u/clov3r-cloud

I'm not the biggest fan of the messy and dishonest job culture of my current job that I just landed, and I'm thinking about eventually applying to an actual hospital. I've only worked in small specialty clinics, but did work in at a hospital as a teenager as a patient assistant (sitter) for a while. I'm actually looking to relocate to a different city this hospital is in because my husband makes the drive there for work and its getting to be too much for him (he's our main source of income and is now working 48hrs a week with overtime)

I know its a little hard to get hired there without connections but I figured I have time to try. I was just wondering what the days look like? There's a family practice position open but it is PRN so I'm weary about that. they are day shifts though and still 40 hours a week with benefits. I was in school 4 years ago and haven't really been in practices that do a whole lot on the clinical side aside from drawing up TPIs and giving toradol injections, mostly just charting and administrative work. Do you think that they would take the time to train me on things like EKG's and such? or would it be worth looking into online courses for refreshers on the skills I didn't use?

I think I would do a lot better with a larger company that has order and rules and electronic charting (i miss it!). would love to hear about people's experience working for a hospital, good and bad.

I submitted my course hours (not outside course hours) on June 10th and paid the recertification fee. The website says it would take 2-3 business days for them to review and approve and certify. Its been well over 2 weeks today and I haven't gotten anything via mail, email, and my dashboard still says inactive for 2025. I took some time off work so I didn't renew for a year, but this would be my second time recertifying since I had graduated and passed the initial test (the recertififcation window doesn't laspe for another few years I believe).

I've tried contacting them using the form on the website, emailing them directly, and attempted to call both numbers but it just rings and the voicemail box is full. If anyone has certified or recertified recently was the wait time this long for you? I don't remember it taking so long when I first recertified. I have a new employer so they're waiting for the certificate but all I can give them is my order number, doesn't look good on me even though they understand

Am I just out of $90 and need to certifiy elsewhere? Are they still reliable? My trade school uses NCCT so I might reach out and see what their recent experience is. I'm fine with waiting but I lowkey feel scammed lol

disclaimer/TL:DR: I am SO sorry this is so long, I am just very confused on why my readings are so often inaccurate and would love some advice on how I can improve, and what might be going wrong.

I started a new job recently after not being an MA for about 2 years (was off work then working in retail part-time), and I used to be SO good at manual BP. I went to school and took an accelerated MA program (9 months), and while I struggled with BP reads at first, I got a lot better once I bought my own higher quality stethoscope instead of using the cheap school one.

I've worked in two small specialty clinics during and right after I graduated, and they both only practiced manual BPs. some MAs liked the electronic cuffs but I noticed that they read higher and I preferred to do manual. I would usually be the one to recheck for providers after they were used because they read high.

But now at my new job I'm just fumbling 80% of my reads? I'm used to working with geriatric patients and dealing with lots of patients that have hypertension, but now I work with primarily pregnant women and we dont want to see high BP. Because of this I'm used to aiming for 180 when pumping, but after I talked with the other MAs they told me they go around 150-180 max if at all. I was also dropping a little too fast so I've been slowing it down, and holding that pace for a little longer instead of releasing air asap after hearing that bottom number. I also thought maybe I wasnt positioning the stethoscope correctly so I refreshed myself with videos while at home. I know to keep my thumb away, to have the patient uncross their legs and keep feet flat if possible, and to relax their arm while I hold it up for proper positioning. I've also tripled checked that I had the stethoscope turned for the adult readings and not pediatric.

Still, even after all this, there were a few times today where I had trouble hearing anything at all, or I would hear the systolic number but struggle to hear the diastolic where I was sure where the sound stopped. The office is pretty noisy most times within the walls, but I hear a lot of non-pulse noise from my stethoscope (like rubbing of the tubes?) and I think its making it harder for me to hear the pulse. Nearly every patient I do a BP read on has a faint pulse to me.

It's only my 4th day working here but I feel so incompetent and defeated after each patient, all day long. Even when I'm so sure that I got both numbers correct and heard them clearly and theyre not alarming, another MA will end up coming in right after me or in later and checking the same arm and the number reads are slightly off by 2-10 either way. Ive been trying to figure this out all week and I just dont understand what I'm doing wrong.

do I need a new stethoscope maybe? Ive had this one since I was in school in 2022, and I didn't even use it from late 2024 to just earlier this year in 2026. its a 3M Littmann Classic III. And I also feel bad for thinking this, but wouldn't their readings be a little different from mine when taking a reading right away from the same arm, or way later after the patient has had for example a cervical exam or heart tone reading? I imagine their blood pressure can go up a little bit from all that happening, or dropping from having been laying down for a while. I was also taught to not take BP twice from the same arm because it will read differently. And then both arms can be slightly different from each other in readings too. I also hate to say this, but the MA that also rechecks my readings will talk during her reads which amazes me because I can't hear anything without complete silence, and she also puts her thumb on the stethoscope most times while reading and doesnt have patients uncross their legs. Probably not a big deal when you've been doing it a long time but I feel like my readings could be wrong from that stuff.

Is it just my nerves? overthinking things? as of this afternoon they already have me rooming patients on my own with the training MA getting the charts ready, but its so embarrassing to have to tell them that she'll be in to do their blood pressure or that she might come in to double check. Maybe its just stress from being thrown in while I'm still learning about this specialty from the ground up and dont even have access to the computers yet (paper charts), but I've felt so down in the dumps and alone and defeated that I'm already questioning if I should stick this job out or if they will let me go for not being a good fit. I'm completely even re-thinking why I even went back to medical assisting and if maybe I'm not cut out for this anymore. I was really excited about being in this specialty, but I've been feeling really isolated and bothersome to everyone. And since I started rooming on my own I'm compeltely sat away from everyone else, in a cubby essentially, with no access to the computer and no one with me. its definitely not helping my morale but I think if I can just land these BP reads I will feel more confident and can show them that they can rely on me.

as an additional side note, I do struggle with bipolar, bpd, adhd, and most likely ctpsd (working on getting that addressed), but i am medicated and will be getting my meds adjusted next week. work doesnt (and never will) know the details but I imagine my disabilities are not helping this situation and how I feel lol

hi all! I recently started a new job at an OBGYN's office and I was really stoked to be in this field of medicine (I was previously in neurology briefly, then pain management), but I've been feeling a little blue about it lately and like I'm maybe not doing well enough and fear that they'll end up letting me go.

TL;DR: I'm doing ok at my job and getting along ok with coworkers, but I don't feel like I'm good enough at what I'm doing/learning and don't know if its true or if its all in my head.

for quick background, I did schooling and got certified, was placed in a neurology clinic, then went to a pain management clinic where I worked for nearly 2 years. I had a medical problem come up so I left my job to be at home until things sorted out, then I got just a part-time retail job while things still leveled out. nearly 2 years later I'm back in the medical assisting field, got recertified, and have had my second day here. the job pays more than my other positions did, I don't have to do any administrative work this time, and the people are nice. but i feel really rusty and find myself feeling unsure and inadequate and just generally down in the dumps about it all.

I'm taking notes, asking questions, and handling things on my own for the most part with supervision and help, but my BP read have been slightly off (i used to be REALLY good and sure at vitals) and I'm trying to adjust to the paper charting since I was used to electronic.

I know things take time and I wont be perfect at my job right off the bat, but I am so so worried that they'll decide to let me go because maybe they don't like me that much or I'm not catching onto things fast enough. I'm trying to push past it but its bringing me down lol. I'm typically a quick learner and adapt easily, but the possibility of things going sour is stressing me out lol. I think i need some wisdom advice and for people to share their success stories with me so I dont crumble into a ball