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pay

Hey everyone.. I am new to this board.. I have a question that I hope ya'll dont mind answering. I am in my 2nd to last term for an AAS degree. I will be a Medical Assistant... My ? is.... how muc an hour do most of you get paid?? If its only min wage or 9 bux an hour .. im screwed... I'm trying to decide if i want to go to school for nursing after I grad...

Thanks

Are You Still In School? yes

Are You Working? clinicals

Re: pay

A nurse makes about 3 times what a MA makes. If you are in MA school I would finish it and see if you like patient contact. Being an MA is a good foundation to have if you want to continue your patient care career.

Are You Still In School? No

Re: pay

Just what were you told MAs make when you were first meeting with the school about joining their program? If varies all over but it doesn't seem to be much for all that MAs do. If you can find a first job that pays over $11 an hour,that seems to be pure luck,but of course the real problem is finding that first job.

Re: pay

I started out making 7.45 in 2002, when I quit to go back to nursing school in 2006 I was making 9/hr with no benifits. It can depend on your area though. But most MAs do not make much more than 11 from what I am hearing...and thats usually the highest

Your Professional Title/Credentials: CCMA-C

Are You Still In School? Nursing School

Are You Working? Doing free doula service

Re: pay

In my neck of the woods MA's make about 13 - 16 an hour. But thats with years of experience. And in this area you cant feed a family on that. As a comparison new nurses start at $29.00/hr.

Are You Still In School? No

Re: pay

I currently earn $13.75/hr. I get a diff because I do not need health benefits since I am covered under my husband. I am entering nursing school in the fall. I wound up in the MA program while waiting for a spot.
They use the "lottery" system. If you need to support a family, this is not the profession. But I do have a friend,single, that is quite happy with what she earns. It all depends on your "needs and wants" in life. In my case, I LOVE to learn and want to be able to do more within the scope of patient care!

Your Professional Title/Credentials: Certified Clinical Medical Assistant

Are You Still In School? no

Are You Working? yes. Hospital ER/Clinic

Re: pay

I make $18.00/hour. It's not bad pay but still not what I want to make for the rest of my life!!! You should become a MA to get your feet wet but then move on to better things (ie LPN, RN etc). I'm working on a degree in mortuary sciece right now...but that's another story!

Your Professional Title/Credentials: CCMA, CNA

Are You Still In School? YEs

Are You Working? Yes

Re: pay

I started out at $11/hour and within a year worked my way up to $13.50/hour. With all the work and stress I go through though, I feel like I should make $20/hour, but what can ya do? Pretty much just go on to more schooling because the only way you will make a lot as an MA is to be 60 years old and still doing it.

Your Professional Title/Credentials: CMA

Are You Still In School? No

Are You Working? Yes

Re: pay

I have been in this profession for about 6 years and desided to go to school for my MA. I am hoping that the pay will be more then what I am making as a LNA Does anyone have a base rate pay?

Your Professional Title/Credentials: CMA student (currenty LNA)

Are You Still In School? YES

Are You Working? Yes(LNA)

Re: pay

I like the fact that as an MA we have MORE patient contact than a nurse. Nurses have all the paperwork involvement. Yes they make more, however, if you got intothe field because you wanted to actually help people and not for the money, I think its totally worth it.

Your Professional Title/Credentials: LNA/ MA

Are You Still In School? yes

Are You Working? yes

Re: pay

I beg to differ with you Jen. Nurses do trach care, wound care, IV care, wash patients, give injections, ostomy care, and if you are a unit nurse its one on one care for 8 to 12 hours. We also do ekg's, patient education, home health care (visiting nurses or VNA), just to name a few. Yes the paper work is definitely monotonous, but we as nurses do so much more than just paper work.

Are You Still In School? No

Re: pay

I agree with RNtoBe. I was an MA before going back to nursing school, its the nurses that do more patient care...not MAs...and I did PLENTY of paperwork as an MA

Your Professional Title/Credentials: CCMA-C

Are You Still In School? Nursing School

Are You Working? Doing free doula service

Re: pay

RNtoB... I have yet to see a nurse, in and around my area that has ever "washed patients". AS far as they're concerned, that's the "aide's job". They cannot be bothered. Is it legal? No. Is it right? No.
HOWEVER--- NOT ALL NURSES ACT AS THOUGH THEY CANNOT BE BOTHERED. Many of them started off as nurses, and not aides, and the bedside manners are not good ones. I am very proud to be in the health care field, as it has been very rewarding, but I think the loss of contact between the nurses and their patients, is not all that good. I will take the pay cut, and spend more time with the patients....

