Medical Assistant vs. Nurse: What's the Difference?
Posted by Peter Jan 5th 2009, 16:47Both work in a hospital or doctor’s office, both make sure patients are comfortable and cared for, and both are relied on for the smooth operation of a medical office. But medical assistants and nurses are two distinct professions, each with a slightly different focus. What are the similarities and differences?
Similarities
Patient care: Medical assistants and nurses work to care for patients, making their stay in a hospital or their visit to a doctor’s office as easy and comfortable as possible. For both, this can include duties like changing bandages, cleaning bed sheets, preparing patients for examinations, or assisting patients with eating or dressing.
Light procedures: Medical assistants’ clinical duties roughly parallel those of a nurse aide or licensed practical nurse, consisting of administering medication under a physician’s instructions, taking and delivering samples for testing, taking vitals, and in some cases drawing blood.
Work environment: Medical assistants and nurses may both work in hospitals, physicians’ offices, nursing homes, and the offices of specialists such as chiropractors, podiatrists and dentists.
Supervision: medical assistants are also supervised by many of the same professionals who supervise nurse aides and LPNs, including physicians, health specialists, registered nurses, and other managing nurses or medical assistants.
Basic education: A medical assistants and nurse aides have fairly similar educations, comprising of around 1 year of schooling for a certificate or associate degree. Subjects covered in training typically include anatomy, physiology, medical terminology, patient care, medical law and other subjects.
Differences
Administrative duties: Contrary to nurses, some medical assistants specialize in administrative roles. These administrative medical assistants perform primarily office functions such as billing, bookkeeping, scheduling, answering phones and completing insurance paperwork rather than focusing on patient care.
More involved procedures: Unlike nurses, medical assistants don’t perform more invasive procedures such as administering IVs, administering internal anesthesia, or operating medical equipment - unless they specialize in a field such as optometry or ophthalmology. Only specially trained medical assistants may draw blood, and only certain states allow medical assistants to administer injections.
Health care planning: While registered nurses and LPNs work with patients to build short and long-term care plans, medical assistants only provide short-term care to patients, carrying out instructions given to them by higher medical personnel.
Specialties: Though some medical assistants specialize in fields like podiatry and optometry, most medical assistants don’t specialize beyond their work environment, such as nursing homes, doctor’s offices or hospitals. On the other hand, registered nurses may specialize in a variety of fields, such as anesthesia, public health, childbirth, trauma, or they may become nurse practitioners.
Advanced education: Unlike medical assistants, some nurses can pursue further education to advance in the field and specialize.
Work schedule: Medical assistants typically work set schedules, such as a regular 40-hour week or a part-time schedule, and may only occasionally be required to work evenings or weekends. Many nurses work irregular schedules, such as three 12-hour shifts per week, and may be on call depending on their specialty and work environment.
Pay: The majority of medical assistants earned between $21,000 and $31,000 annually in 2007, a roughly comparable wage to a nurse aide or orderly, according to the US Labor Bureau. Meanwhile, LPNs earned between $31 and $43k per year, and most RNs earned between $47 and $69k or higher. The pay difference is mostly due to the increased responsibility and higher educational requirements in the nursing field.
Find out more about medical assistants at medical assisting job description, or click to learn more about nursing (this link leaves the site).
Posted by Astrid Lee on 27/1/09
I really appreciate this article, as the distinction is not immediately obvious to patients.
‘’==\ HappY New Year of the OX
Posted by Degrees in Healthcare on 8/7/09
Great article. Very funny site with excellent resources for future medical professionals.
Posted by Debbi on 5/11/09
I have my BA in Education and have taught in the public school system for years. Now, I am taking classes to become a Certified Medical Assistant. I would like to further my education after becoming a CMA. What is suggested?
Posted by Debbi on 5/11/09
I have more years of education than most of the RNs I know. Why can’t Medical Assistants advance in the healthcare field? How much more would it take to become an RN?
