NEED ADVICE for my situation (CMA, CNA, or Just go straight for RN)

pixiestudent2 · May 31, 2012

I would pay 10,000 dollars to be a cma...

Kdrenee · May 31, 2012

Well nursing school is going to be pretty much full time so a medical assistants hours don't really work for a nursing student vs. a CNA who has flexible hours you could work and go to school. Also, a CNA works right along with nurses and would give you more experience. In fact some nursing schools require you to be a CNA to get in because the first nursing school is alot of what you learn in a CNA class. I know around my town CNAs and MAs get paid about the same, but MA school is more expensive. If I were you I'd go for CNA. That is actually what I'm doing. I just finished my CNA class and I just finished up my last nursing pre reqs. I really learned alot from CNA and it made me even more excited to start nursing:) but those are just my opinions. Good luck to you in whatever you choose!

RedhairedNurse2Be · Jun 1, 2012

I am a CMA and going into nursing. I personally feel MA know more coming out than CNA, but most colleges want students with CNA. I have job experience as CNA, but because I do not have a piece of paper with CNA on it, I have to take a class. If you can afford it, do both because a MA program expands on what a CNA would do such as EKG's, blood draws, imjections, reading lab reports, Elevtronic Medical Records, as well as clerical duties such as insurance billing. If you can only afford one do CNA because that is what most colleges want, and you will learn the other stuff in Nursimg school.

jennyjen87 · Jun 1, 2012

Thank you everyone for taking your time to read my long post and to give me some advice :) I'm just nervous about the cna program i feel like I might hate it!! Where I live cna's really only get hired in nursing homes and I for sure don't want to do that! I just don't want to get all the dirty work. And like I said I would really like my nights, weekends and holidays with my family..I'm still going to consider cna though..What do cna's do in hospitals?

VioletKaliLPN, LPN · Jun 1, 2012

In hospitals CNA's do the "dirty work" too. Actually, EVERYONE gets their fair share of dirty work, even us nurses, but the CNA job description involves a lot of dirty work.

If you want nights and weekends off, as well as holidays, nursing may not be for you. CMA may better suit your lifestyle and scheduleing needs.

RedhairedNurse2Be · Jun 1, 2012

Even nurses do dirty work. Even clinicals you will have to work with the elderly. Being a CNA is hard, but I loved most of my residents, it was management I could not stand, or seeing the same patients daily.

Philly_LPN_Girl, LPN · Jun 2, 2012

I think CNA hours would fit your schedule better than an MA. In my opinion, the CMA is a waste of time and money and depending what state you live in, MA's don't always do EKG's, working as a CNA and MA could be a little beneficial for nursing but not a lot. A cna works along side the nurses so you could learn a lot from them and ask questions as well like I did but good luck hun and give us an update.

mstearns09 · Jun 3, 2012

I don't know what state you live in but in the state where I live, you must have your CNA first before you can become a CMA. I was advised by a nurse at my job that most places aren't going to hire a LPN or RN who hasn't had floor experience as a CNA. And finding a job as a CNA or CMA that isn't in a LTC or similar is going to be difficult, as is finding any sort of a medical, hands-on job that doesn't require you to work weekends, holidays, overtime, or nights.

skylark06 · Oct 25, 2012

I have worked as an MA and CNA. As an MA in doctors offices and a surgery center I worked generally from 5:30am until 7pm mon-fri. On my feet all day, sometimes a 15 min lunch break. As a CNA I work for a home health business, and they send me to patients that need care, sometimes a few patients a day at 2 hrs each or one patient all the time for a few days or everyday. I found out that the care is just bathing, taking care of their urinary/bowel problems, making meals, maybe driving them to Drs appts and keeping them company. You might get a patient for anywhere from 2hrs up to 12hrs. I can decline any job they want to give me and pretty much take off when I need to. But ya don't want to do that too often. I do not get paid for time off, sick time or vacation days. If I work a holiday then I get paid for a holiday and no medical insurance is provided. In Fla I make 9 an hour, started at 8.50 an hour 5 years ago, yeah the pay isn't that great. I have not been able to get back into MA cause there really aren't any jobs. Now it seems all the MA jobs want ya to be certified even though it is not mandatory on a State level. If I were in your situation I would go the CNA route since you can get time off as a home health easier and usually less time at work than a MA. I rarely saw my child as an MA.

Ok so here it goes..I'm kind of torn on what to do in my certain situation.. I've spent hours on the internet researching and hours on this website reading the pro's and con's of being a certified medical assistant, or certified nursing assistant.I've been going to school off and only (mostly off) for nursing. I attend my local community college and was planning on getting my ADN working several years and then go for my BSN. I'm a mother of two I have a six year old son, two year old daughter, and i'm pregnant with our third baby due in July.I've read so many threads saying just skip CNA or CMA and go straight for nursing but in my case I just know. That's going to be very hard. It's not that i don't believe in myself or anything but it's just nursing school is hard that's a fact and doing it with little ones is going to make it harder. I want the best possible chance of passing school.Oh not to mention my husband works offshore and he's home for three weeks and gone for three weeks and I don't get much help! So i'm at a crossroads of what I should do next....be a CNA or CMA??? The CNA program is only $375 it's six weeks long and it's a night and only 30 minutes away from me! But I don't like the hours they work and I don't want to be the one doing all the dirty jobs all the time. I really don't want to work in a hospital I would if I had to though and I for sure don't want to work in a nursing home! Now CMA is more exspensive the school I would be going to cost about 9200 for everything. It's almost an hour away and it's ten months long. I would be going at night so I wouln't have to pay for childcare. I like how I would work in a office and be off on nights, holidays, and weekends though. The CMA program is ABHES accreditited so that's a plus! I don't know my main priority is to be a wife and mom but I would like to work and do something in the medical field. I'm kind of bored just being a stay at home mom and I would love to just be able to have a normal 9-5 job..With all that being said i'm still like ugh should I just suck it up and go straight for Rn..There's alot I need to do retake classes, retake ACT, take the TEAS V and hopefully pass...I'm just not sure what I should do! I would love some good honest advice sorry this is so long I just wanted to make sure I covered everything.

WannaBNursey, ADN, ASN, RN · Oct 26, 2012

Since you'd be lucky to get a job working in a hospital, definitely don't want to work in a nursing home ( I don't blame you) and aren't interested in dirty work (which you WILL be doing as an RN) I would avoid the CNA route and go for CMA if you can afford it and if you can line up a job in the area.