What's the Difference Between a Nurse and a Medical Assistant? Nurses and medical assistants have quite similar job duties and responsibilities. However, this does not mean they are the same profession. These are two very different professions with only a few similarities. A medical assistant is an allied health professional that usually supports physicians and other health practitioners in a clinic setting. Nursing focuses on the care of individual families and communities to assure the optimal quality of life and health. They both have very different purposes but are still in charge of taking care of patients. Differences ● Education There is a huge difference when it comes to education for nursing and medical assisting. o Nurse: ▪
Nursing requires a minimum of an Associate Degree, but some will go with a Bachelor's. This can take up to four years and comes along with a hefty price tag.
o Medical Assistant ▪
No minimum legal level of education is required for ME work. Most do prefer certification, however, and that can take up to 12 months of studying.
● Work Hours Working in medicine requires a lot of hours, regardless of what kind of work you do. o Nurse: ▪
Working at hospitals or large clinics means that patients have short visits or even stay overnight. Lots of shift and on-call work is standard for RN's.
o Medical Assistant: ▪
ME's usually work in smaller practices and clinics. This means that they have short visits with patients with fewer hours, allowing them even to work a regular day job.