CNA vs. CMA: Which Is a Better Career?
Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) and Certified Medical Assistants (CMAs) alike are valuable members of the medical team of a healthcare facility. They help doctors, nurses, and other professionals provide the best care for their patients. They assist in taking medical tests, treatments, and procedures. However, there are key differences between the two career paths, which we'll explore in this article.
Besides pointing out the CMA vs. CNA differences, we'll also explore the requirements to become either one of these and what salary you should expect. And lastly, we'll give you an answer to which of the careers is better for you.
CNA vs. CMA: What Is It?
CNAs (or nursing aides) are healthcare providers responsible for daily patient care. They assist patients in doing their daily chores. Because they spend a longer time with patients, they can form closer connections with them and other staff. CNAs usually report to registered nurses (RN) or licensed practical nurses (LPN). Becoming a CNA is a great starting point if you want to continue your studies and become a licensed nurse.
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CMAs, on the other hand, are responsible for both administrative and medical tasks for the healthcare facility they work in. They assist doctors, nurses, and other team members by recording vital signs, billing patients, recording data, etc. Due to the dual nature of their responsibilities, they are invaluable members of the medical team.
CNA vs. CMA: What Do They Do?
Even though CNAs and CMAs have different duties and responsibilities, both of them ensure a better health-providing process for their patients.
The duties of a CNA are:
Helping patients with getting dressed, feeding, bathing, and other hygiene chores,
Helping patients navigate,
Checking the patients' vital signs,
Removing and replacing the catheter,
Caring for patients with special needs, like diabetes or other illnesses,
Providing with transportation for medical appointments, and
Keeping the patients' personal space clean.
The responsibilities of a CMA include:
Electronic Health Recording (EHR),
Keeping inventory,
Measuring vital signs,
Preparing the exam room for procedures and exams,
Billing and insurance checking,
Recording and updating patient data,
Preparing blood samples for laboratory testing,
Performing EKGs,
Greeting patients and guiding them to the treatment room.
CNA vs. CMA: Where Do They Work?
Both CNA and CMA can work in many healthcare facilities, like hospitals, medical offices, private practices, etc. CMAs have a wider range of job opportunities as they can work in medical facilities that don't provide long-term care. CNAs can work in all medical facilities that provide direct patient care and comfort, that includes nursing homes, hospices, and assisted living centers.
How to Become a CNA vs. a CMA
Both career paths are great for people who want to work in the healthcare industry but don't want to invest a lot of time and money before entering the workforce. Both for a CMA and a CNA, the minimum required education is a high school diploma or a high school equivalent diploma. In two short steps, becoming a CMA or CNA consists of finishing an educational training program and pursuing certification.
Educational requirements
Firstly, you must finish a training program that best fits your career choice.
To become a CNA, you must enroll in a state-approved program and ACEN (Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing) accredited program to master the patient care skills you'll need. You can find a training program through community colleges or a technical school. A CNA training program can last from three to twelve weeks. Usually, besides the theoretical part, which teaches you the basics of patient care, human anatomy, and patient safety, you'll also have to finish a clinical session, which teaches you how to dress wounds, prepare patients for surgery, collect samples for testing, etc.
Like with CNAs, you can find educational training programs in community colleges. To become a certified medical assistant, you should finish an associate's degree, which takes two years. The training programs for CMAs offer a variety of courses in human anatomy, laboratory techniques, basic pharmacology, insurance, etc. You'll also have to finish the clinical session, in which you'll learn how to perform the patient assessment. You should also take note to make sure that the program you want to enroll in is accredited by the CAAHEP (Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs) or ABHES (Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools).
Certification requirements
After meeting all educational requirements and before entering the workforce, you must get certified.
After finishing the training program, to become a CNA, you must take a competency exam by the National Nurse Aide Assessment Exam or a state CNA exam. The exam tests your knowledge and skills acquired during the training program. It usually has a written portion with multiple-choice questions and a clinical section with tasks (measuring blood pressure, helping a patient to eat or bathe) to complete in a specific time frame.
The certification is valid for two years, after which you must renew it. Some states may require a number of active working hours and a renewal form and fee.
The final step to becoming a CMA is getting certified by the AAMA (American Association of Medical Assistants) in particular. To get certified, you must take a 200 multiple-choice questions exam. This certification is valid for five years, and you must renew it onward.
Skills needed
Due to the different job responsibilities, the skills needed to succeed are different for CNAs and CMAs. However, there are still skills that are similar to either career. Those skills are:
Multitasking - due to the dynamic workplace, multitasking is necessary to be able to handle multiple patients and take additional shifts and tasks.
Compassion - working directly with patients requires health providers to practice with empathy and compassion to help patients heal.
Communication skills - they must have excellent communication skills with patients, patient's families, and other team members.
Physical strength - due to the duties that include moving patients, equipment, or standing for a long period, CNA and CMAs should have the physical stamina to manage such duties.
CNA skills
CNA job responsibilities are more patient-oriented, which makes the specific skills more patient-oriented too. Some of those skills include:
Interpersonal skills - are more specific than communication skills. CNAs must have this skill to communicate with patients with hearing or speaking difficulties or patients that have memory loss.
Vital sign assessment skills - this skill set includes knowing how to measure the patient's vital signs and how to record temperature, blood pressure, height, weight, respiratory counts, etc.
Infection control skills - CNAs must know how to properly wash hands and wear protective gear, dispose of contaminated supplies (syringes, blades, tubes), and properly dispose of trash and waste.
Safety and rehabilitation skills - this skill set includes knowing how to position, feed, bathe, assist in the use of urinals, attach protective devices, etc.
CMA skills
The job responsibilities of CMAs rely more on technical skills, which include:
Electronic health recording knowledge and experience,
CPR skills,
Technical skills in operating the scheduling software,
Basic pharmacology skills,
Organizational skills,
Additional computer skills,
Basic medical knowledge,
Basic bookkeeping and insurance capabilities.
CNA vs. CMA: Salary and Job Outlook
The difference between CNA and CMA extends to the salary and job outlook too. The salaries depend on different factors, like location, establishment, experience, and additional certifications and skills.
The average CNA salary, according to Payscale, is $30,885 per year or $13.95 per hour. The salaries may vary depending on experience:
Entry level (1 yr) - $12.72,
Early career (1-4 yrs) - $13.14
Mid career (5-9 yrs) - $13.79
Late career (10-19 yrs) - $14,42
Experienced (20+ yrs) - $14.96
Whereas the average salary for CMAs is higher, at $35,878 per year or $16.52 per hour. The average salary depends on the level of experience:
Entry level (1 yr) - $14.21
Early career (1-4 yrs) - $15.11
Mid-career (5-9 yrs) - $16.66
Late career (10-19 yrs) - $17.88
Experienced (20+ yrs) - $18.49
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the job outlook for CNA to increase by 8% (as fast as average), and the job outlook for CMA to reach 18% (much faster than average) this decade.
The Bottom Line
To wrap up, both careers are promising and have a high demand. However, the best career path is the one that's best suited to you. If you want to work more closely with patients, a career as a CNA would be more appropriate for you, and if you want to take on administrative roles, a career as a CMA would be more suited for you.
The bottom line is that you should consider all factors that we've mentioned above and see how they fit your lifelong goals.