Should I start off as CNA or Medical Assitant.. need advice!

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I really need to get myself into the healthcare field. One of my long term goals is to become a Registered Nurse, but I can't go through school without having a job. Since I don't really want to work a retail or fast food job while going through nursing school I figured that I'll work a healthcare job.

I initially wanted to start off as an LVN, but fulfilling the pre-reqs at a Community College were too much of a wait. And basically every private school with a one year LVN program charges 30K (Kaplan and Concord)

So now I'm considering a CNA program which lasts 4 months and costs about $450.00 at an adult school, or a medical assistant program that costs just about $3,000 and lasts 27 weeks.

Which one would be best for me, considereing that I want to eventually become an RN?

Advice is much appreciated on my part:)

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Specializes in LTC.

CNA, definitely.

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I second that. I'm finishing up a CNA course myself and have learned so much about basic patient care, which also helps me feel more confident about making the decision to go to NS. My area in particular also seems to have quite a few jobs available, so I'm not too concerned about finding work once I'm finished.

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i say cna, because in my school, you need to be a cna first before you apply to be rn, or lpn.

and.. if you are looking for a job, i think course that ends faster is going to give you more money faster...

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Yeah it's true, having your CNA license is a requirement to go into my school's LVN program. But, isn't the job of medical assistant very much related to a job as a CNA, and with better pay prostects?

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Specializes in LTC.

No, apparently the pay isn't that great (especially considering the high cost of the program) and jobs are harder to find. At least, that's what I gather from a number of threads on allnurses and what I have personally seen in my area. Either way, medical assisting, while part of healthcare in general, is not nursing-related. Being a CNA is though.

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Specializes in IMCU.

Um proper certified medical assistants have to do at least one years education -- at least in my state.

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I did CNA and am now in college to become a medical assistant. The job outlook all depends on your area and what kind of program you go to. Mine is through the community college and with pell grants I'm paying 0 dollars a semester :). There are a ton of lousy very expensive private for profit companies that off the courses, stay away from them.

All the doctors offices around here use MAs. Every day there is a job listing in the paper for MA. CNA programs out here graduate 15-20 people about every 8 weeks or so. Virtually all of them in our area can't find a job. Where I live they make 9 or less an hour. MAs out of school start at 13 and up.

Less then an RN but the way I look at it, I was wiping rear ends, getting covered in yuck, screamed at, threatened, and belittled by nurses as a CNA. CNA is hard physical work. Those who work at the hospital instead of ltc get treated in the words of one nurse "horribly". I went to respected doctors and asked if they hired MAS and they said "absolutely." the chief of staff at our local hospital said MA was the "way to go" and warned me "not to stop at CNA". RN she said was the ultimate goal but given the years of prereqs and waiting list of the program, over 2 years here, MA was a far better way to work in the meantime. Some day I will be an RN but in the meantime I won't be changing 20 people every 2 hours.

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Specializes in NICU( RN), Pediatric Nurse Practitioner.

I'am a medical asst. and have been one for the past three years. I do think medical assting will pay you more and you do learn alot of things that you will need eventually in your nursing career. You will learn how to give injections admin ekgs',draw blood among other things. Being a cna you will learn more of the nursing aspect. I'am thinking about maybe going and taking a cna class if i get into nursing school since m.a. jobs are mostly mon-fri 8-5 and that is the time i will be in school. So i would say that since you will need to know basic nursing care anyways go with the cna.

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If you're only looking for a transitional job to see you through a few years of school I say CNA. You'll need that $3000 you would have spent on the CNA program when you need to pay tuition for nursing classes. On the other hand I agree with Sonomala; you need a stomach of steel to work as a CNA in some places. So if you don't want to put up with four years of heavy stress spend the 3 grand.

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Specializes in LTC, Home Health.

IMO, it's better to become a CNA first. There are always CNA jobs available. It will not cost you as much to become a CNA as it will to become a Medical Assistant. In the LTC I used to work for, there were many CNA's who went to school to become Medical Assistants, but never found a job in their field. Most couldn't find jobs due to a lack of experience. They ended up going to school again to become a CNA to build up their resume. In the end, you will probably make about the same amount of money. On the other hand, being a Medical Assistant can be less physically & mentally demanding then it would to be a CNA. You can take your CNA cert. and do other things with it. At my job, I am medical assistant/medical unit clerk. I got this job because I have a CNA background. In my case, I was able to take my CNA Certification to another level so I could pay my way through college.

Of course, there are some who will beg to differ. Do what you think is right for you.

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I just finished my CNA course and am now working in LTC. I have already learned so much that will help with my nursing school. I decided to pursue this route instead of Medical Assisting because of the hours available for work. MA are usually at doctors office during the day and this will interfere with my nursing school. I can work a rotating shift and schedule around my nursing classes for my CNA. In my area there are also more job opportunities for CNA. I took my course through a LTC facility. It was 6 wks long and didn't cost me anything. You should call around to the nursing homes/long term care facilities in your area and see if they provide any CNA courses. I also know that Red Cross sometimes offers CNA courses depending on the area you live.

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