Medical Assistants to replace RN's?

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Hello RN's. I took my daughter to the UW Children's Hospital in Madison yesterday. The nurse my daughter had was excellent. She took the time to educate my daughter on a couple of issues, and was very personable. When thanking her for the time and expertise she had shown, she stated that the whole hospital is in the process of replacing RN's with Medical Assistants to save money. She also stated that this is happening in places around the nation. My first question is has anyone been noticing this or know anything about this?

Specializes in being a Credible Source.
Certainly. When I was young, there were nurses in doctor's offices. Now you have MAs. It is hard to find a doctor's office that employs nurses.
And yet, many doctors still refer to those MAs as their "nurse."
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Specializes in Med/Surg, LTC/Geriatric.
The 2 year associate MA program is just as much learning as the registered nursing. The MA do their training in clinics, but are now moving into different departments of hospitals. Soon these hospital administrations will be placing them in patient care. Paperwork, anybody can do that. There are no RN in the teaching hospital (hugh teaching hospital) here in this large city where I live. They have MA to give the immunizations, to start the IV's, to educate the patient and family, to remove and reapply dressings, to clean wounds-MAs care for all ages. My MA, told me that she just passed all her certifications for IV therapy, and she and two others were among 6 other registered nurses. Her friend (another MA) scored the highest on the final. I call my MA from time to time, and she advises me. She is really good. Her schooling was hard. She had to pass two pharmacy classes that were really hard. So, I think that the new title for RN is MA.

I was in nursing school, but I changed my major to pharmacy, they make more than both an RN and an MA. I will tell you this, medical doctors like the MA. The public likes them too. My elderly friend next door was having trouble losing weight, and I referred her to my MA who specializes in womens care, and my elderly friend walks every evening, and she told me that she can feel a great difference in her life. My MA gave her a walking pamphlet to record her walking, and she also gave her a list of healthy foods to eat, and my neighbor looks great, and elderly lady that almost looked like she was hunched over with weight, wow...what a difference.

The MA program is very competitive. They are like mini doctors.

Oh my....there are just so many scary and hopefully inaccurate statements in this post!! Mini doctors??? You have got to be kidding me! I have bolded the rest of the ultra scary statement! No, the new title for RN is not MA!! Of course, an MA who takes NURSING SCHOOL could be a great RN, but MA education will NEVER replace RN education! Ever.

*shudder*

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There are no RN in the teaching hospital (hugh teaching hospital) here in this large city where I live.

I call bull****. Prove it. Provide a link to a hospital that does not employ RNs. My assumption is, of course, that this is in a first world country. I apologize in advance if my assumption is incorrect.

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.

Yikes! That was scarier than anything Stephen King ever wrote.

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Specializes in ICU/UM.

Sounds more like physician assistant than a MA. I've never heard of a MA that can write orders.

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Specializes in MICU - CCRN, IR, Vascular Surgery.
The 2 year associate MA program is just as much learning as the registered nursing. The MA do their training in clinics, but are now moving into different departments of hospitals. Soon these hospital administrations will be placing them in patient care. Paperwork, anybody can do that. There are no RN in the teaching hospital (hugh teaching hospital) here in this large city where I live. They have MA to give the immunizations, to start the IV's, to educate the patient and family, to remove and reapply dressings, to clean wounds-MAs care for all ages. My MA, told me that she just passed all her certifications for IV therapy, and she and two others were among 6 other registered nurses. Her friend (another MA) scored the highest on the final. I call my MA from time to time, and she advises me. She is really good. Her schooling was hard. She had to pass two pharmacy classes that were really hard. So, I think that the new title for RN is MA.

I was in nursing school, but I changed my major to pharmacy, they make more than both an RN and an MA. I will tell you this, medical doctors like the MA. The public likes them too. My elderly friend next door was having trouble losing weight, and I referred her to my MA who specializes in womens care, and my elderly friend walks every evening, and she told me that she can feel a great difference in her life. My MA gave her a walking pamphlet to record her walking, and she also gave her a list of healthy foods to eat, and my neighbor looks great, and elderly lady that almost looked like she was hunched over with weight, wow...what a difference.

The MA program is very competitive. They are like mini doctors.

Such complete and total ********. Also, this person is hilarious, so thanks for the great laugh!

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I did not mean to provoke a maladaptive attitude committed by anyone by any means. It is very true, yes, hospitals are just in the early phases of hiring MA. The MA will practice under their own insurance, it can be obtained, yes indeed it can. In the clinic setting, the MA practices under the physician's license, and yes they are like the nurse, they give immunizations, educated families about every aspect of health, they administer medications, they learn in their schooling and do a lot with the physician. Physicians The MA degree-associate degree- is also transfer credits to the medical university here for applying for the Physicians Assistant program, but there are just a couple more chemistry classes the MA, or a 2 year Rn for all that matters, to apply. Hey, what makes the difference, there is only one right way to give immunizations, RNs are not the only professions to administer and take care of patients. No. I know one physician that takes his MA to the hospital on the orthopedic unit to evaluate how the patients are walking after surgery, and the RN's respect her. The RN's notice her as doing her job under the authority of a physician. As a matter of fact the MA will find the RN and inquire about the status of his patients, and the MA is advised accordingly. The MA position is very prestigious indeed. MA-certified of course-is a growing profession, and they are dedicated to taking care of people in whatever setting they are in, clinic, or hospital. Getting into the program here is very competitive, "very competitive."

