Medical Assistant Vs Nursing

There’s an ongoing debate on the best career path for a medical professional. Nursing is one of the most popular and highly sought-after careers in the medical field, but it’s not for everyone. If you’re wondering whether or not you should pursue nursing school or take up a position as a medical assistant instead, here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of both jobs so you can make an informed decision:

Schooling

Medical assistants do not need a degree to get a job as one, but you should have a certificate. Nurses on the other hand need to have 2-year degree from an accredited nursing school, and they also must be licensed.

Cost

The cost of training for each profession varies, but medical assisting is generally less expensive than nursing.

In addition to the cost of tuition, you should also consider the potential expenses that could come with joining either field. Nursing programs require students to purchase their own uniforms and equipment like stethoscopes and scrubs, while medical assistants are only required to have a set of scrubs issued by their employer. If a student chooses not to complete his or her degree after beginning one program, he or she must pay fees associated with dropping out early in order to keep from paying back loans taken out for tuition costs already incurred.

Time Frame

To earn a nursing degree, you’ll have to complete the following:

• Associate’s degree in nursing (ADN) program. You can expect to spend about two years on your ADN, which is the first step toward becoming a licensed registered nurse (RN).
• Bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN). The BSN requires an additional 2-4 years of schooling and provides a deeper understanding of health care issues. If you pursue this option, it may help you earn higher pay as well as qualify for management positions down the road.
• Master’s degree in nursing (MSN). Some nurses decide they want even more education and get their MSN after earning their bachelor’s degree—which takes another two years of study—to learn more advanced techniques and improve their communication skills with patients and doctors.

This process could take anywhere from four months to three years depending on how long it takes for you to get accepted into school after applying and what type of funding options are available at your school.[1]

Demands of the Job

• The medical assistant is a hands-on job. You will be working directly with patients and their families, administering medications and tests, taking vital signs and recording the data.
• The nursing profession is more hands-off. You won’t have to worry about getting your hands dirty because you’ll work in an office setting most of the time. You’ll usually perform clerical duties, such as answering phones or filing paperwork; however, there will be moments when you’re called upon for direct patient care as well.
• Nursing work tends to be more physical than medical assisting work: medical assistants may spend much of their day sitting at a desk; nurses are constantly on their feet moving around from one patient room to another (or even running down hallways). Nursing also tends to involve lifting heavier objects than does medical assisting—and because nursing shifts typically run 12 hours long versus 8 hours for many jobs in health care settings (including those requiring training as a Certified Medical Assistant), fatigue can set in faster when performing tasks that require physical exertion over extended periods of time without breaks between them.”

Nature of the Job

Medical Assistants work in a variety of settings including:

• Hospitals
• Nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
• Medical offices, clinics and other facilities that provide health care services to patients.

Know that you are investing your time and money wisely.

Before you decide to become an LPN, you need to know that you are investing your time and money wisely.

• Know what you want to do: Is being a nurse assistant your ultimate career goal? The truth is that not everyone who becomes an LPN does so with the intention of becoming a nurse someday. It may be that you just want a job where you can work independently and help people on a daily basis. Or maybe being an LPN was just something that fell into place during your search for employment, but now that it’s available, there is no reason why it would be such a bad thing if things worked out this way (as long as it meets all of your other needs). Either way, make sure this path is one that will inspire passion in yourself so that when stress hits or life gets difficult (as it inevitably does), there will always be some light at the end of the tunnel – even if only figuratively speaking!

There are many things to consider when you are deciding on a career. The good news is that there are plenty of jobs available in this field, which means you have choices!