Very Confused!

[jTank01]

Hi everyone! I'm very new & very confused! (Sorry if I posted this in the wrong place too!)

My question....I am about to start school to get my Associates in Medical Assisting. The paper I am looking at says that I will be considered a CMA. What's the difference between a CMA and CNA? I don't wanna be doing paperwork all day. I would really love to work with patients or even more so in a hospital.

Do I need to take this course first in order to become an RN? Because that's what I wanna do.

Any help is greatly appreciated! I feel really silly. :uhoh21:

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

By the way, my niece is in school in Atlanta for CMA (all nights, less than a year program) and they are teaching that LPN's will become obsolete and CMA is the way to go.

Remember the source. Schools that pump out medical assistants don't want to lose prospective students to LPN programs, and vice versa.

Aside from that, LPNs have a license to do much more, legally, than a CMA. They have a license, not a certificate. So as for who is more marketable, I think you'd have to know what the hiring is like in your area for different types of facilities. Many medical offices don't care if it's an LPN or a CMA they're hiring. They're usually interchangeable. But when it comes to nursing homes, the LPN wins the spot, not the CMA (unless the CMA is willing to work as a tech). When it comes to hospitals, the CMA isn't going to find employment AS a CMA, but only is going to find a spot as a care tech (nurse's aid, CNA, whatever). The LPN MAY find a spot in the hospital as a nurse, but only if it's in an area that still hires LPNs in hospital units. Some do, some don't, it varies greatly. And, of course, the RN is marketable anywhere.

Look at what the job opportunities ARE in your region, and use that to make some sound decisions. Best of luck to you!

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Good advice from many posters. Let me add:

1. Get your ultimate goal in mind. If its an RN go for the RN, skip the LPN route. You can easily pick up CNA along the way to RN.

2. Great advice to look to see who is being hired in your area. In my area, LPNs are NOT being hired in hospitals. So, if this is your goal (to work in a hospital), RN is the way to go.

3. Personally, the CMA schools are churning out very folks for very limited job opportunities with virtually no room for advancement. IMHO, it is not a career-advancing move.

4. Did I say go for the RN? Yep - that's what I would do.

And, before anyone jumps on me, I did the LPN to ADN to BSN to MSN to post-MSN. I truly wish someone would have told me to go straight for the BSN!

[chesara]

I'm thinking of skipping the LPN route and trying for the BSN. I have to take some pre-reqs first though and nervous about how I'll do in the A&P classes. I'd like to start some this summer so I need to make my mind up!