SpecialtyMA

I've been looking as well. I have 8 years as a CMA and I want to continue on to an RN. I work for a hospital that has already agreed to sign off on all my clinicals. I just need the "classroom" portion, and online. I can't stop working full time, and I can't go to school full time as I have family/kids. Online classes and it being my own responsibility to finish clincals would be the perfect set up for me. It's been very frustrating to not find any options. My husband and I have been discussing an trying to figure something out where I would not have to take all the brick and mortar classes in an actual building. That would take me at least 4 times as long to complete. I am totally willing to go with LPN and bridge to RN, or just go straight as an RN. I am just shocked in this day and age there is no option out there for me. I know I'm not alone. If you guys know anything that would help, or could point me in the right direction I would extremely grateful.

wow this is an old post, but I read it, and my thought is this: How are those two mistakes related to an orientation? Aren't these things you learn before you are a grad?

I'd suggest looking into the exact training a CMA has versus an LPN. You won't find a lot of difference in regards to a doctor's office setting. A hospital setting is different. Unless you need a cath or an IV started in the office, an MA is going to be a lot more well rounded to help you through your entire visit. I have done a lot of hiring of MA's and LPN's for physician's offices. They are getting the EXACT same pay rate.

This is absolutely true. I'm currently a C.M.A. I was specifically trained to work in the doctors office. I have no training to work in the hospital. A lot of times for older people when I try to describe the difference in roles between an M.A. and an L.P.N. - I explain that LPN's are trained to work under R.N.'s in the hospital setting. They are trained to start IV's, insert catheters and things that you would no do in the physician's office. As an M.A. I've been trained to work directly under the physician, and bonus training in insurance and coding. The length of training is the same, but the focuses are different. A well educated MA is just as good as a well educated LPN or RN - if they are in their scope of practice, as with every profession.