Working in medicine doesn’t necessarily mean working as a doctor. There are many professionals in the medical field who come alongside doctors and support their goals and work. Both a nurse and medical assistant offer this type of support. If you are looking for a career in medicine but don’t want to pursue a medical degree, then consider one of these two fields. Here’s a closer look at what they entail so you can choose between these two valuable supportive positions.
Differences Between Medical Assistant and Nurse
Nurse or Medical Assistant – Which Is Right for You?
What Is a Nurse?
As you consider the career choice between a medical assistant vs. nurse, you must first understand what these two professionals do. Nurses are trained healthcare professionals who provide direct patient care, often working alongside a doctor. Common care tasks may include:
- Recording patient histories and symptoms
- Taking vitals
- Performing basic medical procedures, like catheterization, IV insertion, vaccinations, and diagnostic testing
- Educating patients about how to best care for their conditions
- Advocating for patients
- Performing checks and patient care in hospital settings
While nurses cannot prescribe medication, they perform many other patient care roles. They also must be skilled at assessing the health of a patient so they can get the doctor’s care on board as quickly as possible when a patient is struggling.
What Is a Medical Assistant?
Is a medical assistant a nurse by another title? No, these professionals have less training and slightly different duties. A certified medical assistant is a health professional who assists doctors in caring for patients. Their duties often include:
- Recording patient medical histories
- Explaining treatments to patients
- Preparing patients for medical exams
- Assisting the doctor in performing medical exams
- Handing tools to the doctor during procedures and exams
- Collecting specimens for the lab
- Performing basic lab tests
- Coding and updating medical records
- Billing and bookkeeping tasks
This field requires an understanding of medicine to do basic paperwork. Medical assistants also require good organizational skills. It is a mixture of clinical and administrative duties. This role also involves patient care and education.
Differences Between Medical Assistant and Nurse
Though medical assistants and nurses perform many similar duties, such as recording patient health histories and educating patients about their medical procedures and care, there are some distinct differences to consider.
Education
To become a certified medical assistant, you will need to complete a two-year degree program or receive on-the-job training that will allow you to pass the medical assistant examination. Accredited online training is possible for this particular role, which means you can quickly get into your career.
Nurses must attend nursing school and become licensed. Licensed practical nurse programs typically take two years to complete and earn a nurse an LPN degree. Registered nurse (RN) programs last about four years. Students often start as LPNs and begin working while completing their RN training. Nursing training requires both classroom or online study and clinical, hands-on experience.
Licensing
Medical assistants can be certified, but certification or licensing is not required by law. Nurses must be licensed to work in their field.
Roles and Duties
A medical assistant will work directly under a licensed doctor or a registered nurse. Nurses often work under doctors, but some roles allow them to work on their own. For instance, in-home nursing care does not require a nurse to work under the direct supervision of a doctor. The more advanced training a nurse receives allows them to perform more patient care tasks than a medical assistant. In contrast, a medical assistant is focused more on administrative functions than patient care tasks.
Salaries
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average pay for a registered nurse in 2022 was $81,220 a year. This field has a wide salary range, with those in the highest 10 percent earning over $129,000 a year. In contrast, medical assistants earn an average of $38,270 a year. While there is still a range, the highest income earners earn over $51,700. The advanced training and varied patient care roles available for nurses have led to higher income in most instances.
Demand
The demand for both nurses and medical assistants is growing. The BLS estimates a 14% growth in the need for medical assistants from 2022 to 2032, which is much higher than average. The demand for nurses is also growing at a faster-than-average rate, but that rate is 6%, which is not as high as the demand for medical assistants.
Work Environment
Both medical assistants and nurses work in medical offices and hospitals alongside doctors. Nurses may also find work in schools, nursing homes, residential care facilities, and private practice. There is a need for at-home nursing care for disabled and elderly individuals as well. Medical assistants only work in medical centers, hospitals, and physician offices. Because hospitals operate 24 hours a day, both medical assistants and nurses can find evening and weekend shifts.
Nurse or Medical Assistant – Which Is Right for You?
After looking at these differences, you may still be wondering whether a career as a medical assistant or a nurse is right for you. If you picture yourself taking an active role in patient care, then working as a nurse is a good fit. If administrative duties are more in line with your skills, and you want to start your career as quickly as possible, then working as a medical assistant is ideal.
Advanced eClinical Training can help both aspiring medical assistants and nursing students advance their careers. Our online medical certifications and mentorship programs can help you determine the best career path and get flexible training to help you reach your goals. Enroll today to start planning your future in medicine with Advanced eClinical Training.
