Just wondering about this. Required licensure would raise the status of the medical assistants in my opinion and also include a specific scope of practice. It would also probably raise our pay level which might actually get more nurses (LPNs primarily) back into office nursing since the docs would have to pay the MAs more. We all know the primary reason docs hire MAs is because they can get away with paying us so little.
It wasn't my intention to be demeaning, rude, etc. I certainly meant no offense.
There is a place for everyone in our society; at all levels, skills, pay rates, etc. Our nation would quickly fall apart if everyone was an attorney, MD, or trash collector.
LPNs ARE entry-level nurses; no matter how long you may be one - or if you ever "upgrade" or not. Some folks find satisfaction at a different level than others do.
HOWEVER, don't expect that society should ever view CNAs or CMAs as monitarily valuable as LPNs; or that LPNs should be as monitarily valuable as RNs; or RNs as NPs, etc, etc. ad nauseam.
I don't think we expect to as "monitarily valuable" as LPNs. I do however expect to be more "monitarily valuable" than an employee at Wally-World. I work for one of the major hospital networks in PA and one of my co-workers whose daughter just started at Wal-Mart about 3 months ago is now making very close (within $1.00 an hour) to what I'm making. I do expect more than that when I'm giving injections, drawing blood, etc. Heck, a secretary makes more than we do and we do all the "secretarial", billing AND back office work.
Reviews are coming up shortly and the girls who have been in this office for years have already told me to never expect more than .20 an hour raise. :uhoh21:
Oh well...at least I really like my job, I'm obviously not in it for the money.
I don't know about liscensure, but I believe in mandated certification. I also don't believe in the associations that allow one to take a certification exam with experience only. I feel certification should be obtained by those who finished a program from an accredited school. OJT training more than likely doesn't hit all of the points one would learn in school in all of the different areas. JMO.
I don't think we expect to as "monitarily valuable" as LPNs. I do however expect to be more "monitarily valuable" than an employee at Wally-World. I work for one of the major hospital networks in PA and one of my co-workers whose daughter just started at Wal-Mart about 3 months ago is now making very close (within $1.00 an hour) to what I'm making. I do expect more than that when I'm giving injections, drawing blood, etc. Heck, a secretary makes more than we do and we do all the "secretarial", billing AND back office work.
The bottom line is that MA's are entry level. I don't see where that would change down the line. As for licensure, if you want to be licensed than go to school to become a nurse. If you want better pay than go to school and earn a degree in Nursing or some other higher level healthcare job.
I don't support the licensure of MA's because I think that hospitals and doctors have a long history of trying to replace LPN's and RN's with lower paid UAP's. If it were up to me, I would have a lower Nurse:Patient ratio and eliminate techs on the floor. But that is another thread altogether.
The bottom line is that MA's are entry level. I don't see where that would change down the line. As for licensure, if you want to be licensed than go to school to become a nurse. If you want better pay than go to school and earn a degree in Nursing or some other higher level healthcare job.
I don't support the licensure of MA's because I think that hospitals and doctors have a long history of trying to replace LPN's and RN's with lower paid UAP's. If it were up to me, I would have a lower Nurse:Patient ratio and eliminate techs on the floor. But that is another thread altogether.
I think one thing that nurses are concerned with is that our job is trying to be picked away by lower paying non-licensed personnell i.e. paramedics trying to get into the hospital by getting jobs in ER, techs drawing blood, vital signs etc. All these people want to do everything except clean poop
Why should they get paid for a nurses job when they can not sign RN or LPN behind their names because they lack the knowledge, experiences, and license to do so . If you want the same money and recognition as a nurse then do the work and become one- quit trying to make short cuts.
I think one thing that nurses are concerned with is that our job is trying to be picked away by lower paying non-licensed personnell i.e. paramedics trying to get into the hospital by getting jobs in ER, techs drawing blood, vital signs etc. All these people want to do everything except clean poop
Why should they get paid for a nurses job when they can not sign RN or LPN behind their names because they lack the knowledge, experiences, and license to do so . If you want the same money and recognition as a nurse then do the work and become one- quit trying to make short cuts.
I think one thing that nurses are concerned with is that our job is trying to be picked away by lower paying non-licensed personnell i.e. paramedics trying to get into the hospital by getting jobs in ER, techs drawing blood, vital signs etc. All these people want to do everything except clean poop
Why should they get paid for a nurses job when they can not sign RN or LPN behind their names because they lack the knowledge, experiences, and license to do so . If you want the same money and recognition as a nurse then do the work and become one- quit trying to make short cuts.
I don't support the licensure of MA's because I think that hospitals and doctors have a long history of trying to replace LPN's and RN's with lower paid UAP's.
This is the reason why i wouldn't support the licensure either.
I think one thing that nurses are concerned with is that our job is trying to be picked away by lower paying non-licensed personnell i.e. paramedics trying to get into the hospital by getting jobs in ER, techs drawing blood, vital signs etc. All these people want to do everything except clean poop
Why should they get paid for a nurses job when they can not sign RN or LPN behind their names because they lack the knowledge, experiences, and license to do so .
I do however expect to be more "monitarily valuable" than an employee at Wally-World.
When I worked as a CNA in a nursing home, I made less money than my baby sister did as a cashier at WalMart. As a new grad RN, I made less money than my husband did at his job that only required a high school degree and a valid driver's license. If you want to be more monetarily valuable, you'll have to get into a new line of work. You'll get paid what the market demands, and that's influenced by a lot of things, none of which are really based on "value."
I think a better question to pose might be: would physicians support MA licensure?
MA's may work with nurses but they work for phsycians, so who cares if nurses would support it or not? It's moot.
My point is, I doubt physicians would support it and this is why:
1. MA's are used as a cheaper alternative to licensed nursing staff. Licensure might mean MA's can vie for higher pay.
2. Licensure would give MA's a definative scope of practice, and alot of the things that MA's are allowed to do while practicing 'under' the license of the physician (nursing and medical duties- like giving injections) would no doubt not make it into the scope of the MA.
No flames please, just my honest opinion. And I do not dislike MA's- my mother is one, and she enjoys her job very much. But when she complains to me about the poor wages/benefits and 0 chances of advancement I tell her to go back to school.
LorraineCNA
113 Posts
I don't think we expect to as "monitarily valuable" as LPNs. I do however expect to be more "monitarily valuable" than an employee at Wally-World. I work for one of the major hospital networks in PA and one of my co-workers whose daughter just started at Wal-Mart about 3 months ago is now making very close (within $1.00 an hour) to what I'm making. I do expect more than that when I'm giving injections, drawing blood, etc. Heck, a secretary makes more than we do and we do all the "secretarial", billing AND back office work.
Reviews are coming up shortly and the girls who have been in this office for years have already told me to never expect more than .20 an hour raise. :uhoh21:
Oh well...at least I really like my job, I'm obviously not in it for the money.
Lorraine
CMA, CNA