Nursing Vs. Medical Assistant: Which Career is Right for You?
Nurses and Medical Assistants are both important players on the healthcare team. But they hold different positions and play different roles. Which do you think might be right for you? To be a Nurse, you need more knowledge and training than a Medical Assistant. You’d also have more responsibility. As a Medical Assistant, you have a balance between patients and administrative duties. And while you might report to a nurse as an MA, the reverse is never true. But if you want an in-demand healthcare career that allows you to help others, both can be a great choice. Here are some key differences to help you choose the right role for you.
Training: Nurse vs. Medical Assistant
Training to become a Nurse is more intensive and time-consuming than training to be a Medical Assistant. You may need to take an entrance exam before you can even enroll in a nursing school. Nursing programs require a deeper focus on anatomy, pharmacology, and clinical decision-making, often involving complex coursework and extensive hands-on clinical rotations. Depending on your ultimate credential—LPN, RN, or BSN—your nursing education can take 1 to 4 years and includes preparation for your NCLEX exam. This advanced preparation equips you to take on a broader scope of practice than a Medical Assistant.
To become a Medical Assistant, you can complete a certificate program in less than a year. As long as you have a high school diploma or GED, you generally don’t need to take any entrance exams. Your training covers essential clinical skills like taking vital signs, drawing blood, administering injections, and assisting with exams. It also teaches you front-office responsibilities such as scheduling and medical billing and coding. While the coursework is less intensive than nursing, it still includes important foundations in anatomy, medical terminology, and patient care. And after graduation, you can take the CMA or RMA certification exam to enhance your job prospects.
Who Has More Patient Responsibility: Medical Assistants or Nurses?
As a Nurse, you have a much broader scope of patient care than Medical Assistants. You’re allowed to provide advanced wound care, make diagnoses, develop patient care plans, place IVs into patients, and administer medications. You may help doctors make a diagnosis and build treatment plans. You also monitor your patients for any changes in condition and report to the doctor when your patient improves or declines.
Medical Assistants have a more limited scope of responsibility. You greet patients, get them ready for their exams, and take their vital signs. You also assist during surgeries and exams and provide post-surgical instructions and educational materials at the end of the visit. And you have a range of administrative responsibilities that might include office management and medical billing and coding.
Supervisory Responsibilities: Nurses and Medical Assistants
Although Nurses answer to doctors and nurse practitioners, they also have supervisory duties that Medical Assistants do not. As a nurse you might supervise other nurses or Medical Assistants. But as a Medical Assistant, any supervisory responsibilities you have would be more informal. For example, you might train new Medical Assistants, oversee inventory or workflow for clinical supplies, coordinate schedules, or act as a liaison between clinical and administrative staff. Your duties are typically limited to clinical and administrative tasks under the supervision of licensed professionals such as physicians, nurse practitioners, and office managers.
Where Do Nurses and Medical Assistants Work?
Nurses and Medical Assistants can be found in nearly every medical facility, but it’s more common for nurses to work in hospitals and for medical assistants to work in doctor’s offices. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 60 percent of registered nurses work in hospitals while Medical Assistants are more frequently found in physicians’ offices. That doesn’t mean those are your only work options. As a Nurse, you could also find work in outpatient care centers, assisted living facilities, local schools, or universities. As a Medical Assistant, you could also find work in a hospital or at an outpatient care center. It all depends on your preferences and where you feel you are the best fit to make an impact.
Whether you decide to pursue a career as a Nurse or a Medical Assistant, you can start your journey at Charter College. We offer an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing that can prepare you for an entry-level career as a Nurse in less than two years. We also offer a Certificate in Medical Assistant that can be completed in as few as 10 months. Both programs are offered in blended learning format for flexibility and convenience. Call 888-200-9942 or fill out the form to learn more.