience helped, but LPN would have been better.