Difference between medical assistant and registered nurse

Q: Can a medical assistant identify as a nurse?

Should a medical assistant call herself/himself a nurse,” even in a generic sense? A. Absolutely not. The title nurse,” even when used generically, is restricted by state laws to those individuals licensed as RNs or LPNs.

Last updated Apr 23, 2018
The health care industry is constantly expanding. Choosing a job in the health care industry provides individuals with ample opportunities to find employment in a variety of environments. Two popular career choices in this industry include medical assisting and nursing. Although they share some similarities when it comes to job duties, work environment and schedules, medical assisting and nursing are two very different careers.

Table of Contents Show

Patient Care
Scope of Practice:
Medical Assistant
Education Differences
Can a medical assistant identify as a nurse?
Which is higher RN or MA?
What a medical assistant Cannot do?
Is medical assistant easier than nursing?

Patient Care

Providing patient care is one job duty shared among medical assistants and nurses. Providing patient care includes assisting patient with activities of daily living, such as hygiene and feeding, wound care and preparing patients for diagnostic testing or procedures. MA and nurses are both responsible for preventing the spread of infection and illness by providing patients with a clean environment where they receive their care. This includes changing bed linens, cleaning non-disposable equipment and disinfecting areas that are shared by patients.

Job duties

Although they share some similar job duties there are a large number of differences between the duties performed by a medical assistant and those performed by a nurse. MA are typically assigned a variety of responsibilities including patient care and administrative duties.

Job duties for nurses typically focus on patient care and include a minimal amount of administrative duties. Medical assistants follow a doctor’s orders and only perform the type of care expressed directly by the physician. Nurses also follow doctor’s order; however they are also trained to write patient care plans.

Another difference in job duties for MA and nurses include administrative duties. MA often perform administrative duties such as scheduling patients, answering telephones and medical billing. Administrative duties performed by nurses include documenting a patient’s condition and writing care plans.

Scope of Practice:

Medical Assistant

Medical assistants work directly under the supervision of a licensed medical doctor or in some cases, a registered nurse.

The scope of practice for medical assistants includes direct patient care, including obtaining basic health histories, administering medications, assisting with minor surgery, basic patient education and administrative procedures. Each medical facility can also designate additional responsibilities to medical assistants. Some medical assistants with advanced certification may be able to start intravenous lines and assist with emergencies.

Nurse

Both the licensed practical nurse and registered nurse work under their own individual license.

This allows them to have a wider scope of practice then a medical assistant. Nurses perform most of the same duties as a medical assistant. Because nurses receive deeper training than medical assistants, they are able to take patient care to an advanced level. They provide advanced medications, like chemotherapy, allergy testing and blood products. Nurses start intravenous lines and other invasive forms of care when needed. Registered nurses may specialize in specific areas of medicine, like cardiology, emergency medicine or oncology that allow them to perform advanced skill. Nurses are also in-depth patient educators.

Education

Education is an area in which there are many differences between a medical assistant and nurse. Training is necessary for an individual to successfully work as a MA. Although recommended, medical assistants are not required to go through any type of formal training program in order to work as a MA.

A career in nursing requires the completion of an accredited training program as well as certification/licensure through the state in which they intend to work. Nursing programs are found at universities and colleges across the country. There are several types of nursing programs that offer varying degrees that range from licensed practical nurse to nurse practitioner.

Education Differences

Medical Assistant:

Education plays an important role in the differences between medical assistant and nurse. Medical assistants generally attend an MA program for two years, one year or nine months. An Associate of Applied Science degree in medical assisting takes two years, and is the most in-depth option for medical assisting training. Diploma and certificate programs are also available and take 12 or 9 months to complete.

Medical assistant programs are similar to a first-year nursing program. Both teach anatomy and physiology, biology or chemistry, lifespan and disease and pharmacology, depending on the program. Medical assisting programs also include broad administrative training, whereas nursing school does not. MAs learn to handle medical insurance claims, file medical records and make appointments.

Nurses:

Nurses usually have the option to complete one year of nursing school and earn their licensed practical nurse (LPN) degree. If desired, students may then complete an additional year of schooling to earn the registered nurse designation (RN). Two year nursing schools offer an Associate of Nursing, while a four-year Bachelor’s degree earns the Bachelors of Nursing (BSN) designation.

Nurses who complete a BSN degree may progress into a master’s degree. A Master of Science Nursing degree allows an RN to teach nursing at colleges and universities, and also take additional courses to become a nurse practitioner.

Rachel Dennis works as both a professional writer and health care provider. She has been a licensed health care provider since 1998, with work experience as a medical assistant, certified nursing assistant and emergency medical technician. She has been writing since 1994 and has been published both on-line and in print.

11 Responses to “Medical Assistant vs Nurse – Similarities and Differences”

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Can a medical assistant identify as a nurse?

Should a medical assistant call herself/himself a “nurse,” even in a generic sense? A. Absolutely not. The title “nurse,” even when used generically, is restricted by state laws to those individuals licensed as RNs or LPNs.

Which is higher RN or MA?

Nurses, however, have greater responsibility and can perform a more extensive range of duties. As a result, the role of a Registered Nurse requires considerably more education. Educational programs for RNs typically require 3 to 4 years of study, while MA programs usually require only 9 to 12 months.

What a medical assistant Cannot do?

Medical assistants are not allowed to perform such invasive procedures as: placing the needle or starting and disconnecting the infusion tube of an IV. administering medications or injections into the IV line. charting the pupillary responses.

Is medical assistant easier than nursing?

Medical assistants (MA) require much less training than nurses. This might include on-the-job training or a certified program, which can range from nine months to two years. Associate degrees and certification courses for MAs are offered online and at traditional schools.