Medical Assistant vent

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Hey guys, here is my first vent on here. I normally don't complain but this has gotten on my nerves. I'm in the practical nursing program and we have to have community clinicals at a doctor's office as part of MED III clinicals. The medical assistants have turned this into a competition "you don't have to know as much as we do, we have to learn payroll and computer classes". I'm like why would I need to know that as a nurse. "The only difference between us is that y'all learn IVs and we learn how to draw blood". All I said was "the difference is y'all learn procedures such as testing urine and pregnancy tests and EKG While we actually work one on one with the patient". I want to say so bad that if a patient went in critical condition they would be looking stupid while I have assessment skills and know what to do and that's why I'm different. Anybody else had this problem?

Specializes in SRNA.

I'll give you my experience which shines light on BOTH sides of the spectrum. Before I enrolled in an ABSN program I was a medical assistant at an urgent care. There were 3 other MAs who were currently in nursing school (1 LPN, 1 RN to BSN, and 1 ASN). The LPN was the most cocky out of the 3 and "their" license was always "on the line" because of what the MAs were doing. Their excuse is because LPNs are higher up than MAs. They were know-it-alls and the MD had to shut it down (he was another story lmao).

Maybe the MA you're dealing with had bad experiences with LPNs/RNs and being aggressive is how they deal with it - or they have some type of superiority complex going on. The only thing you can do is hold your head high, let them do them, learn from the experience, and graduate.

As one of the MAs there...I can for sure tell you I acquired some nursing skills (assessment wise) because the providers I worked with were willing to teach me to do things because I knew I wanted to continue my education. After some experience I was able to "triage" patients at the clinic and come up with a few diagnoses before the provider went in - think recurring presentations - strep, otis media, UTI, URI, PNA, bronchitis, urticaria, allergic rxns, musculoskeletal issues etc.

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.
Like I said I'm sorry if I offended anybody. I was just venting, there is only 1 medical assistant who is open to a student and the others feel like I slow them down. I'm proud of how far I've come and I wish they would let me do more. I've given only 3 shots since I've been there, the rest of the time I'm doing vitals. I wish I could talk to the patients and do our WHAT'S UP format. So medical assistants do a good job and that 1 has taught me a lot, I don't disrespect MAs, I've just had a bad experience and feel downgraded, that's all that was about

That is an issue -- you should be learning from a **nursing** instructor, not UAPs. And if for whatever reason your instructor insists on inappropriately delegating/not doing her job... the respective administrations need to have a chat. Yes, you are guests. BUT. When you look at your syllabus, you will find course objectives. You can't possibly meet those objectives taking vital signs and then being banished to the hallway.

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

Oh, and as others have said, don't getting into urination contests with staff. It won't have any productive benefit.

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I feel bad for posting this now because it was rude some of the things I said and how it came off. I was just sooo frustrated and venting. The worst part was I felt like if I told an instructor or anything I was looking kinda like a baby and unprofessional so I just kept my mouth shut and finally came on here and just had to get it out. That rotation is over. Even though I felt in the way and downgraded, I did learn a lot from that one medical assistant so some good did come out of it. He called it cross training me lol. When I left my last day he gave me a hug and said good luck, I told everybody else bye and they didn't even say anything.

The best part of this clinical rotarion was when I was feeling like I didn't belong there I would think of all the things I could do that they wouldn't let me and I started really thinking about all the things I've learned and how far me and my classmates have come and how much stress we have overcome. That was a good feeling. I'm so busy juggling time and a 2 year old and staying on top of things that that was the first time I had ever thought about it.

Sorry this is so long, I just wanted to share that

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