Medical Assistant Technician , Medical Assistant Classes Online
You want to work in healthcare, but may be confused whether to choose a career as a medical assistant or licensed practical nurse. In the past decade, positions for licensed practical nurses have changed dramatically. Where once LPNs were dominant in physician offices, the profession is mostly found in nursing homes and hospitals. The medical assisting profession has stepped into traditional LPN roles in physician offices and ambulatory care centers.
medical assistant or lpn
The difference between a Medical Assistant vs LPN
While the positions are similar, there are some key differences. The main difference is that an LPN is a Nurse, where as a Medical Assistant is an Assistant. Also, Medical Assistant courses focus on ambulatory and emergency services, while a LPN courses focus on hospital and clinical care. Another key difference is that Medical Assistants work with patients under the direction for a Doctor and complete paperwork for the patients, while LPN’s work under the direction of a Doctor or Nurse and tend mainly the the care of the patient. When deciding what career to go into, first decide if you want to work in something similar to an emergency room or a clinic. This will play a big part in which field you decide to go into. If emergency rooms are more your thing, you may want to go the Medical Assistant route as their courses will better prepare you.
9 month medical assistant program online
1 year medical assistant programsmedical assistant 1 year programmedical assistant fscj
Similar tasks for Medical Assistants and LPNs
- Check vital signs
- Take patient’s information
- Administer medication and vaccinations
- Collect samples
- Assist in minor surgeries
Medical Assistant vs LPN Job Description
Medical Assistant’s Tasks
Medical Assistants work under the care of Physicians and other Healthcare Providers. The tasks can vary between a Clinical Medical Assistant vs an Administrative Medical Assistant. A Clinical Medical Assistant focus on the care of the patient and administer to them with tasks such as medication, taking vital signs, and other clinical tasks. If you choose to go more of the Clinical Medical Assistant route, you will be in charge of gathering insurance information from the patient, filling out patient information, making appointments, and other office work.
medical assistant technician medical assistant billing and coding medical assistant online classes
medical assistant classes online medical assistant los angeles
medical assistant classes online medical assistant los angeles
Licensed Practical Nurse’s Tasks
A LPN is a licensed Nurse who can work under the direction of a Health Care Provider or a Nurse. An LPN’s tasks focus on the physical care for a patient such as administering medication and injections, helping with the patients personal hygiene, checking vital signs and providing care to patients. An LPN has mostly physical tasks but does some paper work such as documenting what medications are being administered to a patient.
Medical Assistants and Licensed Practical Nurses are both prestigious positions in the medical field that will always be in high demand. When looking at a career being a Medical Assistant vs LPN, you can be sure to know that you are headed into a great career.
medical assistant lessons medical assistant kilgore college 2 month medical assistant program medical assistant degree online medical assistant online school medical assistant school online
medical assistant lessons medical assistant kilgore college 2 month medical assistant program medical assistant degree online medical assistant online school medical assistant school online
What Are Career Differences Between an LPN and Medical Assistant?
Understanding differences between an LPN and medical assistant is important to making a career choice.
Medical assistants do not earn a license!
Medical assistants do not earn a license!
A medical assistant may choose to become certified or registered upon completing an approved medical assisting program. Certification and registration are different than a license, and are not interchangeable. Practical nurses may sit for a licensing exam after graduation from nursing school. Earning a license allows the practical nurse to practice skills under her own license—though most states require that an LPN be supervised by a registered nurse when performing certain assessments or skills.
Medical assistants do not practice independently. They work under a physician’s medical license. Essentially, a licensed medical doctor must approve a medical assistant’s ability to practice, and then agree to allow the MA to work directly under his or her medical license.
Because medical assistants cannot earn a license, they are often not allowed to work in state-funded nursing homes or long-term care facilities. LPNs; however, may.
LPNs learn far more clinical skills
Medical assistants do not practice independently. They work under a physician’s medical license. Essentially, a licensed medical doctor must approve a medical assistant’s ability to practice, and then agree to allow the MA to work directly under his or her medical license.
Because medical assistants cannot earn a license, they are often not allowed to work in state-funded nursing homes or long-term care facilities. LPNs; however, may.
LPNs learn far more clinical skills
Skills performed by MAs and LPNs may overlap; however, there are differences in skills performed by both. Skill differences may vary due to state laws that govern how LPNs and MAs practice. However, LPNs learn some clinical skills during nursing school which are not taught in medical assisting programs.
An LPN may be trained to place an intravenous line (IV) and provide select medications via an IV. Antibiotics, electrolytes and fluid replacement are some medications an LPN may be able to give through an IV. While a select few states allow MAs to obtain intravenous line certification, it is not a skill routinely taught during MA school or allowed for practice.
LPNs also learn other skills that an MA may not have learned, or be allowed to do by state law. Inserting urinary catheters, including Foley catheters and giving certain medications by injection, like antibiotics or narcotics are some skills that may vary between both professions.
LPN programs have more depth
An LPN may be trained to place an intravenous line (IV) and provide select medications via an IV. Antibiotics, electrolytes and fluid replacement are some medications an LPN may be able to give through an IV. While a select few states allow MAs to obtain intravenous line certification, it is not a skill routinely taught during MA school or allowed for practice.
LPNs also learn other skills that an MA may not have learned, or be allowed to do by state law. Inserting urinary catheters, including Foley catheters and giving certain medications by injection, like antibiotics or narcotics are some skills that may vary between both professions.
LPN programs have more depth
Licensed Practical Nurse programs are often grouped in a nursing program that offers both LPN and RN degrees. All students, regardless if they are seeking the LPN or RN designation, obtain the same first-year nursing curriculum. After one year, and successfully meeting education requirements, students may take the LPN nursing exam, or choose to continue on a second year to complete the registered nurse program.
The LPN program offers a wider look into the human lifespan and care through the ages than many medical assistant programs do. An LPN program may include learning in-depth patient assessment techniques, how to create care plans, pain management techniques including therapeutic touch therapy and ergo-dynamic techniques and how to care for the terminally ill and dying patient. Critical thinking skills are also a foundation skill taught in nursing school. These skills allow the LPN to function at a patient’s bedside in a hospital, hospice or long-term care facility setting.
LPN salaries:
The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that in 2017, the median annual salary for an LPN was around $43,000. Top salaries were around $60,000 while the bottom ten percent of LPNs earned less than $30,000.
Medical assistant salaries:
The median earnings for medical assistants, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, were $33,500 in 2017. The top 10% earned almost $40,000 and bottom 10% around $28,000.
The LPN program offers a wider look into the human lifespan and care through the ages than many medical assistant programs do. An LPN program may include learning in-depth patient assessment techniques, how to create care plans, pain management techniques including therapeutic touch therapy and ergo-dynamic techniques and how to care for the terminally ill and dying patient. Critical thinking skills are also a foundation skill taught in nursing school. These skills allow the LPN to function at a patient’s bedside in a hospital, hospice or long-term care facility setting.
LPN salaries:
The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that in 2017, the median annual salary for an LPN was around $43,000. Top salaries were around $60,000 while the bottom ten percent of LPNs earned less than $30,000.
Medical assistant salaries:
The median earnings for medical assistants, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, were $33,500 in 2017. The top 10% earned almost $40,000 and bottom 10% around $28,000.
Comments
Post a Comment