Your Professional Title/Credentials: LNA/ MA

Are You Still In School? yes

Are You Working? yes

Re: pay

Jen, you are correct in that some nurses dont wash patients, or see that as an aids job. But where I work we have a collabarative approach to health care where everone chips in. And at times there are not enough aids and the nurses are the one's who wash the patients.

Seeing things from both sides (RN and MA), I am much happier professionally and finacially as an RN. I did enjoy MA work, but it just didnt pay the bills and I felt I was not treated as a professional. The pay was low and the expectations very high.

Re: pay

In order to utilize staff most cost effectively, nurses will not be doing ADL's and hygeine. Aides are hired to do that, as well as EKG's, bladder scans, pulling IV's and catheters. We utilize LPN's to pass meds, keep an eye out for status changes, and ask all of the admission questions and assist the aides. RN's need to assess the patients, check the labs, vitals, get new orders, call the docs, IV's, drains, suction,chest tubes etc...
It isn't that we won't clean a patient, it is we have to task manage as well. Honestly, I don't care if a patient hasn't brushed their teeth when the patient next door is oxygenating at 84%, and the post surgical patient has a saturated dressing. If a patient is sitting in urine, I will clean them up, otherwise I have faith in the aides that they will finish the tasks that they have been assigned.

To address the original question, MA's here start out at $12 an hour, and that increases with experience.

Your Professional Title/Credentials: RN

Are You Still In School? no

Are You Working? yes

Re: pay

Well, Tracy I agree and disagree with you. I have alot of respect for all Medical Professionals. However, I have worked with ALOT of nurses who see that ADL's are beneath them. To an aide, that is just not fair. I understand that the nurses have alot of tasks. Its when they actually have some down time, and I ask them to help me roll a patient, or get them onto a toilet, and they will either say no, OR they will go and find someone else to help out....Especially when we are short-staffed. I ALSO understand that, that is MY position, and that is what we are hired for. However, it wouldnt kill them once and a while to give us a hand. I feel as though we are not really appreciated. We as LNA's are told that nurses are NOT supposed to deny care to a patient, especially when they need help. I have seen it way more than I care to think! I appreciate the fact that you seem to care about your Aides. Thank you for that. I just wanted you to understand that we work very hard at our job, and a helping hand, or a little thanks is all we need...

Your Professional Title/Credentials: LNA/ MA

Are You Still In School? yes

Re: pay

I completely agree with working together. I am very lucky to have the coworkers that I do, and we all work very well together and help each other out when needed. No job is unimportant or less important. We couldn't meet all the patients needs alone!

Your Professional Title/Credentials: RN

Are You Still In School? no

Are You Working? yes

Re: pay

MAs cannot be hired here without certification (CMAs preferred over RMAs) and the pay is only $11-$15/hr. I think it is a little low, but honestly I feel it's pretty fair. I personally feel that MAs should make about $14-$18/hr. and it's a shame that many are taken advantage of and paid such measly wages. I mean...some of you are paid under $10.... that's insulting. I'm an acute care CNA in the ICU and get paid $17 plus shift differential.

Your Professional Title/Credentials: CNA

Re: pay

MAs can be hired without certification. It depends on the area.

Your Professional Title/Credentials: CCMA-C, CLD

Are You Still In School? Nursing school (BSN)

Are You Working? Self employed certified birth doula

Re: pay

how sad is it that pay keeps getting brought up
mainly because its so low

Re: pay

Oh yes. I meant to say that HERE MAs need to be certified (CMA preferred). I think this is one of the reasons pay for MAs is so low; certification needs to be required.

Your Professional Title/Credentials: CNA

Re: pay

we also should make sure doctors are not total F'N Idiots.

I say that because an Heart specialist here in Mi had a job add saying "CMA needed for heart clinic 8.00hr to start" i honestly think some doctors should stop practiceing, because hey cant evwn employ people correctly IMO

Re: pay

Nate,

Most doctors go to medical school, not business school.

In a previous life I worked with engineers. They were some of the smartest people I have ever met; but I wouldn't trust some of them to care for my dog, if I went on an extended vacation. That is not to say they aren't smart, they focus on other areas.

Your Professional Title/Credentials: CMA (AAMA)

Are You Still In School? no

Are You Working? yes

Re: pay

i hear ya.

i just wonder if some of these doctors have any idea about how the medical field really works