Hello all! Is anyone else annoyed by MA programs and the attitudes of Medical Assistants themselves??? I had a friend of a friend of mine, who is a medical assistant basically act like a B***h today. We were introduced to each other and she stated she was a medical assistant. She went on and on about how she could do more than most nurses could, worked directly under the doctor, yada, yada. She asked me what i did. I said "I'm an LPN." She then mentioned how she was "an equivalent of an RN in a doctor's office and MA was the next closest thing to an RN as you could get." Then this idiot had the nerve to say,"but LPN's are good too.":madface: I said "Excuse me?" and started a huge arguement. IN WHAT WORLD DOES NURSING LEVEL OF TRAINING GO RA, CNA, LPN, MA, & RN????? The only equivalent to an RN IS AN RN. LPN's are one step lower, not MA's. On top of that, I had one year of intensive training to be an LPN. This is coming from an MA who had ON THE JOB TRAINING ONLY!!!!!!!!!!!! She had no formal education whatsoever, she doesn't even have a high school diploma or GED. As an instructor of allied health training courses(EKG, Phlebotomy, NA), I am appalled at what they teach in these MA classes. She said the MA she trained under was told this in class. MA courses cost more than my LPN and they are not even required to take a course in my state. ANYONE, including people with horrible criminal backgrouds, can work if the doctor says its ok. No education needed just need to be signed off on skills. Skills such as drawing blood, EKG, injections, etc. How is that I can take a year of med administration class, pharm, anatomy, etc but I am not qualified according to BON to do veinapunctures, but some yahoo without any GED, education, or formal training can do it after being watched as little as one time????? This should not be legal. I think all MA's should be regulated and required to have certain hours of training, or eliminate all MA positions. A CNA or an LPN can do the same things in my state with the PROPER, DOCUMENTED additional training. Long rant but set me on edge like nothing else. I just looked at her and walked away.
PS. Not looking down on CNA's, LPN's, RN's, people with backgrounds, people with no Diplomas or GEDS. You have what you have. I was the 1st person EVER in my family to graduate high school. Everyone's life situations are different . Just saying that certain positions with life or death consequences should have a certain level of education and training.
CMA's are not paid as much as LPN's. I know plenty of CMA's in physician offices who make 9.75-13.00 an hour. As an LPN in LTC here in my state, my local facility starts at 21.00 for new grads.
An LPN is going to demand more. CMA's are used because they can be paid so cheaply.
Don't really care if you read it or not.....I just simply unloaded some things to keep fro having to go back and forth over something I didn't state the first time as my opinion. So yeah, long and I completely understand those that don't read long posts...I chose not to sometimes as well!:)
I never did state that ma's made more than a lpn because I have personally never come across one that did.
I do have a very close friend that is a newer lpn...has worked as an lpn for 2 years and her pay isn't much more than a cma position that was recently filled at her place of employment. Reasoning behind it that I was told from my lpn friend is that they don't start out lpns at this PARTICULAR place at very much, and the cma had a few years of experience which in turn she was started out more than probably a new cma.
So I believe all places according to state and what kind of facility it is starts all out differently depending on job, duties, and experience as well as what your training and certifiaction is.
If you are an lpn and they start you off on the low end and someone is a cma and they start them out at the high end....pretty much equals meeting inthe middle somewhere....with the cma not making much less than the lpn.
I don't believe a new cma would make more than a new lpn. I also will not be one of those that would say an experienced cma makes more than a new lpn....because it is not logical that someone thats scope os broader, and has more extensive training, and knows more would make less than someone that didnt know as much ands wasnt certified to do as much!
I am new to Allnurses. I sought this site out because I am lonely, frustrated and confused. I have several issues.
After 30 years as a ICU nurse in a hospital setting, I took a job in a small ambulatory clinic. I love my job, working with patients, educating, writing policies and procedures (we had NONE), going to meetings and committees (university setting), presenting workshops and lectures to groups...But I do not 'fit' in with the staff. I have been laying low just to get the lay of the land (having been 'institutionalized' for 30 years). At the hospital my coworkers and I got along great. It was wonderful always having someone to talk to who communicated on the same level about family, finances, problems etc. Realizing my new job is not responsible for my social needs, it still feels very lonely and I am trying to let it go. They are constantly 'rubbing it in' that I am not a part of them (all go to lunch-office staff and director, but don't invite me, talk about a cookout they are all going to have this weekend...)
