What is your opinion of medical assistants?

[MissJulie]

As you could see from my profile, I work as a CNA in a medical office, we specialize in pain managment, while I'm going to nursing school (ADN). One of the women I work with is also a CNA and is going to school to be a CMA. Now, while I have done some research and know that often times, CMAs can perform many skills that nurses (both LPN and RN) can legally perform, such as administering medications, doing vital signs, and a few other things applicable to a physican's office, I also know that a CMA does not equal a nurse, neither LPN or RN.

The woman seems to believe that a CMA is the same as a PA (Physican's Assistant), which obviously it's not.

For example: Our lab (we do urine drug screens) was short handed one day and another of my coworker's daughters filled in for the lab. The daughter and the woman going to school to be a CMA were in the breakroom when the daughter asked what a CMA was. She was told that it was "one step below a DO," of couse, the girl didn't know what a DO is, and she informed her that once she's certified she'll be able to sign prescriptions... Sure, that's legal.

Now, mind you, the office manager was told of this and she had a "meeting" with the woman to clear up these "issues." But, she still thinks that a CMA is higher than an RN.

Anyway, I thought I'd reach out to some RNs and ask what your opinion is of CMAs in general, and things like if they should be made to think that they are better then RNs because they do medical records, etc. Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks :redbeathe

[SummitRN, BSN, RN]

My local doctor's office uses a mix of EMT-B/IVs given on-the-job training and CMAs. Both are competent, but I definitely prefer the EMTs.

A clinic I worked at had a mix of on-the-job trained assistants and CMAs. All were competent, but the providers preferred me as an EMT-B/IV and the assistants they trained on the job.

I took an MA pharm class at a community college with an AAS-CMA program just to expand my knowledge. It was laughable to call the content college level.

When I teach CPR, I always like to ask students why they are taking a class. A student from the same MA program informed me that she was going to be an MA so she could work in the ER. I was like "oh, what hospitals are using MAs in the ER?" She assured me that according to her instructor all the ERs would want to hire her. I kind of raised my eyebrow and nodded politely.

I have seen a lot of CMAs crosstrained as EKG techs and used in cardiac outpatient clinics. They were very good at hooking up the EKGs, but they couldn't interp a lick. "That's for doctors."

[adoglover]

From what i seen at a large doctors clinic in my area that I go to, one of the medical assistants adresses herself as the nurse and think she is so superior. I can see it getting mind bothering and cumbersome because I have never witnessed nurses at the clinic parade around saying they are a doctor, and mind you this is a very big clinic, with three floors on it, putting you in the mind of a hospital. In my eyes, medical assistants do that because they are probably jealous of the nurses who went back to school to pursue a higher education. they are afforded the same opportunities as those nurses. Most know it is a fine difference between a nurse and a medical assistant, all one has to do is look at the amount of schooling required.

[checker1981]

Reading your post, everything the MA said is technically correct. MA's can sign rx on behalf of the physician, but cannot prescribe (if she said, I can prescribe drugs, then that is wrong). I am a RN and pharm tech and I see prescriptions all the time esigned by MA, perfectly legal, but prescribed by MD/DO/NP/PA etc. Sounds like a miscommunication. I don't think you can compare an MA with a nurse because it is two different jobs. Technically a MA is one step below a physician (DO) in most offices because that is who they directly report too. MA's are not in the nursing practice so they wouldn't be in the chain of command like CNA, LPN, RN, NP. And RN is not below a physician technically either, we take orders from doctors for medications and such, but we don't have to do what the doctor says if it conflicts with our nursing practice or the patient's well being. I read that part in another post that NP is below MD, in Arizona, my primary care provider is a Doctorate level NP who practices independently of a physician. She can make referrals to a doctor, but she also specializes in dermatology and takes referrals from internal med MD/DO's for the dermatology aspect of her expertise/practice. I have also taken phone calls from prescriber staff who refer to themselves as "nurse", when I say RN or LPN? and they answer back MA. I quickly correct the caller that a MA is not a "nurse".

[klorn]

I understand your ranking of various titles based on level of responsibilty, but I'd like to add something. It would be great for nurses to get away from viewing our profession and the field of healthcare in general as a hierarchy. We're not "little MDs," we're nurses. Nurses don't work for MDs any more than an PT/OT/pharmacist works for an MD. It's a collaborative effort!

This applies to advance-practice nurses as well. It rubs me the wrong way when people say that NP's are a "step below being a doctor." In reality, being an NP and being an MD are two entirely different (though related) fields, two different lines of work. It would benefit the nursing profession greatly if we could move away from heirarchy terms and think of ourselves as a collborative part of the healthcare team.

[nursel56]

Reading your post, everything the MA said is technically correct. MA's can sign rx on behalf of the physician, but cannot prescribe (if she said, I can prescribe drugs, then that is wrong). I am a RN and pharm tech and I see prescriptions all the time esigned by MA, perfectly legal, but prescribed by MD/DO/NP/PA etc.

I don't understand what you mean by that. How can a Medical Assistant "sign rx on behalf of a physician"? I've noticed people saying it is commonplace now for the nurse to write out the prescription for the doctor to sign, but how does a doctor prescribe something and then not sign it?

In my state you don't even have to go to school to be a Medical Assistant if the doctor wants to train you.

