Should I become a CNA OR MA?

beekee · Apr 25, 2019

CNA. Yes, it’s the dirty work. It’s also the work you will do as a nurse. It is a quick and inexpensive introduction to nursing. You will be able to network and work with nurse. Some nursing schools even give preference to CNAs

The MA program at a local community college is 4 semesters and 51 credits. Just based on that, the decision seems pretty easy.

PediatricMA · Apr 29, 2019

I'm a medical assistant and my program was 6 months. But 6 months straight, Monday-Friday. I also was a CNA and that class was 2 weeks. As a CNA you are going to be doing the grueling dirty work. You learn a lot really fast on the floor and it really helps determine if you can make it as a nurse. As a medical assistant we help coordinated doctors offices, inventory, scheduling issues, rooming intakes, vitals, injections and stuff like that. Pay wise I make twice as much as a MA then I did as an CNA. I don't work weekends, evenings or holiday as I did as an CNA. Also as a CNA you most likely will work in a nursing home, which definitely has its own pros and cons.

Overall I think either one will give you a good perspective of the field, and I personally love my job and learn way more now then I did as a CNA

heavwhit · Apr 29, 2019

On 4/24/2019 at 5:13 PM, beekee said:
CNA. Yes, it’s the dirty work. It’s also the work you will do as a nurse. It is a quick and inexpensive introduction to nursing. You will be able to network and work with nurse. Some nursing schools even give preference to CNAs
The MA program at a local community college is 4 semesters and 51 credits. Just based on that, the decision seems pretty easy.

So it’s best to be a CNA for the relevant experience? What type of things do CNAs learn and get to do that’s more valuable than what MAs do?

heavwhit · Apr 29, 2019

22 minutes ago, PediatricMA said:
I'm a medical assistant and my program was 6 months. But 6 months straight, Monday-Friday. I also was a CNA and that class was 2 weeks. As a CNA you are going to be doing the grueling dirty work. You learn a lot really fast on the floor and it really helps determine if you can make it as a nurse. As a medical assistant we help coordinated doctors offices, inventory, scheduling issues, rooming intakes, vitals, injections and stuff like that. Pay wise I make twice as much as a MA then I did as an CNA. I don't work weekends, evenings or holiday as I did as an CNA. Also as a CNA you most likely will work in a nursing home, which definitely has its own pros and cons.
Overall I think either one will give you a good perspective of the field, and I personally love my job and learn way more now then I did as a CNA

Thanks for your reply. I’m really doing this to make money and I want to do something that I would like since I plan to keep my certification throughout nursing school. I have nothing against nursing homes or elderly but I would prefer to work in the hospital. What type of things did you do as MA compared to a CNA?

PediatricMA · Apr 29, 2019

11 minutes ago, heavwhit said:
Thanks for your reply. I’m really doing this to make money and I want to do something that I would like since I plan to keep my certification throughout nursing school. I have nothing against nursing homes or elderly but I would prefer to work in the hospital. What type of things did you do as MA compared to a CNA?

Sometimes you can work as a CNA in a hospital, but thats usually when you already have experience. Those shifts tend to be more flexible too, three 12s instead of the normal doctor office hours.

Daily tasks as a MA:

Assess my doctor's schedule every morning/ the evening before and make sure I have all of the paperwork and tests ordered and scheduled properly ahead of time
Take a summary on why they are seeing the doctor
Take necessary vitals
Review medications and allergies
Make sure all of my rooms are cleaned and stocked
I run UAs if needed
Keep inventory
Some MAs draw blood (we have a lab in our office so I don't need to)
Assist with procedures

Now all doctors offices are different but this is what i do at mine. I also go lucky with my schooling, I don't know if there are any programs like that around you.

Daily tasks as a CNA:

Review what hall you are assigned to for your shift
Review what residents needs bathed for that shift
Assist residents with toileting
Laundry for your hall that day
Transition residents to and from their bed/ wheelchair/ chairs
Rotate residents periodically to prevent bed sore
Help residents with meals
Help other coworkers with their residents because a lot of people are a two person lift
Pass food trays

This will be different depending on where you go. I only have nursing home experience so I can't speak on the hospital side. I loved most of my residents and I made me very tough working as a CNA, but I would never do it again. Absolutely horrible management, crap pay, rude coworkers that don't even show up half of the time. And honestly I would get the *** beat out of me on a regular basis as a CNA. The worst was my 2nd day at a new nursing home where me and two other girls were trying to change a man and he kicked me in the throat. Yeah no thanks.

Neo Soldier, BSN, RN · Jun 5, 2019

I recommend CNA. It's quicker to complete the classes. For me, it was a 4 week course. MA takes up to 9 months and I'm sure it costs more than the CNA certificate. Also, what are the prospects of employment as an MA. In my state for example, they're more likely to hire an LVN to do the job.

