need advice so bad!

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hi,

I am going to school pretty soon but until now i cant still decide between LPN & Medical Assistant.What i like about MA is i like the office atmosphere,does LPN work in a doctors office too?Doing bedside care kind of scare me but i believe it is something we can overcome with,but im clueless in what they really do in a hospital,like what kind of patient care?If your a LPN,what is your typical day w/ the patient,,Is it really true that LPN does the dirty work than RN?

Can you please tell me the duties as a LPN, & would you recommend this carrer.

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Be a medical assistant if that is your final career goal. There's really no where to go on the medical assistance ladder. When you make your choice think about where you eventually want to be in 5 to 10 years. Do you see yourself in the same position in 10 years? A medical assistant will always just be a medical assistant. Get what I'm saying?

As an LPN you have more choices. Depending on what you like..You can work with pediatrics, babies, adults..Get what I'm saying? You have more choices in the in and out patient setting. I was an LPN for 4 years and I worked stricktly with babies and children. I loved my LPN experience. Now, I am an RN and the choices are endless. I can go anywhere and do anything within the scope of RN practice.

For more information on what LPN's can do I suggest you go find the board of nurses website in your state. I'm sure there you will find a link which talks about the scope of LPN practice in your state.

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I cant tell you what to do, I can however tell you from experience that I enjoy nursing so much more that I did working in a Lab as an assistant. First of all as a Lab assistant in my area I could not afford to keep my home, If I had to be the breadwinner...Which is exactly what happened to me. Hubby left, NEVER thought it would happen, but it did! I could not keep my home on that salary, So thank GOD I qualified for a grant to go to nursing school and further my education!. Not only is it so empowering to know the reasons behind the procedures, but you are a valuable resource to your patients, who may not understand. You are a teacher, a friend, a support system, ..... a NURSE. Education, in my opinion is ALWAYS a good thing. But like the poster above mentioned.... You cant really do much more with your MA than work in a specific type of setting, whereas nurses are in high demand, have excellent opportunities for growth, pay is pretty good, and you are a vital part of thier care. Please do not get me wrong, and think I am downing MA's. I was a CNA for years, then a Lab Assistant for seven years and just recently, like two DAYS ago became a nurse. It seems to me the more you learn the more you realize that you don't know anything! LOL, I have much more medical knowledge now than I ever had as a CNA or MA, not to say that other MAs or CNAs do not know more than me. I am POSITIVE that there are CNAs and MAs with MORE medical knowledge than myself!. But since I am a nurse, it is within my scope to do what I was trained to do under my license. A nurse is a licenced professional! Why not go to career builders and search for jobs for a MA and LPN in your area, see what the duties are and what the payscale is. P.S. I am not a nurse for the money, however, it is a plus for a single mom. I was making about 19 thousand as a Lab Assistant. I now make 40 thousand as a new LPN right out of school. But only you know what is right for you, this was my decision. Both career choices are very admirable in my opinion. Good luck to you in what ever area of medicine you choose to go into! Best of luck!

-Jami

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Be a medical assistant if that is your final career goal. There's really no where to go on the medical assistance ladder. When you make your choice think about where you eventually want to be in 5 to 10 years. Do you see yourself in the same position in 10 years? A medical assistant will always just be a medical assistant. Get what I'm saying?

As an LPN you have more choices. Depending on what you like..You can work with pediatrics, babies, adults..Get what I'm saying? You have more choices in the in and out patient setting. I was an LPN for 4 years and I worked stricktly with babies and children. I loved my LPN experience. Now, I am an RN and the choices are endless. I can go anywhere and do anything within the scope of RN practice.

For more information on what LPN's can do I suggest you go find the board of nurses website in your state. I'm sure there you will find a link which talks about the scope of LPN practice in your state.

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thanks for your time,i appreciate it!

