Nursing Prep: Medical Assistant or CNA??

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I am planning on applying to nursing school in the future and was wondering if it would be better to have experience as a CNA or medical assistant, or are both good forms of experience? thank you.

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.

I had zero medical experience when I was in school. I was studying engineering as a matter of fact.

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I say either is good, though I took the CNA route.

I dont know if all places are like this but I here that if you worked as a CNA before being a nurse they pay you a little more. Anyways thats what I heard here in Tx.

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Cna will give you a better exposure to the field of nursing. And if in a hospital great on the job work experience. Medical assistant will give you some additional skills phlebotomy basic lab testing, ekg .... If you can do both get the best of both worlds. EMT will also be worth looking at since it will teach basic patient assesment.

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Specializes in HOME HEALTH.

i got chose the medical assistant course first. i did get alot of experience in a doctors office, but i could have gotten my lpn in the same amount of time. looking back, i should have just done the lpn first.

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Specializes in Psychiatric.

I am a beginning nursing student this semester and we are required to be listed as a NAI before applying to nursing school.

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