Medical Assistant in Hospital??

HeartsOpenWide, RN · May 11, 2006

Of course they can. I bunch of graduates in my area just got jobs at the hospital and make way more than me at an office setting. I am not sure what their job duties are, or how long they will keep their jobs because they are doing a bunch of job cuts.

But no, your not wasting your time going to school to become a nurse. If M.A.s did the same thing as nurses then why (as an M.A.) would I be "wasting my time" to go on and get my nursing degree. Sounds like your sister in law is it? is jelous that you are going to be a nurse and she will just be an M.A. (making more than half less than you and doing less too)

HeartsOpenWide, RN · May 11, 2006

she insists she can do bloodwork and interpret it, give IM, SQ, IV meds and start IV's.

M.A.s can do this (minus the I.V. and interpret blood results..although they are easy to do, we can't tell a patient the results without a practitioner confirming the results themselves)

ptogden · Jun 1, 2006

Just a quick note i am an MA working in a hospital but what got me in was my EMT certification. And i am basically a CNA with telemetry certification. I cannot give any injections nor draw blood, i can do ekg's but that is about all. I am curious what hospital your SIL is supposedly working for. Believe me the work i do now is nothing compared to an MA duties. And i have to agree an ma is trained but a nurse definitley takes alot of skills. I have learned so much in such a short time in the ICU.

tx2007, RN · Jun 1, 2006

And as Grandma used to say "I could glue fur to my whole body, and attach a long tail and i still wouldn't be a cat"

LOL Thats hilarious!! I talked to her yesterday and told her I got a job as a nurse Tech here in Texas, her response was "well I got a job at the hospital first your just copying me!" @@ I wanted to laugh at her but I just thought I will save that for when I graduate and tell her well I got my RN first so IF you ever go back like you say you are you will just be copying me!! I know childish but I soooooo want to say it LOL! :lol2:

Bonny619 · Jun 3, 2006

How old is she??

LOL Thats hilarious!! I talked to her yesterday and told her I got a job as a nurse Tech here in Texas, her response was "well I got a job at the hospital first your just copying me!" @@ I wanted to laugh at her but I just thought I will save that for when I graduate and tell her well I got my RN first so IF you ever go back like you say you are you will just be copying me!! I know childish but I soooooo want to say it LOL!

tx2007, RN · Jun 3, 2006

How old is she??

21:jester:

ECWendy · Jun 3, 2006

Yep, MAs can work in hospitals but they aren't really necessarily called MAs. I am currently a nursing student through Excelsior College and am about to start a job in a hospital titled "Clinical Assistant". It's basically a combo of MA and Nursing Assistant. The starting pay seems to be much better than what clinics or nursing homes offer around here (Austin, TX).

heathbar99 · Jul 26, 2010

Nurses make more money than an MA...way more. If the job was basically the same, then why would someone become an MA rather than a Nurse. People can get an associate degree in nursing and that is the same amount of time as an MA. Your sister-in-law is confused. Also a Nurse is considered to be a "Profession", whereas an MA is not. When I was in nursing school, I was up til 3am doing care plans and had to be at clinicals by 7. Well, my point is that you have worked your butt off. NEVER let anyone tell you that you are taking too long to finish school.

Today I had some lady say that an MA is almost a nurse. Then, I read your comment and thought that it was funny that other people actually think that. Well I will quit venting. Oh and good luck in school!!

caliotter3 · Jul 27, 2010

I have often seen ads for people without experience to be hired into Patient Tech or similarly worded positions, so an MA would be just as able to get one of those jobs as, say, a CNA or someone without a healthcare background. All one has to do is to fit the description given in the job ad.

ImASuckyCMA87 · Aug 7, 2010

LOL at MA = basically a nurse. Yeah RIGHT. I'm an MA and though I love my job, a trained monkey could do it!

(Wouldn't it be so cool to see where the OP is now, and how she made out with school!?)

frankiebaby · Aug 7, 2010

"People can get an associate degree in nursing and that is the same amount of time as an MA"

Um...not even close to being true. The majority of MA programs are 7 - 12 months. (But yes, you can get a two year associate's degree as an MA. But during those two years you take Anatomy, Math, Physiology....)

An associate's degree in nursing is two years of nursing classes ONLY. All of the sciences and math are prerequsites to admission. So actually a two year nursing degree takes a minimum of three years and maybe even four. At least in my neck of the woods.

And, if it's true that MAs are trained in the same amount of time as an ADN nurse, then why were there so many MAs in my RN program? And why do MAs make less than HALF of what an ADN RN makes? At least in California this is true...

(I mean no offense to MAs, but the professions are just not equivalent.)

work&play · Aug 7, 2010

Ok. We all know MA and nursing is not the same. The pay is not the same... and the education is NOT the same. BTW, MAs are only trained, therefore, a monkey can do that job.

I need your advice! I've been working as a CNA for two years for a registry. I'm trained as a CNA & MA. I've been offered an MA position where I'll make .80 less than my CNA...but I'll be incharge of administering TB tests.

The MA position offers medical, dental and retirement benefits...and CNA doesn't. The CNA is just vitals and night checks...and I'm almost ready to start the RN program, which one should I take?