Which is the best option ?

[stlpixie]

Hi, I am keen to start a career in a hospital setting.

A few points:

• I am English but living in the USA thus I have no GED

• I am (or will be ) a *cough* Mature Student

• I have just received my work permit but am not employed at the moment, but I need to change that sooner rather then later.

The main areas I am interested in are:

Phlebotomy

Lab Assistant

Histology Aide

Possibly Radiology, Surgical or Ultrasound Tech

Now I cannot seem to find any Hospitals that train or courses in my area, they only courses offered (at great cost) are Medical assistant.

Now I was doing some more research this morning and my local community collage offers a Certified Nurse Assistant course (12 weeks) for a reasonable price.

Would taking this course get me on the road I want to be or should I go for the more expensive and longer medical assistant course offered by a private school?

Or would I be better off trying to get any job in a hospital eg: linen aide, house keeper etc and try to get on the job training by the hospital?

Any pointers would be very welcome.

Thanks in advance.

[EricJRN, MSN, RN]

You may get more specific feedback within the state forum where you live. Good luck to you!

[PMFB-RN, RN]

Hi, I am keen to start a career in a hospital setting.

A few points:

• I am English but living in the USA thus I have no GED

• I am (or will be ) a *cough* Mature Student

• I have just received my work permit but am not employed at the moment, but I need to change that sooner rather then later.

The main areas I am interested in are:

Phlebotomy

Lab Assistant

Histology Aide

Possibly Radiology, Surgical or Ultrasound Tech

Now I cannot seem to find any Hospitals that train or courses in my area, they only courses offered (at great cost) are Medical assistant.

Now I was doing some more research this morning and my local community collage offers a Certified Nurse Assistant course (12 weeks) for a reasonable price.

Would taking this course get me on the road I want to be or should I go for the more expensive and longer medical assistant course offered by a private school?

Or would I be better off trying to get any job in a hospital eg: linen aide, house keeper etc and try to get on the job training by the hospital?

Any pointers would be very welcome.

Thanks in advance.

*** Typicaly medical assistants work in doctors offices, not in hospitals. I have been a nurse for 12 yeqars and have never seen an MA in a hospital. CNAs do work in hospitals but the work can by physicaly hard with heavy lifting involved, depending on where you work. Also CNA is a stepping stone into nursing. MA is a stepping stone for nothing.

[caliotter3]

Please take the advice of many and take the course for CNA followed by getting your Home Health Aide certificate if offered in your state. Then continue on to nursing school. Medical Assistant is a waste of your money for a dead end job. You can do the same job for the same low pay, if you want to, as an LPN. But as an LPN, you have so many other doors open to you. And when you get an RN license, you can really make things work for you. This is an easy decision. Good luck whatever you decide.

[LWell]

*** Typicaly medical assistants work in doctors offices, not in hospitals. I have been a nurse for 12 yeqars and have never seen an MA in a hospital. CNAs do work in hospitals but the work can by physicaly hard with heavy lifting involved, depending on where you work. Also CNA is a stepping stone into nursing. MA is a stepping stone for nothing.

Actually,medical assisting is a stepping stone to nursing since so many cannot find a job as an MA and end up going to nursing school. They kick themselves for taking out loans to do something that they never got the chance to do. They were fed all this baloney in the afternoon commercials,in ads in the papers, by the admission recruiters,at orientations,and by the instructors-most who have no teaching experience and certainly no certificate to teach-about how "Medical assisting is the fastest growing field!" and told repeatedly that lie about MAs phasing out LPNs. They were handed out paper after paper from the US Dept. of Labor showing MA's income and it's never low. Even the very intelligent ones can fall for it. Then they graduate and are offered jobs (if they are at all) that pay less than $10 an hour and they think they can do better cause they were told they would and they turn it down,only to regret it months later,when nothing else turns up.

[jessbee]

In some states there are vocational courses for phlebotomy as well since you mentioned that as an interest. I'd decide first what you ultimate goal is then choose programs and positions that will further you on to that goal while meeting your current needs as well.