Posted by Erin on 11/11/09
Debbi,
The reason medical assistants can’t advance in the healthcare field is because they are not individually licensed. MAs are already at the highest level of responsibility allowed without a license and may only perform their clinical skills under the direct supervision of a MD or DO. RNs and LPNs are licensed and are solely responsible for the patient. As an RN, I am liable for all of my patients’ care. I can be individually sued the same as a physician can. That being said, being an RN is a great responsibility but is well worth the risk and additional education. If you are interested in becoming a nurse I highly recommend going back to school. Since medical assisting and nursing are different fields, most of your courses will not transfer but some basic anatomy and physiology may. There are 2 options for becoming an RN at this point in time. There are 2 year degrees from community colleges and 4 year bachelor’s degree programs. I did what many RNs do and completed 6 years of school with a double major. Again, well worth it in salary and job satisfaction. Good luck!!
Posted by Scott on 10/1/10
Ok i understand where this is going … i follow you i promise but i guess i’m living proof that the only difference between an RN and myself (CMA) is paperwork. I can and have done all things that my head nurse used to do. I speak in past tense because she had become obsolete now that hospitals in fl are slowly doing without the lpn position and giving more responsibility to CMA’s all my courses in school transfered from one school to the other so i’ll have to disagree with the previous statement… studies show that shortly the pay wont be any different because the only thing the nurses are being trusted with over CMA’s are paper. These are just my experiences not to bash anyone here
Posted by anne on 31/1/10
I agree with Scott. I am obtaining an associates degree to become a Medical Assistant. I was initially in an LPN program that was accelerated (1 yr) and in the end would have only been a certificate holder. I felt that I needed more education to be able to take care of people properly. At the end, when I do graduate from my college courses, I will have to take a state test to become a licensed Medical Asst.
Posted by Mari RN BSN on 4/3/10
That makes absolutely no sense to go to school longer to make less money. Whatever floats your boat I guess. MA’s are just glorified aides. They’re robots who do as their told without even understanding WHY they are doing what theyre doing. Nurses actually have to THINK not just follow commands. Sorry but there is a BIG difference between MA’s and nurses. And I highly doubt RN’s are being phased out ini hospitals. I dont care how long youve been an MA you still cant touch IV’s. Nice try though.
Posted by Karen on 21/4/10
I am a CMA and yes I can touch IV’s. MA’s are starting IV’s daily, even administering meds by IV. By working under the MD MA’s can do whatever is needed in the medical office.
Posted by Janelle, CMA, RPT 2 weeks, 2 days ago
There are additional certifications available to CMA’s. I have an Associates in Medical Assisting, am a CMA and am also certified in Phlebotomy (RPT) through the AMA and Limited Radiology through the ARRT. These additional certifications make any MA more marketable to future employers and eligible for more pay.
Although I am not an LPN or RN, I was hired to be the “nurse” for one of the doctors in a family medicine practice. There are nine physicians and each one has his/her own nurse. Some of us are CMA’s, LPN’s and RN’s. The RN’s, LPN’s and the CMA’s in my office all have the exact SAME responsibilities. I completely disagree with Mari’s comment that “nurses actually have to think not just follow commands.” In the office where I work, all of us have to think and make decisions all day based on the situation, the patients’ needs and the doctors’ preferences. Our office also has a lab and all of us have the same responsibilities there as well. We all have to work together to make the practice run smoothly.
I understand that in a hospital environment there is a more defined difference between the responsibilities of the LPN’s, RN’s and CMA’s. As a single parent, I prefer to work in a doctor’s office because I don’t have to work crazy hours or swing shifts.
I do not believe that one “title” is any better or worse than the other. It is a personal decision which direction you want to go, how much time and money you want to spend at school and what you prefer to do once you start working. I love being a CMA and have no desire to become a RN.
When someone considering going into nursing asks for my advice, I recommend that they become a CMA first. Not everyone is cut out for the clinical duties CMA’s, LPN’s and RN’s have. As a CMA, you have the option to be hired at some places strictly on an administrative basis. One of my friends started out as a CMA, but had a weak stomach. She worked her way up in a medical office and became the “Practice Manager” and makes as much, if not more, money than some of the RN’s I know.
Posted by Janelle, CMA, RPT 2 weeks, 2 days ago
Sorry for the typo…my phlebotomy certification is through the AMT, not the AMA. Just wanted to avoid any confusion : )