As a CNA, you don't have to work at a nursing home, you could work in a mental health hospital (which I believe pays more than a nursing home. At a hospital I know, CNAs who work per diem make $20/hour. Another one pays $18)

CNAs work beside nurses and so you get an idea of the job you're going to be training for.

PediatricMA · Jun 5, 2019

15 hours ago, Neo Soldier said:
I recommend CNA. It's quicker to complete the classes. For me, it was a 4 week course. MA takes up to 9 months and I'm sure it costs more than the CNA certificate. Also, what are the prospects of employment as an MA. In my state for example, they're more likely to hire an LVN to do the job.
As a CNA, you don't have to work at a nursing home, you could work in a mental health hospital (which I believe pays more than a nursing home. At a hospital I know, CNAs who work per diem make $20/hour. Another one pays $18)
CNAs work beside nurses and so you get an idea of the job you're going to be training for.

$20? $18?! Wow where are you from if you don't mind me asking. As an CNA here in NE Ohio i was making $9.30/hour

Neo Soldier, BSN, RN · Jun 6, 2019

6 hours ago, PediatricMA said:
$20? $18?! Wow where are you from if you don't mind me asking. As an CNA here in NE Ohio i was making $9.30/hour

I'm in CA that's why. ofcourse rent is high and even renting a room in a house could cost as much as $700.

Is it possible that psych facilities in your area make more? Nursing homes here pay little as well.

PediatricMA · Jun 6, 2019

10 hours ago, Neo Soldier said:
I'm in CA that's why. ofcourse rent is high and even renting a room in a house could cost as much as $700.
Is it possible that psych facilities in your area make more? Nursing homes here pay little as well.

I'm not sure, I don't think they do. I haven't been a CNA in years.

verene, MSN · Jun 9, 2019

CNA is quick, relatively inexpensive training process and gives a good taste of the nursing world. Yes, in some ways it is grueling grunt work that can be dirty and thankless. However everything a CNA does just a subset of a nurse's scope of practice - so you'll be expected to have the skills either way. Actual job duties and responsibilities can vary widely between settings, as can pay range.

When I worked in a group home, I trained as a medication aid was responsible for passing medications, I took vitals, assisted with ADLs like bathing and laundry, I also got to do really fun things like lead group activities and take residents on field trips into the community. I made snacks, I did light housework. Some of my job was more administrative in that I was responsible for arranging appointments, organizing transportation, coordinating medical and psychiatric care between our facility and families/PCP/community mental health etc, and keeping documentation on residents activities and issues that arose. I also was shift lead and the first to respond in a few medical emergencies, and on rare occasion had to file missing person reports when a resident didn't return home in expected time. I learned a lot about interfacing with community resources, and effectively communicating across systems. It was a huge amount of work and responsibility for very little pay, but also a valuable learning experience and a source of motivation for me to this day in my work as nurse.

I also worked for a hospital - pay was much better and I had decent healthcare benefits, PTO, 401K etc. There was also opportunity to pick up extra shifts for extra money. I really enjoyed this job because I worked with a great team on a palliative care and hospice unit. It was a lot of bathing, turning, toileting etc. but also so much more than that. I learned to interface with a interdisciplinary team of professionals, I learned how to be a strong patient and family advocate, I learned how to have exceptionally difficult conversations and to hold space in the face of extreme emotional pain. I learned the blessing it is to sit with someone and hold their hand as they take their last breath, and to give a family love and support as they grieve. I can comfortably preform post-mortem care that gives dignity and respect to patient. I witnessed the end-stage progression of many different illness, and learned to recognize signs of physiologic system instability, and how to be calm during crisis. I learned a lot about medications, got to assist in many procedures (IV placement, foley placement, wound care etc), and really got to see what it is nurses do every day and what traits made some nurses amazing and others not so much.

I know less about the MA role, on the surface it is longer and more expensive training, and MAs are more likely to work in a primary care setting providing basic primary care services (e.g. vitals, injections) and also may receive more training on administrative things like insurance and billing issues, scheduling etc than CNAs are exposed to. MAs are more likely to be trained and have exposure to the medical model (used by MDs and PAs) than to the nursing model of care - which can be both a benefit and hindrance when transitioning to the nursing world.

Either role would give you a means to earn money and to gain exposure to the healthcare world. I think some of it comes down to which role you are more attracted to, and which one make the most sense in terms of your time/money to commit to certification, and in terms of your schedule needs for balancing employment with school in the future.

napswithcats, ADN, CNA, RN · Jun 11, 2019

On 6/5/2019 at 12:17 PM, PediatricMA said:
$20? $18?! Wow where are you from if you don't mind me asking. As an CNA here in NE Ohio i was making $9.30/hour

I live is Cali also and nursing homes are the lowest paying around 14-15 hr, home health paid me 17.50, hospitals pay around $18 to start and with a union they do get yearly raises.