If you're reading this, then more than likely, you already know that you want to help people.
Perhaps you even feel called to do so, 和 you've made the decision to change your life's course 和 get a solid education that may take you to that next step. But what should your specialty be?
这是个好问题, because although the two jobs are similar in some of their duties, they can lead to vastly different careers. They both provide basic nursing care. They both do h和s-on, clinical work. They're both are high-contact, meaning a 医疗助理 和一个 LPN both will interact a lot with patients.
Both will collect samples (such as urine, blood 和 stool). Both will check vital signs, take patient histories, 和 administer medication. Both can perform EKGs with the proper training 和 licensure. And both can be on-h和 to assist doctors with minor surgical procedures such as cleaning wounds, putting in or taking out stitches, 用夹板.
So what's the difference between a medical assistant 和一个 LPN? What can a medical an LPN do that a medical assistant can't? 很多. For one thing, the working environments - 和 the hours - tend to be very different.
Licensed practical nurses tend to work in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, 和 hospitals. They tend to focus on long-term needs, such as those of an Alzheimer's patient in an extended care facility. With baby boomers getting older, geriatric patients are at the core of an LPN's day (or night).
Depending on where they work - an assisted living center with nighttime needs vs. a rehabilitation hospital with weekend stays- an LPN's hours may vary. Nights, weekends, holidays, 和 full-or-part-time schedules are all common.
Medical assistants tend to work mostly in physician's offices or ambulatory clinics such as outpatient surgical centers 和 radiology clinics. These positions tend to be fairly 9-5, but sometimes weekend 和 holiday shifts are required.
Medical assistants generally care for patients with short-term care needs. They are also cross-trained to work in both the office 和 clinic (which can make them pretty marketable). That means that although they're helping patients in clinical settings, they also work the front of the office: they'll help with the business side of things by scheduling patient appointments, answering phones 和 filing records 和 insurance authorizations.
Because of the long hours 和 weekend/night shifts often required of LPNs, they tend to make slightly more than 医疗助理s. But that's not always the case. Salaries depend on where you're working, both the setting (hospital vs. 医生办公室vs. nursing home) 和 the part of the country (Birmingham, 阿拉巴马州 pays less than 纽约 City) where you're working.
According to the United States 劳工统计局, the most recent (2014) median annual salary for an LPN was $42,490, or $20.43 每小时.1 That means that half of those in the profession made more than that, 和 half made less. Dem和 for elder care means the profession will see a rise in dem和 over the next decade (although that dem和 is less than for medical assistants).2
The 劳工统计局 says that the most recent (2014) median annual salary for a 医疗助理 was $29,960 or $14.每小时41英镑.3 That means that half of those in the profession made more than that, 和 half made less.
Again, although there is a general salary difference, there are MAs who make more than LPNs. It all depends on where you work 和 what your experience is.
Aside from salary, it's also important to think about the kind of care (short-term vs. long-term) you feel called to give. Think about whether you would prefer to care for a variety of patients (in terms of both their age 和 of the number of patients you see) or if you'd like to take care of the same patients every day (such as an elderly couple in an assisted living setting). Do you want to have a variety of duties (front office 和 clinical jobs), or do you want to deal solely with patients? Think about what best suits your personality 和 energy level
Whichever career track you take, you can't really go wrong: the medical profession is one of the few that's expected to increase in dem和 over the coming decades. Plus, you'll be helping people 和 truly making a difference in their lives' a winning choice indeed.
Please keep in mind employment 和 income cannot be guaranteed by any educational institution for students or graduates. 另外, salary data cited in this article is based on median data provided by the United States Department of Labor, does not reflect starting or entry level salaries, 和 can vary widely based on geographic location.
1 http://www.美国Bureau of Labor Statistics.gov/ooh/healthcare/licensed-practical-and-licensed-vocational-nurses.htm
2 http://www.美国Bureau of Labor Statistics.gov/ooh/healthcare/medical-assistants.htm
3 http://www.美国Bureau of Labor Statistics.gov/oes/current/oes319092.htm
