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| Viewing Page 1 of 1 (Total Posts: 10) |
| Author | Comment |
RNtoB
 Mar 20, 08 - 8:39 AM |
Sad, Not an MA any more :(
Well I have passed my nursing boards and have landed a job in an ICU at a large teaching hospital. Being an MA has helped me as I am not apprehensive about patient contact, and I can start IV's on the worst of them! My starting pay is astronomical compared to what I was making as an MA! At 7 years as an MA I was making $14.75/hr, which was as much as I was ever going to make. As a brand new, no experience nurse, I make $32.75/hr and I only work 3 days a week. I can now live off of this wage! I was happy being an MA until I started to notice the pay disparity between MA's and other health care professionals. Sure, money is not the only thing that matters, but I started to feel taken advantage of by the doctors office that I worked for. I did a lot and worked hard but was only looked at as an expense. For those of you who wish to remain MA's lobbying for a license may improve the wage disparity. I loved being an MA, but it just did not pay the bills. Good luck to all who remain MA's and fight for the pay and respect you deserve!!!!! |
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Sybil
Mar 20th, 2008 - 10:22 AM |
Re: Sad, Not an MA any more :(
Congrads! =) |
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peachyma
Mar 20th, 2008 - 2:42 PM |
Re: Sad, Not an MA any more :(
congrats..i'm currently on externship and I'm definitely going back to school to become a LPN and RN. I already see the money isn't enough but I do ENJOY it tremendously. congrats again..may i ask what state you're in? I'm in Georgia and I'm having no luck finding a school where I'll be allowed to do clinicals in the evening...thats the only thing I'm worried about as far as Nursing is concerned..I'll cross that bridge when i get to it 
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RNtoB
Mar 20th, 2008 - 3:38 PM |
Re: Sad, Not an MA any more :(
I live in Boston where the cost of living is very high, thus the high starting salary. In my neck of the woods one can not survive on MA pay. Its just too low! It astounds me that we are paid so little for what we bring to the table for the doctors. I was practically running the office yet only made $30,000 a year BEFORE taxes. I went from $30,000 year with experience to $70,000 year with no experience! I just don't understand! I just cringe when I see the TV ads for Medical assistant school, and the outrageous price paid for the education. Its tough getting a job as a new MA, and the Doctors dont want to pay.. The office that I worked for tried to talk me out of going to nursing school. I went back to give notice and say goodbye to some friends and they were floored when they heard how much I made. Some were a bit bothered and stated they felt way under paid. I totally agree with them!!!!!!!!!! Like I said, its not about the money, but we all have bills to pay, and I want to be fairly compensated, which I was an MA. |
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RNtoB
Mar 20th, 2008 - 3:40 PM |
Re: Sad, Not an MA any more :(
I live in Boston where the cost of living is very high, thus the high starting salary. In my neck of the woods one can not survive on MA pay. Its just too low! It astounds me that we are paid so little for what we bring to the table for the doctors. I was practically running the office yet only made $30,000 a year BEFORE taxes. I went from $30,000 year with experience to $70,000 year with no experience! I just don't understand! I just cringe when I see the TV ads for Medical assistant school, and the outrageous price paid for the education. Its tough getting a job as a new MA, and the Doctors dont want to pay.. The office that I worked for tried to talk me out of going to nursing school. I went back to give notice and say goodbye to some friends and they were floored when they heard how much I made. Some were a bit bothered and stated they felt way under paid. I totally agree with them!!!!!!!!!! Like I said, its not about the money, but we all have bills to pay, and I want to be fairly compensated, which I was not as an MA. |
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Tracy
Mar 20th, 2008 - 4:21 PM |
Re: Sad, Not an MA any more :(
Congrats! I just graduated in December myself. Although my starting wage isn't that high, we are buying a new house and I too am only scheduled 3 days a week, and can pick up more hours only if I want to. |
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SMA@hocking
Mar 29th, 2008 - 8:25 PM |
Re: Sad, Not an MA any more :(
you know a I have been fighting with myself inside forever about should I go for nursing or not. At first I just didn't think I could handle it but as I am progressing and seeing how well I am doing in MA sitting next to nursing students who are barely passing the same A &P class I am and are going to be making more than me it just makes me wonder could I do it. I want to and I think I could. Many of the LPNS have told me "you are doing almost the same things as an LPN with an MA degree , why don't you just go for 4 more quarters and be and LPN and when you are ready three more to be RN and get the pay and respect of a nurse" but then my argument was the hours but money and respect matters because I would like that title of nurse and would like to be able to afford things and not scrape by like I am now as a student. honestly 10 or 11 bucks an hour would not be too bad if I could live with my 3 roomates in this house forever but I know that will never happen. So anyway I applied for the LPN to RN and am waiting to see where I stand and how long the list is. I will still finish my MA because I like it and am a firm believer it will help me master the basics of pt care before I get into nursing. But I still toss it around because for a while there I was so like "I don't wanna be a nurse I could never do it" and now I can honestly see myself there. |
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SMA@hocking
Mar 29th, 2008 - 8:28 PM |
Re: Sad, Not an MA any more :(
by the way congrats. I didn't mean to ramble, I actually was meaning to ask you advice an how MA has helped you in nursing |
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heartsopenwide
Mar 30th, 2008 - 5:00 PM |
Re: Sad, Not an MA any more :(
I am over half way with my BSN and I just recertifed as a MA last year so I will be certifed until 2012. I will always be an MA even though I have moved on. |
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RNtoB
Mar 31st, 2008 - 10:29 AM |
Re: Sad, Not an MA any more :(
Being an MA has helped me to not be apprehensive about patient contact. Drawing blood in particular is not taught in nursing school so is a huge asset on the floor. MA training did not help me that much (maybe the first couple of tests) in nursing school as the nursing focus is different than the medical focus. I personally am much happier as a nurse than I was as an MA (I feel more appreciated and the compensation is terrific). Just found out today that the hospital just gave the nurses a market adjustment (as we were one of the lowest paying hospitals in the city for nurses) now my starting pay is $35.15/hr ($30.00/hr base, $5.15/hr differential) . Nursing has its share of problems, but I feel very well compensated and feel like a valued professional in the health care community. Its not always about the money, but we all have bills to pay! |
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