At age 36, I'm considering a full blown career change from graphic design into nursing. I've researched local nursing programs at my community college and a local technical college. They have an Associated Degree in Medical Assisting, or they offer a certificate program for nurse prep then I'd transfer into the technical college to go for my LPN then eventually my RN.
Ideally I'd like to be the person in the doctor's office who calls your name in the waiting room, then takes you back to the doctor's room and takes your vitals (weight/blood pressure, etc.) and then says, "Okay so the doctor will be in to see you shortly."
The question is, should I get my degree in Medical Assisting, or go for the full LPN/RN? Someone I talked to at a local adult career center talked me out of doing the degree in MA because there's not much of a market for it in Vermont. But why do they offer it then?
I also work full time and have a young daughter at home. How will I possibly be able to go for my RN? I'm feeling overwhelmed, but I really, really want this. What would you do in this situation? Thanks in advance.
Here's my feeling on the MA vs RN thing, take this with a grain of salt. I have been a medical assistant for 5 years (with experience in adult and pediatric medicine) and am now about to enter the nursing program at my local college. I am the person that calls the patients from the waiting room and takes their vitals. I did my medical assisting while I was in high school and then started college for my nursing pre-reqs. For a while I took a break from school for 1-2 years because I was okay with being a medical assistant. Until I got bored and could not live with the same routine everyday. I love the patient contact but am a bit of a busy bee so I cannot stand repetitiveness. In my case as a medical assistant my day consists of calling patients in, taking vitals, updating charts and calling them with their lab results. Of course we draw blood and give immunizations but that just doesn't do it for me. In my opinion I get paid what I am worth by my employer which is not enough to live even a little comfortably in my area. I love hearing my patients stories and getting to know their families but I was not okay with no advancement opportunities (in my employer the highest you can get is clinical supervisor). Therefore I went back to school for nursing with a vengeance. Some people are creatures of habits. One of my coworkers has been in the same office, with the same doctor for 20+ years and she loves it and plans retiring there. She also doesn't like change or having to "think of what to do" (that's in her words). Her favorite part of the job is she knows exactly what is expected of her and that her day will be the same as it was yesterday. Once we had a patient stop breathing and needed CPR right on the table. She hated it and I thrived. I hopped right up on the table to do compressions while she stood in the corner with a deer in the headlight look.
Point is go with your gut. When I was in MA school I was told there were no jobs. But in all actuality there were more openings in my area than I expected.
You will obviously make significantly more money if you become an RN, and I think if you have the time and motivation that is what you should do. I will disagree with some of the points made here. I became an MA to gain contact hours with patients to enter PA school. Life happened and I made the decision to drop out of school and continue working as an MA. I don't believe it is something I will do forever, but it is a job that I genuinely enjoy. I have learned so much and I love being in a position to help patients on a daily basis. I live in the south (notoriously low pay), I work in primary care (again, low pay), and I make $15 an hour. I know that is more than a lot of MA's tend to make, but most of the MA's I know make around that amount. I also don't believe it is a position that is going away anytime soon. MA's provide cost effective services/care and the tasks they perform don't require a lot of extensive education/training. I just wanted to throw another perspective out there! I will caution you against going to a for-profit school. The cost is NOT worth it in the long run. Good luck with whatever you decide!
Birdyy16
188 Posts
Here's my feeling on the MA vs RN thing, take this with a grain of salt. I have been a medical assistant for 5 years (with experience in adult and pediatric medicine) and am now about to enter the nursing program at my local college. I am the person that calls the patients from the waiting room and takes their vitals. I did my medical assisting while I was in high school and then started college for my nursing pre-reqs. For a while I took a break from school for 1-2 years because I was okay with being a medical assistant. Until I got bored and could not live with the same routine everyday. I love the patient contact but am a bit of a busy bee so I cannot stand repetitiveness. In my case as a medical assistant my day consists of calling patients in, taking vitals, updating charts and calling them with their lab results. Of course we draw blood and give immunizations but that just doesn't do it for me. In my opinion I get paid what I am worth by my employer which is not enough to live even a little comfortably in my area. I love hearing my patients stories and getting to know their families but I was not okay with no advancement opportunities (in my employer the highest you can get is clinical supervisor). Therefore I went back to school for nursing with a vengeance. Some people are creatures of habits. One of my coworkers has been in the same office, with the same doctor for 20+ years and she loves it and plans retiring there. She also doesn't like change or having to "think of what to do" (that's in her words). Her favorite part of the job is she knows exactly what is expected of her and that her day will be the same as it was yesterday. Once we had a patient stop breathing and needed CPR right on the table. She hated it and I thrived. I hopped right up on the table to do compressions while she stood in the corner with a deer in the headlight look.
Point is go with your gut. When I was in MA school I was told there were no jobs. But in all actuality there were more openings in my area than I expected.