Defining the Discipline:
Medical Assistants are these individuals, who perform administrative, organizational and clinical work in various health care entities, ambulatory care centers, urgent care facilities, private and public hospitals, physician’s office, private nursing homes, in-patient and out-patient facilities (How to Become).
The Medical Assistant is an ancillary worker performing a variety of duties in many health care environments. The Medical Assistant is a multi-skilled health care practitioner performing clinical and administrative functions. The qualified Medical Assistant has the unique privilege of acting as a liaison between the physician and/or other health care workers and their patients. The opportunity afforded the Medical Assistant in this regard is one of great importance and responsibility (Massachusetts).
Medical assistants are unlicensed individuals who perform non-invasive routine technical support services under the supervision of a licensed physician and surgeon or podiatrist in a medical office or clinic setting. The supervising physician and surgeon or podiatrist must be on the premises in order for the medical assistant to perform those non-invasive technical support services. The only exception is outlined in Business and Professions Code, Section 2069 (a) (1) and Health and Safety Code 1204(a) which applies only to licensed "community clinics" or "free clinics" (CA.Gov).
Medical assistant’s jobs are growing in all the health care sectors. Though the medical assistants can be trained on the job, the employers look for candidates with formal medical assistant education. Formal education program trains the students to assist the physicians in patients' treatment and routine office tasks too. Medical assistants work with nurses and other members of the health care team for examination and treatment of the patients (Georgia).
In comparing Medical Assistants to licensed practical nurses, research showed that MA’s can function as either administrative medical assistants or clinical medical assistants. Administrative MA’s may do all office administration duties. Clinical MA’s work in the examination room taking patient histories and vital signs, collecting lab specimens, and assist physicians during exams. A licensed practical or vocational nurse may also perform some administrative and clinical duties; however, their more specialized training allows them to perform more patient bedside care than the medical assistant. LPNs may give immunizations and other injections, monitor catheters, dress wounds, and in some states, administer prescription medications, start IV fluids, and care for ventilator-dependent patients. Medical Assistants training requires some kind of certification or degree of a one to two year program. Nursing is a 4 yr program and they must pass a license examination to receive a license to practice. Nursing salary is also higher than a Medical Assistant.
The information that I researched on these websites for Medical Assisting matched closely to what I expected of this career. As I stated in brainstorming my discipline, Medical Assisting offers a wide variety of job choices. This research has definitely made me realize that this is the right job decision for me. Being part of the medical industry is a very rewarding career and allows me to help other people in need.Works Cited
CA.Gov. Welcome To The Medical Board of California. Dept. of Consumer Affairs. 2010.
“Medical Assistants”. <http://www.medbd.ca.gov/allied/medical_assistants.html>.Georgia Medical Career Training. Georgia Medical Institute.
How to Become a Certified Medical Assistant. 2007.
Massachusetts Society Medical Assistants, Inc. “Scope of Practice of the Medical
Assisting Profession. 9 Mar. 2000.
<http://www.medicalassistant.org/Bpage_Scope%20of%20Medical%20Assisting.htm>.
You can use this definition of your discipline to create your manifesto. I really like how you mention the importance of being bilingual and understanding other cultures. This is crucial in modern health care, however, however, for the manifesto, you could have a more general paragraph of introduction just before that paragraph. In that opening paragraph, you could mention how the discipline of medical assisting came to be, how it evolved out of nursing, and how it is distinct from other parts of the medical care professions. In the body of the manifesto, you define what medical assistants do very clearly. Maybe for each of those paragraphs, you might begin it by establishing what the essential skill is that a person who is this type of professional must have, rather like a set of principles. Then you could add a conclusion about how important this field is, what kind of special difference you make in health care, and the value that you add to health care providers.
ReplyDeleteI like how you emphasize the importance of being bilingual and the understanding or different cultures. I do agree with you on this. I myself, at one point, I worked as a medical interpreter (French/English interpretation) for 3 years and I have seen how language can be barrier between health providers and patients. If I were you, I would use "Medical providers" instead of "medical assistants". And I will suggest that you revise the sentence: "Having a medical assistant that is bilingual in several different cultures".
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