I think the world of MA's, they chart on patients, they administer medical care, they educate the patient and the families patients. They know pharmacology very well, they learn mental health care, nutritional care. They are taught the nursing process. So, it is a new wave indeed. I suspect that there will soon be bylaws for each state for the practice of MA.

Oh, one thing I wanted to mention. The MA that accompanies the physician to the hospital for 6am rounds, has the right to access supplies on the nursing floor. While we were getting report for day shift, the MA peeked in the nursing report room and told the RN that she took the first bandage off of a Total knee repair for the physician, and then she continued on telling the order that the doctor wrote for further care. The RN's jaw dropped and said you took the bandage off and she said yes, she was assisting the physician on rounds, and then she told the RN the orders were in the chart at the front desk. We were all shocked. Is was crazy, I do have to admit, but what can we do but follow the physician written orders as the MA advised. The RNs are part of a hospital nursing team, the MA is part of the physician medical team. Yes, the title are very different, but responsibilities are not.

So, later after report, the RN went into the patients room, and the patient told the RN that the physician's MA took her dressing off, and pulled back the blanket, and sure enough a fresh sterile dry dressing had been indeed applied. The RNs face expression was unbelievable. Later the RN spoke to the nurse manager about the situation. The nurse manager stated, the MA can do as the physician advises, the MA is practicing under license of the physician, and the MA is certified, and the MA can come to the hospital with the physician and practice procedures under the authority of the physician. The manager just stated, all you have to do is now what the physician has ordered. But, the thing is, the physician has to be present and authorize the MA.

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Say what you want, but this is very true. Very, very true. We were all surprised. But I promise you, it is very true.

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ooh yes medical offices usually don't have RN's we are to expensive.. MA's are not nurses so they are much cheaper ( no offense MA's) ..,, now a hospital replacing MA's with RN's would be impossible .. it just couldn't happen .. the hospital would loose money from all the lawsuits for not using professional nurses who are trained for acute care patients ... a MA couldn't work in a hospital, they are not trained for hospital work,,,

Well, the thing is MA are a professional career. Indeed it is. They have two year college associate degrees, get certifications in IV therapy. I will tell you one thing. I get flu shots every year, whether I get it from a pharmacists, the MA or an RN, there is no difference. As a matter of fact, I have had better experiences getting the flu shot from the pharmacists first-he was awesome, from the MA, and the RN was rigid in her technique. I have had RNs in such a hurry in the hospital, but then when I go to my doctor, the MA is so wonderful, and I get most of my care treatment from her, not the RN. I have even called the MA at my doctors office while in the hospital to report something, and then the doctor writes me different orders, because the MA takes time to listen and she has time. The MA does not have to take care of a patient at the bedside, although I would imagine that my MA assistant who works for my doctor has some say so in my care. She is highly concerned with my care. Doctors and MAs are a very professional medical team.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, LTC/Geriatric.
Well, the thing is MA are a professional career. Indeed it is. They have two year college associate degrees, get certifications in IV therapy. I will tell you one thing. I get flu shots every year, whether I get it from a pharmacists, the MA or an RN, there is no difference. As a matter of fact, I have had better experiences getting the flu shot from the pharmacists first-he was awesome, from the MA, and the RN was rigid in her technique. I have had RNs in such a hurry in the hospital, but then when I go to my doctor, the MA is so wonderful, and I get most of my care treatment from her, not the RN. I have even called the MA at my doctors office while in the hospital to report something, and then the doctor writes me different orders, because the MA takes time to listen and she has time. The MA does not have to take care of a patient at the bedside, although I would imagine that my MA assistant who works for my doctor has some say so in my care. She is highly concerned with my care. Doctors and MAs are a very professional medical team.

What city are you in? What country even if you aren't comfortable sharing the city. I find all of this very hard to believe is happening in the USA. And I'm from Canada....

Sure MA's can be taught HOW to do certain skills, but nurses are taught WHY. Nurses are taught the nursing process, critical thinking and assessment skills. MA's are not. RNs especially have a very indepth knowledge of anatomy and physiology. (more so than LPNs and definately more than MA's.) Advanced pharmacology. Again, much more in depth than an MA. And from all I've read on this board and from the daytime informercials seen on TV about becoming an MA, it does not seem very prestigous or hard to get into. At all.

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Oh believe me, there are some RN (2 year programs that did not have any Chemistry at all). Now, some MA programs require the chemistry to graduate.

Oh yes, there is a hospital right here, 15 minutes from me that is hiring CMA. OH YES!! Very much indeed.

By the way, the MAs take the AP classes along with the 2 year RN students, oh yes honey they sure do. The same college algebra, the same English classes, the same practical care in the same practical learning rooms as the nursing students do. Oh yea, baby they sure do. And as a matter of fact, they learn the IV skills from the same instructor that teaches the SAME IV skill to the nursing students. It is freaky indeed, but it is so true.

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