Hi. New here! Please, i know you are all probably so tired of this question, but will you please hear me out and answer back as honestly as you can! I promise I wont be discouraged or angry, just grateful to hear back from you. Here goes...i am a 32 year old stay at home mom of 2 children. (ages 4 and 8). I have been thinking about going back to school, but can't decide between medical assisting or rn. this has been going on for about 3 years. i am driving everyone nuts. My community college offers both programs in about 2 years (each). I live in a suburb right outside chicago. pros for medical assisting is less intense schooling, seems easier, variety of work (both clerical and assisting with patients), less stress (typically the patients lives aren't in my hands). cons-salary of course, and hard to find a job, not respected (from what i hear, please don't think i don't respect ma's i think they should be paid double for what they do.) pros of rn: money, money, money, very respected, abundance of jobs and opportunities, tuition reimbursement, flexibility. Cons" i am horrible in math and science, don't know if i can handle school with 2 kids.
Can you guys help me decide....PLEASE!!!!! thank you.
linda

Are You Still In School? no

Are You Working? no

You are not going to get away from math by going either route.

At my MA school there are 2 terms of medical math and in the COP class math skills are needed for temperature, weight, and dose conversions. They allow no calculators.

The RN course at my school is a two year course with about 2 years of prerequisites, and you are required to have at least one year CNA experience.

The job descriptions are totally different. IMO too many folks see it as one or the other, that is ignorance speaking. My wife is an RN and for the most part has been little help with most of the things that are required by the AAMA to be a CMA. I'll make an analogy that some may not grasp but is the truth, heavy equipment operator vs. truck driver. Both are similar, but have different skills, training, job descriptions and scope of practice. Think about it, the seat and steering wheel are similar.

Any degree program will train you for what you need if you apply yourself, you need to determine what your goals are and what job suits you to be truly satisfied with your choice.

Your Professional Title/Credentials: SMA

Are You Still In School? yes

Are You Working? no

There are also plently of RNs are not respected (they take a lot of crap from doctors, patients, patient families, other Nurses). Yes, the money is good, but compared to what they have to deal with, I hardly think it's enough for they do. Why do you think there is such a shortage? Most schools have 1-3 year waiting lists...logically speaking, there such be a flood of Nurses out there. Fact of the matter is, most Nurses don't get treated very well, and there is a high turn-over rate (go to allnurses.com if you don't believe me). I don't want to discourage you from going into Nursing, because it is a wonderful, admirable field to get into, but there is also a lot of excess baggage that comes along with it. I see too many people try to get into Nursing, only to hate it before they're even done with school.

There are good MA jobs out there. You just have to be willing to put in the effort and find them. Being an MA, there are also many other jobs that you may be able to get, other than a Medical Assistant--Patient Care Tech, Emergency Room Tech, Phlebotomy, X-ray Tech, Lab Tech Assistant, etc.

You're going to have to take Anatomy and Physiology AND Med Math for both. But you will learn...I am horrible at math, and I'm learning. There are PLENTLY of former stay at home mothers in both the Nursing program and the MA program at my school. I promise you won't be alone.

And as Jeff said, Medical Assisting and Nursing are two completely fields of the health care industry. The yare similar, but it's like comparing apples and oranges. The only thing that is comparable to an RN is being an LPN.

Don't let the negativity of some people deter you from doing what you really want to do.

I suggest a 3rd option...LPN. This way, you can be hired for a medical office if you choose and take some time before deciding if you want to pursue RN. I wish I went this route. Have you considered it?

Your Professional Title/Credentials: RMA

Are You Still In School? No

Are You Working? Yes

Oh, I forgot my respect rant. Respect is earned, period. Simply having the initials after your name, RN or any other, does not guarantee respect.

My first day of my front office externship, I witnessed an RN engage another RN in a totally unprofessional conversation. Nurse "A" will never earn my respect, she is scum and IMO should not ever have decided to work in health care. I pity nurse "B", having to work with such a lowlife-dirt-bag must be a drain on her.

Your Professional Title/Credentials: SMA

Are You Still In School? yes

Are You Working? no

If you are interested in RN because of the money- don't pursue it. You really have to have the drive, interest, and desire to go into it. It's not easy, and if you are only in it for the money chances are you will not finish. I graduated with only 1/3 of the class we started with.

Just an FYI- I took an RN program at a community college and after the first year was able to sit for my LPN. If I deided it wasn't for me, I could have stopped after a year and still had a degree. Something to think about.

It really depends on what you want to do and where you want to work in terms of what program to go into.

Your Professional Title/Credentials: RN

Are You Still In School? No

Are You Working? yes

as an MA grad who graduated with honors and now in nursing school I can say that medical assisting school is a cake walk compared to nursing school.

like some one else mentioned, if you want to go into nursing for the money; don't do it. Don't do ANYTHING for the money! Nursing school is VERY time consuming so I can see your fear about having to do it with children, but if your husband is supportive and you have a drive and want to be a nurse because you want to for reasons other than money then go for it.

Some one suggested LPN/LVN. this could be a great idea too. I know in my state at the JC they offer a LVN certificate program which is only 30 units and you can sit for the boards, you just don't have a degree. Find out if your state offerers this. One thing to consider, and this varies from state to state and even area, is that the LVN/LPN is being fazed out in many hospitals. Where I live there are no LVN in the hospitals, but hospitals are not only place to work as a nurse!

If you just want a job to get out of the house but are not expecting to contribute much to the bills then become a medical assistant. Most programs are only 1-2 years and are fairly easy. Medical assisting can be very rewarding, even if it does not mean in ways of money. I was never disrespected as a medical assistant.

wow, guys, thanks alot for all your answers. i am overwhelmed, really, thanks for taking the time out of your day to answer my questions. so, i actually did consider the lpn route, which i may actually do. at my community college, you do have to be a cna first, so i think i will become a cna, and work maybe 1-2 nights per week doing that, if i enjoy it then go for lpn. but, i don't know, becoming an ma sounds good too. gosh, i am so confused. i know one thing, i want to work in mental health. thanks again for everything. linda

Are You Still In School? no

Are You Working? no

Mental health is a different critter altogether. Go and visit the type of facilities you might like to work in and see what is required to work there. The one place that comes to mind locally here doesn't employ MAs, nurses and other professionals are there.

I visited a bunch of the different places near where I live, to come to the decision to go to school for being an MA. Each time I have gained a different perspective, even going back to the same facility my view has changed.

Your Professional Title/Credentials: SMA

Are You Still In School? yes

Are You Working? no

Alot of mental health facilities hire PCT's- patient care technicians or some other acronym of the same sort. You do not need a degree for those type of positions. Definately check out the faclities. You may not even need a degree to go into the field you want.

My husband is a youth care worker at a boys home and actually got a degree on the job. He attended various seminars and such and received a college dgree at the company's expense.

Your Professional Title/Credentials: RN

Are You Still In School? No

Are You Working? yes