Would you rather be a medical assistant or a RN nurse?

Would you rather be a Medical Assistant or a RN nurse? Both rewarding careers.?

• I am a Medical Assistant right out from college and have been thinking about becoming a RN nurse. I have been receiving info from nursing colleges. I have just recently signed up for my pre req's to attend a nursing school after I finish all of my pre reqs.Half of my friends say that I should stay as a Medical Assistant because becoming a nurse is really hard work but on the other hand my other friends say go for the challenage because it is a rewarding job/carreer. What do you think I should do because both are rewarding jobs to me. Should I become a CNA or an RN nurse? That is the big question. Being a medical Assistant is great but what about becoming a nurse? I look forward to inputs of nurses and medical assistant and to anybody else.Thanks.

• Answer:

  I, too, am a Medical Assistant just out of college. Both my mother and grandmother are RN's, and I have 2 aunts who are LPN's. I continuously get asked why I did not choose to be a nurse. Although I have thought about going back to school and becoming an LPN, (it usually only takes a little over a year) I have heard so many horror stories about how nurses are overworked and underpaid for what they do. Not only that, but my mother, the RN, sustained life-threatening injuries from chemical exposure at her workplace, so naturally that gives me a negative spin on nursing. The biggest drawback to being a Medical Assistant is the pay scale. Even if you complete your program and are certified, the pay around here (Michigan) leaves a lot to be desired. Many of the job ads I see are $8.00 to $10.00 per hour, and they want education, certification, and 2+ years experience. That isn't very good compensation considering the time and money spent to complete a Medical Assistant program (I don't know about you, but my program was 3 semesters long). The unfortunate part about Medical Assisting is some places will take people off the street, train them, and allow them to work in their office for $8.00 an hour. To these people, $8.00 is good money since they never went to college. Then after two years of experience, these people are eligible for certification, and walk out with the experience to get them ahead of educated Medical Assistants like yourself and I. Obviously this is not the case with LPN's and RN's, as employers cannot simply take someone off the street and make them into a nurse. I am also a Nursing Assistant, by the way. By working as a Nurse's Assistant, you will see what nurses do and that will give you a much better idea of what you want to do. Good luck!