If you are interested in an entry level healthcare career in direct patient care, then you may be interested in the differences between the role of a medical assistant and a nursing assistant.
Below we compare and contrast these two healthcare roles to help you determine which is more suited to your career aspirations.
Education and Training
Medical assistants usually complete a post secondary program, such as a certificate or an associate degree. The programs last approximately one to two years and include classes such as medical terminology, anatomy, and pharmacology. Medical assistant programs may also include supervised experience, such as a practicum or an internship. If you do not have a post-secondary education, you might gain skills through work experience or on the job training. Students who pass the CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam are awarded the CMA certification.
To become a certified nursing assistant, you should complete a state-approved program. Most nursing assistant programs last between 4 and 16 weeks. You may also need to complete a minimum number of hours of supervised instruction, which varies by state. Once you complete an approved training program you will need to achieve either state or national certification. The National Nursing Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP) administers the nursing aide and nursing assistant certification exam in 17 states.
Curriculum of Study
There is some overlap in the curriculum of CMA and CNA training programs, primarily in medical terminology, clinical patient care, anatomy, physiology, patient care coordination, and infection control.
A CMA program covers additional subjects, such as medical coding and billing, phlebotomy, electrocardiogram, medical law and ethics, and office administration.
By contrast, a CNA program includes subjects, such as healthcare roles, personal care and safety measures, medical communication, nutrition, admission, transfer, and discharge, and maternal and infant care.
Duties and responsibilities
CNAs and CMAs have the following common roles and responsibilities:
- Recording vital statistics or other health information.
- Assisting patients with daily activities.
- Disposing of biomedical waste.
- Preparing medical equipment or instruments for use.
- Stocking medical or patient care supplies.
- Operating medical equipment.
- Administering medications.
- Applying dressings, bandages, or splints.
- Collecting biological specimens from patients.
- Adjusting positions of patients on beds or tables.
In addition to the above roles a medical assistant is usually required to carry out additional administrative duties such as;
- Manage the provider’s timetable, especially in smaller healthcare and office environments
- Manage supplies and equipment.
- Provide support staff with training.
- Maintain accurate patient records and credentials (e.g emergency contact, consent forms, release forms, insurance details, etc)
- Comply with state and federal reporting requirements
Employment and Work environment
Medical assistants held around 764,400 jobs in 2022. Physicians’ offices (56%) were the biggest employers, followed by hospitals (15%), outpatient care centers (9%), and other practitioners’ offices (8%).
Nursing assistants had around double the level of employment at 1.4 million jobs in 2022. The top employers were nursing care facilities and hospitals (33% each), followed by continuing care retirement complexes (11%), home healthcare services (6%), and the government (4%).6
The day-to-day work environment for both CMAs and CNAs is quite similar. Both will need to manage stress in a physically and emotionally demanding environment. Both will spend a lot of time on their feet whilst they attend to patients. The role of the CMA, especially outside of the hospital environment, may require a significant amount of additional administrative work.
Career trajectory
As your expertise as a CMA grows, you may advance your career in the following areas:
- Clinical specialties such as emergency medicine, cardiology, ophthalmology, pediatrics, and podiatry.
- Administrative experience may lead to healthcare management positions.
- You may gravitate towards a training or education role at a college or certification program.
Medical assisting experience is a great foundation to further develop your medical career.
With increased expertise and clinical practice, you may advance your nursing career and income potential by becoming a licensed practical nurse (LPN) or registered nurse (RN).
Salary expectations
In May 2022, the median annual wage for nursing assistants was $35,760. By contrast, the median annual wage for medical assistants was slightly higher at $38,270.
The lowest 10% of nursing assistants made an average of $28,030, while the highest 10% earned an average of $45,940. The scale of medical assistant salaries is quite similar with the lowest 10% earning $30,390 and the highest 10% earning $51,710.9
The top industries for nursing assistants were the government ($39,250), followed by hospitals ($36,480), nursing care facilities ($35,480), continuing care retirement communities ($34,600), and home healthcare services ($31,280). On the contrary, outpatient care centers were the top industry for MAs ($42,820), followed by hospitals ($40,060), offices of physicians ($37,970), and offices of other health practitioners ($35,070).
Job outlook
Medical assistant employment is expected to expand by 14% between 2022 and 2032, substantially faster than typical for every other job. An additional 114,600 new medical assistant jobs are expected to be created during that time.
The overall employment of nursing assistants?is expected to expand by 4% from 2022 to 2032, roughly in line with the national average. Over the next decade, there will be around 209,400 new openings for qualified nursing assistants.