The healthcare industry is dynamic and ever-changing. There is a greater demand than ever for medical professionals, and that demand will grow even more urgent in the years ahead. A larger workforce is needed, yet more different specialized jobs and training are required to satisfy the wide range of patient care requirements.
Qualified Medication Aides, Certified Medical Assistants, and Certified Nursing Aides are all viable options for those seeking entry-level positions in the patient care industry. Each of these positions calls for brief but intensive periods of training, after which one can begin into a lucrative healthcare career.
Difference between QMA and CMA and CNA
Knowing the difference between QMA, CMA and CNA is essential for picking the proper one; these jobs vary in terms of work environment, clientele served, and duties required.
What is a QMA : Qualified Medication Aide?
A QMA works under the supervision of a registered nurse and is responsible for the administration and monitoring of medications to patients. In the beginning of their careers, QMAs work as CNAs to get extensive experience with directly assisting patients. Those who have worked as CNAs for a particular number of hours (often about 1,000) and seek to advance to the position of QMA must complete an additional 100 hours of training in pharmacology and medication expertise and complete a written exam. About half of the training time is devoted to the overseen administration of medications.
The average salary for a QMA is roughly $30,000 per year, and the job outlook for QMAs is between 10% and 14% growth per year. Because of the importance of ensuring that patients receive their medications accurately and on time, paying close attention to detail is crucial for anyone thinking about becoming a QMA. Medications should only be given after careful consideration of their potential effects and observation for any unwanted reactions.
QMAs play a crucial role in facilities like nursing homes, senior living centers, and rehabilitation centers because the care provided to patients is consistent and continuous over time. The number of patients who require multiple medications on a daily basis can be quite high, so having a qualified professional to whom administration of meds can be delegated is extremely useful and important. This frees up LPNs’ and RNs’ time to focus on important occupations of patient care. Anyone thinking about becoming a licensed nurse might find the QMA position appealing because of the additional pharmacology knowledge and experience administering meds it would provide. Pharmacology is a major focus of LPN and RN training, so having worked as a QMA would give one an advantage over those who have no prior pharmacology knowledge. One of the most satisfying aspects of this position is getting to know patients on a personal level over time.
What is a CMA : Certified Medical Assistant?
The difference between QMA and CMA is that a certified medical assistant provides frontline care to patients in a variety of medical settings, including general and specialized care clinics and offices. In this position, you’ll be responsible for gathering and recording patient history, checking vital signs, and getting patients up for examination by a provider. Insurance coverage verification, payment processing, and patient record organization are just some of the additional administrative duties that CMAs might take on. The coursework and clinical hours required to become a Certified Medical Assistant might take anywhere from one to two years to complete. The demand for CMAs is expected to rise by 29% in the next few years. The average annual income for this position is $33,000.
The work load is generally high in this field, and the diversity of patients seen each day is greater than what a CNA or QMA could encounter. Strong interpersonal and communication skills are crucial for CMAs because they work closely with providers like doctors, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants, and must learn each provider’s unique preferences for how to assess and prep a patient for an examination. People interested in a certain field or subfield of healthcare may find the wide range of possible work environments interesting. Professionals with the CMA qualification can be found in a wide variety of medical settings, including those specializing in primary care, cancer, pediatrics, dermatology and more. Depending on the context, you may need to learn how to administer different vaccines, change bandages, or collect lab samples, all of which are excellent possibilities for professional development.
What is a CNA : Certified Nursing Aide?
Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) provide hands-on care to patients in a wide range of settings, from hospitals to long-term care institutions, aiding with ADLs like bathing and dressing and providing basic comforts like food and clean sheets. A Certified Nursing Assistant’s shift duties may include giving patients baths and grooming, feeding them, changing their linens, taking their vital signs, and keeping the room clean and safe. CNAs, being the professionals with whom patients have the most continuous face-to-face contact, need to be keen observers and assessors who can communicate any abnormalities or issues to the licensed nurses in charge of the patients’ care.
CNA training can take anywhere from 4 weeks to 10 weeks to complete and culminates in a written exam that needs to be passed in order to become certified. Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) have the potential to earn up to $30,000 annually, and the demand for CNAs is projected to grow by about 14% over the next few years.
If you are looking to get your feet wet in the healthcare industry, the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) route is an excellent choice. There is a chance to develop meaningful, long-lasting relationships with different patients while also gaining insight into the inner workings of healthcare institutions and the different rungs of the clinical ladder. The path to become a certified nursing assistant is not only a wealthy career in itself, but also a wise one for anyone who wishes to pursue nursing at a higher level down the road.
We hope that by now you have a clear idea about the difference between QMA, CMA and CNA. If not, you can watch this video to learn more about these three qualifications in detail.