Medical assistants and LPNs

Nurses LPN/LVN

Updated:   Published

HI all,

I have just finished a medical assisting program and im now looking for a job. I have noticed alot of job openings for lpn but nothing for medical assistants. I was wondering first of all what is the difference? I can pretty much do everything an lpn can do. I was wondering if I applied to lpn positions would I be a candidate for lpn positions or would I be wasting my time? Please somebody answer my question I would greatly appreciate the advice.

AMEN TO THAT!!!! :yeah:

Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

In clinics where the tasks asked of a LPN or MA are limited then depending on the practice they are more likely to hire a MA because your cheaper. Plain and simple. Not because you are better.

Along with my associates I have 3 years of study at a regular university and I will tell you this. Other academics with bachelors or masters or above may look on you with scorn. They may be likely to call "little pretend degree"

Man I hate being mean but somethings just need to be correct.*goes to hose myself off*

Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

ASS I can think of something.... Actually I think though that ASS is an Associates of Science just taking the first 2 letters of associates

Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

LPNs are not limited to working with the elderly, and even if that were true, there are several courses of study that are entailed to being able to oversee their care that is clearly not offered in a Medical Assisting course, or they would be working there.

I have had Medical Assistant training, and it is cannot be compared to training as an LPN or (especially) the RN. The fact that the Medical Assisting career path is not regulated and people can opt to take their certification or not (and only if they attended an accreditated school at that) demonstrates this fact. You are taking this as an insult and it is not. And, if there were no assistive personnel around to do patient care, then, the Registered Nurse would also be doing it.

Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

And, whether you choose to consider us to be "Little Play Nurses" or not, it still stands that we are licensed NURSES whether you accept it or not.

And, whether you choose to consider us to be "Little Play Nurses" or not, it still stands that we are licensed NURSES whether you accept it or not.

I was not trying to put yall down in anyway it was a question of why MA think they are the same as LPN's and i stated what I thought and was told, but also like i said at first I kno there are differences and things we can not do but there are also things we can do as well as LPN's...

Please just refrain from the name calling....

Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.
Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

It's the content I am referring to not the spelling. Show your intelligence through your words and don't try and hide behind the dumbed down format of the internet.

Specializes in Mother-Baby, Rehab, Hospice, Memory Care.

I don't think most people think a CMA is just a CNA. We are well aware what CMAs can do. The fact is that it is just limited to pretty much one setting - a doctors office or clinic while you are under direct supervision of a physician. From what I understand, if a CMA works outside that setting they work as a tech or like a CNA. Good question on why you went to school for so long for CMA, because personally I wouldn't have wasted that much time on that, but to each his/her own....

Be proud of what you do but PLEASE don't come on here and insult a group of NURSES.

By the way I work in mother/baby in a hospital, that doesn't seem like I can "only work in a nursing home or with the elderly".... What are these Medical Assistant "schools" telling people these days???

Specializes in Cardiac Care.
I was not trying to put yall down in anyway it was a question of why MA think they are the same as LPN's and i stated what I thought and was told, but also like i said at first I kno there are differences and things we can not do but there are also things we can do as well as LPN's...

First, let's get you a reality check. It is indeed the internet, but you are not permitted to say "whateva". This is a privately owned professional NURSING website, viewed all over the world. You do NOT have free speech here. You are a guest, and are expected to act accordingly. That means posts in which you attack, demoralize, defame or in any way become argumentative or profane will be edited. This is part of the Terms of Service (TOS) which is strongly encouraged to be read and reviewed by all of our members. You must have missed that part.

There is no such thing as an ASS degree. Your continued and persistent use of it is in error and it embarrasses you and your profession.

Little Play Nurses??? Certainly you did not intend to insult the thousands of LPN's practicing in this country who are members of this site. LPN's attended school and successfully passed their licensing exam. No small feat. Your use of the term is derogatory and offensive. It is also a violation of the TOS you overlooked when you signed for membership here. You owe a lot of people an apology. And for the record (and you should look this up in the TOS, too)... continued violations of the TOS will result in termination of your membership.

Whatever the location, your posts will gain more credibility without the juvenile text messaging. As I previously mentioned, this is a site that serves the profession of nursing. You do nothing to reflect that in your consistent use of misspellings, misstatements and misinformation. No one will take you seriously if you do not project a more adult, professional image for yourself and for your career.

Specializes in NICU.

Little Play Nurses??? Certainly you did not intend to insult the thousands of LPN's practicing in this country who are members of this site. LPN's attended school and successfully passed their licensing exam. No small feat. Your use of the term is derogatory and offensive. It is also a violation of the TOS you overlooked when you signed for membership here. You owe a lot of people an apology. And for the record (and you should look this up in the TOS, too)... continued violations of the TOS will result in termination of your membership.

:yeahthat::bow:

+ Add a Comment