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I cant tell you what to do, I can however tell you from experience that I enjoy nursing so much more that I did working in a Lab as an assistant. First of all as a Lab assistant in my area I could not afford to keep my home, If I had to be the breadwinner...Which is exactly what happened to me. Hubby left, NEVER thought it would happen, but it did! I could not keep my home on that salary, So thank GOD I qualified for a grant to go to nursing school and further my education!. Not only is it so empowering to know the reasons behind the procedures, but you are a valuable resource to your patients, who may not understand. You are a teacher, a friend, a support system, ..... a NURSE. Education, in my opinion is ALWAYS a good thing. But like the poster above mentioned.... You cant really do much more with your MA than work in a specific type of setting, whereas nurses are in high demand, have excellent opportunities for growth, pay is pretty good, and you are a vital part of thier care. Please do not get me wrong, and think I am downing MA's. I was a CNA for years, then a Lab Assistant for seven years and just recently, like two DAYS ago became a nurse. It seems to me the more you learn the more you realize that you don't know anything! LOL, I have much more medical knowledge now than I ever had as a CNA or MA, not to say that other MAs or CNAs do not know more than me. I am POSITIVE that there are CNAs and MAs with MORE medical knowledge than myself!. But since I am a nurse, it is within my scope to do what I was trained to do under my license. A nurse is a licenced professional! Why not go to career builders and search for jobs for a MA and LPN in your area, see what the duties are and what the payscale is. P.S. I am not a nurse for the money, however, it is a plus for a single mom. I was making about 19 thousand as a Lab Assistant. I now make 40 thousand as a new LPN right out of school. But only you know what is right for you, this was my decision. Both career choices are very admirable in my opinion. Good luck to you in what ever area of medicine you choose to go into! Best of luck!

-Jami

thanks for your advice!

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele, Peds, LDRP.

I agree with the above poster regarding medical assistants. Think of it as this way. Both programs are one year, however LPN opens the doors to so many more opportunities than MA does. There is no moving up, per say, as a MA. As an LPN you have many many options, even taking a leadership role as a charge nurse if u choose LTC. Also, you can only go up from LPN. You can get your RN next through an LPN-RN bridge program, then u could continue on for your BSN and MSN if u wish. Even if you decide not to, you always have the option of continuing your education and increasing your income potential. With MA, u would have to go back to school and start over for something else if u want to do that. With LPN, u are already half way to your RN.

I have not yet worked in the field yet bc I am just getting ready to graduate next month, but I feel Ive made a great choice and plan to get my RN as soon as possible since there is a bigger variety of opportunities for an RN. But the good part is I can work in the field, gain experience, and afford a decent living while I work towards it. I am happy that I am able to go ahead and work as a nurse soon while I would still probably be on the waiting list to start the generic track RN program. good luck in whatever you decide!

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Specializes in Assisted Living Nurse Manager.

I will agree with the majority and say go for you LPN. I am a Certifed Medical Assistant going for my LPN. I have been a medical assistant for the last 11 years. I also have worked in a clinic for that time. As a medical assistant you will be able to do a wide variety of different jobs, but only in a clinic. As a LPN you have many more opportunites. Medical Assistants are very well trained, but they are not a nurse. Their scope of practice is dependent upon that state in which you reside in. Of course their scope of practice does not go beyond what they were trained to do as with any profession. But if a nurse is what you want to be go for your LPN. I loved being a medical assistant but I wanted more opportunities so I went for my LPN. I am loving every minute of it, I wish I would have went for my LPN to begin with. You can still have the clinic life as an LPN. Good luck with your decision :)

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Hi,

I am a LPN (working on my RN). I went to school to become a Medical Assistant and did that job for nearly 10 years before I went back to school. The job opportunities in additon to the financial and career opportunities are the advantage points that I found going from Medical Assistant to LPN. Usually, hospitals have better benefits. You can work in a Doctors office enviroment with your LPN. I have done it.

The funny part is I paid $3200 to become a Medical Assistant and $800 to become a LPN! I made (at my highest level) $13.00 as a Medical Assistant with poor benefits. I will probably take a pay cut when I get my RN, but in the end it will all pay off.

Best of luck to you!

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