I do not like the way the MA is perceived as a 'nurse', and she has a major attitude with me. She complains that one of the office staff (with a college degree) makes more than she does (about $4k a year) and that I make way more than she does. Ummm duh! I have a college degree and 30 years experience as a nurse.
Since I am writing polices, I am hitting some resistance from the director. She believes the RN, LVN and MA should have the same responsibilities. As a BSN I don't even want to give OTC meds to patients without an order (nurse visit). She thinks we should all do that. I believe that is outside my scope of practice (she wants a standing order for it).
After reading the posts on this thread I feel less lonely in my confusion and frustration. Obviously I am not the only one dealing with the MA identity crisis.There is still lots of confusion in my head about who governs the MA's and what they can and can't do and if I am responsible for them. What I do know is that they CAN NOT call themselves nurses. Just like a NP or PA can not call themselves doctors. I introduce myself as the RN, I refer to the MA as the medical assistant.
And paramedics can insert surgical airways, intubate, RSI, administer drugs without consultation, etc.... What does this mean? That the job and environment necessitates it. You know what you are, don't let some jackass make you feel that way. Usually when people do that kind of crap it means they have some sort of inferiority complex about themselves. You should've just shook your head and laughed.
I agree. For too long now, MAs in the ambulatory setting have probably been exceeding scope of practice. An RN can legally do anything an MA can do, but the reverse is not true. If your clinic just needs another MA, then they should just hire one. However, they've clearly hired an RN for a reason, and maybe you need to explore that reason. Do they just need to say they have an RN on board? I've been experiencing some of what you describe as well. Two of the MAs understand that they are Unlicensed Assistive Personnel, the other two believe that they are "doing RN work" for less pay. Clinic Directors and Practice Managers are likely in the position of sorting this out. Check out the MA 'scope of practice' for your state (some states like mine are not as specific). I would also recommend checking out Kaiser Permanente's Scope of Practice Resource Guide: (http://www.ambulatorypractice.org/clinical_practice/docs/Scope%20of%20Practice%20Resource%20Guide.pdf
Although this is state-specific it give a LOT of good information to work with. With all of the new CQM, care coordination, and regulatory issues coming down the pike, RNs will have a much expanded role in the ambulatory setting. Best of luck to you!
Wow. This all seems so unimportant. The main concern should be patient care! I am an EMT-P, so I do not even care where that leaves me on the food chain. I am also a National Certified Medical Assistant with over 16 years experience. I will admit that there are some physicians that identify their MA's as nurses just for the simplicity of it. I have taught MA for the past 10 years. I always stress to my students that they should NEVER identify themselves as nurses. I have full lectures on the difference between the two. MEDICAL ASSISTANTS are trained to multi-task, equally being trained in the front office and the back office. There is 240 hours of externship required, and 680 classroom hours. The state of Texas, as of April 4th 2014, is requiring it to be an Associates degree. I am truly sorry if you have been offended by MA's in the past. MA's must work directly under the care of a physician. It is not a privilege but it is required by law. RNs deserve respect for their time and patients and intelligence. LPNs deserve the same respect. Can you please all respect the fact that there are some CMAs out there that are good, and an asset to the team. Believe me, we know we are not nurses, but we are apart of the nursing team. Sincerely happy I read this thread. Just remember, PATIENT CARE IS THE ONE COMMON DENOMINATOR WE SHOULD ALL SHARE.
Wow, a lot of hate here. Yikes..... That ONE medical assistant made you go on an entire page rant? That's really bitter of you. If she doesn't listen to you when you tell her LPNs and MAs aren't the same thing, then so be it... she obviously didn't have the formal education to know that.
I'm a 19 year old MA, making 22.03 an hour (1 year experience).... Not much different pay wise for an experienced LPN is it?
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
Wow, a lot of hate here. Yikes..... That ONE medical assistant made you go on an entire page rant? That's really bitter of you. If she doesn't listen to you when you tell her LPNs and MAs aren't the same thing, then so be it... she obviously didn't have the formal education to know that.
I'm a 19 year old MA, making 22.03 an hour (1 year experience).... Not much different pay wise for an experienced LPN is it?
VioletKaliLPN, LPN
1 Article; 452 Posts
CMA's are not paid as much as LPN's. I know plenty of CMA's in physician offices who make 9.75-13.00 an hour. As an LPN in LTC here in my state, my local facility starts at 21.00 for new grads.
An LPN is going to demand more. CMA's are used because they can be paid so cheaply.