[Akeos]

isn't MA school only like 2 months long? how could she possible think she's only just below the level of a doctor when she hardly has any schooling? Wow, It amazes me all the time how clueless or arrogant some people are.

[Sturnage]

I am a CMA/CNA, just finished all of my prereqs for Nursing and graduated with my AA, and have been accepted to the program. There are always two sides to a story, but in this case...

The proof is in the pay check. I like to view the last 8 years of experience being a CMA as helping me determine if the health field was, indeed, for me. By no means was the pay enough to live comfortably, especially if you are single or a parent. And by NO MEANS was it comparable to ASN, BSN, PA, NP, etc pay. Some people ARE quite delusional.

It goes without saying that I am not pursuing higher education, especially a career in nursing strickly because of the money, but CMA school was definitely all talk. And very expensive. I do not per se regret it, but instead would have gone LPN route. I learned a great deal of basic medical terminology (but no more than I learned later on in an Advanced Med Term course in an accredited college), you get the basic clinical skills but most of what I learned that was important was from years of experience in the field. My opinion is that if a MA (in training) has enough time to be "high and mighty", and to also represent herself completely inaccurately...then she is most likely a sub par MA. And isn't busy enough.

I had a similar experience with an MA that had never even been through any program... just strictly on the job training. She had actually worked her self up the chain to a psuedo management position... but this was the office's downfall. She had zero management experience, and to be frank, she was a sub par MA to boot. She was just loyal. But loyal because, I feel, she viewed herself "too old" (40+) to go to nursing school. Maybe she was a bit intimidated. She, too, referred to herself as the doctor's "Lead Nurse", insisting on proving some sort of hierarchy.. all the while undermining the support that the other MAs offered to the clinic.

Above all, legally LPN, RN... anything with a licensure is a protected title (as MrChicago pointed out). And morally, these nurses (and nursing students) work their hides off for their titles.

She should be proud of who she is, not trying to represent what she's not.

[AgentBeast, BSN, RN]

isn't MA school only like 2 months long? how could she possible think she's only just below the level of a doctor when she hardly has any schooling? Wow, It amazes me all the time how clueless or arrogant some people are.

Maybe she stayed at a Holiday Inn Express while attending MA school.

[ParkerBC,MSN,RN, PhD, RN]

I recently went to my family doctor and was prescribed Levothyroxine 150mcg. The lady came in to provide teaching about the medication. “Take this medication with your dinner every evening to prevent an upset stomach, okay?” Now, I remembered Levothyroxine from nursing school and it did not sound quite right. Anyway, when picking it up from the pharmacy, the Pharmacist said, “Take one in the AM on an empty stomach.” That sounded right. Mind you, I have been going to my PC MD since I was about 12 years old. The lady who told me that information has worked for the practice for over twenty years. I have ALWAYS assumed she was an RN. They never wear name badges. I had a follow-up appointment a couple days ago and I asked the front desk person what position the lady held. She replied with “MA”

My concern isn’t that she is not an RN. My concern is to how many other patients did she give incorrect teaching? I informed the doctor and of course he blew me off. The community college in Indiana and a few private schools offer and Associate’s degree for MA’s. They are required to take Dosage Calculations and Pharmacology. I am not sure if the courses are as rigorous as the ones RN’s and LPN’s take.

I also agree with a previous poster. I don’t look at credentialing as an hierarchy. Rather, I see it as differences in the scope of practice.

[DeeAngel]

MAs can do rote tasks like giving injections, but they don't have the science background or knowledge to assess patients. I think offices need staff with critical thinking skills and the ability to assess. MAs are just a new way to get tasks done on the cheap, never mind that it dilutes the environment from a patient safety point of view. MAs are also a dime a dozen in some places, what will schools pumping them out like rabbits.

I know where I live I maybe see an ad for an MA about every two years.

[Rob72, ASN, RN]

Reading your post, everything the MA said is technically correct. MA's can sign rx on behalf of the physician, but cannot prescribe (if she said, I can prescribe drugs, then that is wrong). I am a RN and pharm tech and I see prescriptions all the time esigned by MA, perfectly legal, but prescribed by MD/DO/NP/PA etc.

As long as it is not a scheduled drug, and depending on State law, this is true for any credentialled, delegated member of staff.

Society is hierarchial, and, frankly, must be. Despite the finest bovine feces espoused in public schools, we are not all "equal". Some people would be doing well to apply for the position of village idiot. A CMA is(should be) qualified to perform essential functions related to the basic administration of non-scheduled medication, and essential teaching r/the same. Obviously, this is not the case.

I was an "experience qualified" MA/AUA for several years. I worked under Nursing Service; I never said, or left the impression, that I was a nurse. That is misreprentation, unprofessional conduct, and, depending on how far one carries the "story", fraud.

I would not say that MAs are inherently incapable of pt assessment, education or a variety of other "nursing" tasks(I did a broad variety of them, and reported/intervened as appropriate w/in the hierarchy of care provision), but that is a very individualistic assessment, and there are few credible standardized measures.

[sistasoul]

I don't know how MAs think they are equivilant to nurses. I remember going to my MD's office and haveing the MA use a large sized BP cuff on me. I am an average size person and in no way do I look like I need a large size cuff. I felt bad correcting the MA but this is a basic skill. Also, I have had patients who claimed to be nurses but clearly were not. I just don't see why someone would claim to be a nurse when they are not.