what is the difference between an RN and an RMA?

Answer 1

A registered nurse has been to a nursing school, and has taken prerequisite courses, and received an associate, diploma or bachor degree in nursing, they then take the NCLEX-RN. If after taking and passing the NCLEX they meet all the criteria for the state, they are issued a license to practice under the states Nurse Practice Act. They work throughout health care, and are overall patient care managers and patient advocates. The make independent nursing diagnoses, evaluate patient progress, and coordinate the patients care with the other members of the health care team.

An RMA stands for Registered Medical Assistant. This registration is not based on any state or national regulatory board, but is instead provided by an agency set up for the purpose of registering or certifying medical assistants. Currently there is no state or federal law requiring that medical assistants be registered or certified (though some employers prefer to hire those with the registration/certification) and in fact there is no requirement that medical facilities use medical assistants who have been through any formal training program at all. Medical assistant programs can be certificate programs, or even offer an associate degree (though the value of the associate degree when applied to any other field is questionable). The longer programs attempt to train the students in a wide variety of tasks, including front offfice skills, billing and coding, hospital unit clerk duties, phlebotomy and general office screening duties.

Most medical assistants predominantly are used in medical offices screening patients for Doctors, nurse practitioners, and PAs and then assisting the patients in processing out of the clinic. They are also used to assist with some examinations and procedures in the medical offices.

I have found that I can train most of my medical assistants off the street, and have only hired 2 MAs from a training program in 30 years. This has also been the case with my partners.

RNs are greatly in demand and can in many markets make $50,000 to $65,000 as a staff RN and more if specially trained. There are approximately 600 graduates from the local RN programs a year and there were 1500 RN positions available last year. In the metropolitan area where I am living there are 20 MA schools (or more) with most having day and evening classes. There are over 2400 graduates from these programs every year, and there have been 18 positions advertised for MAs in this market since November 1st. A CMA or RMA in this market starts at $7.60 an hour.

The differences are one has a greater breath of knowledge and responsibility and is greatly sought after and reimbursed. The other simply isn't as great a job as all the advertisements suggest.

Answer 2

An RN has an associate's degree, a BSN has their bachelor's degree. Both are Registered Nurses respectively. An RN has completed a 2 year program, the BSN graduate has completed a 4 year program at a University or College.

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
what is the difference between an RN and an RMA?

Answer 4

An RN is a nurse. A RMA is a Registered Medical Assistant. A nurse has at least an associates degree from a college and a lot of clinical experience. An RMA has a shorter period of ed that is more addressed to certain tasks and test around an office--details here:
http://www.amt1.com/site/epage/15341_315.htm
However an R MA will have a good deal of practical experience:
Certification Requirements and Qualifications

Certification Requirements:

1. Applicant shall be of good moral character and at least 18 years of age.

2. Applicant shall be a graduate of an accredited high school or acceptable equivalent.

3. Applicant must meet one of the following requirements:

A. Applicant shall be a graduate of a:

1. Medical assistant program that holds programmatic accreditation by (or is in a post-secondary school or college that holds institutional accreditation by) the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) or the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Programs (CAAHEP) OR,


2. Medical assistant program in a post-secondary school or college that has institutional accreditation by a Regional Accrediting Commission or by a national accrediting organization approved by the United States Department of Education. That program must include a minimum of 720 clock hours (or equivalent) of training in medical assisting skills (including a clinical externship) OR,


3. Formal medical services training program of the United States Armed Forces.

B. Experience

Applicant shall have been employed in the profession of Medical Assisting for a minimum of five (5) years, no more than two (2) years of which may have been as an instructor in a postsecondary medical assistant program.

4. Applicants applying under 3 A or B must take and pass the AMT certification examination for Registered Medical Assistant (RMA).

5. The AMT Board of Directors has further determined that applicants who have passed a generalist medical assistant certification examination offered by another medical assisting certification body (provided that exam has been approved for this purpose by the AMT Board of Directors) and who have been working in the medical assisting field for the past three out of five years and who have met all other AMT training and experience requirements, may be considered for RMA (AMT) certification without further examination.

An RN could work virtually anywhere an RMA will tend to be more in a doctor's office. (I said TEND, not ONLY.)

Answer 5

What Is An Rma

Answer 6

one is a nurse and one isn't =like comparing apples and oranges.