Some skills are personal and need to be cultivated outside a classroom, such as effective communication, organization, and empathy, while others can be taught, like how to take a blood pressure reading. Therefore, healthcare providers need to determine medical assistants’ scope of practice by checking their state's statutes and reg ulations. Skills for Medical Assistants. In Demand | Medical assisting is one of the nation's careers growing much faster than average for all occupations, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, attributing job growth to the following: A nurse goes beyond the basic duties of a medical assistant (vitals and injections) and treats patients on a much deeper level. Informed consent is an ethical and legal concept that relates to medical decision-making. and have approved its use. Medical Assistants Moving Up: A New Opportunity in Nursing. Some medical assistants enjoy helping patients so much that they decide to transition to a career in nursing. More information about the medical assistant profession in Florida can be found at the Florida Health Education Centers Network. It’s a generally accepted duty of the care provider, and right of the patient, to obtain informed consent. A more detailed list of approved procedures can be found here. Generally, no. Professional objectivity may be compromised when an immediate family member or the physician is the patient; the physician’s personal feelings may unduly influence his or her professional medical judgment, thereby interfering with the care being delivered. Physicians generally should not treat themselves or members of their immediate families. In some states, medical assistants can also give patients injections under the doctor's supervision. When medical care or treatment is provided, medical practitioners are required in many situations to obtain a patient's informed consent, which means they understand the treatment (its risks, benefits, etc.) Qualified medical assistants, working under the supervision of a physician, can administer injections as well as non-intravenous medication. The only exception is if the facility is not certified to accept payment from the Medi-Cal program. In that case, the facility would be allowed to transfer or discharge the resident if the resident's stay is no longer covered by long-term care insurance and he/she is unable to continue to pay privately. Medical assistants, in particular, are never allowed to administer intravenous medications or evaluate a patient. UAPs also provide bedside care—including basic nursing procedures—all under the supervision of a registered nurse, licensed practical nurse or other health care professional. They are allowed to perform certain medical tasks, including taking a patient’s vital signs and administering medication. Medical assistants have a clearly stated scope of practice in some states ; however, in other states, no laws exist regarding medical assistants. There are many different factors that can make one well suited to be a medical assistant. Generally, you would be allowed to take a person's medical history, take vital signs, help the practitioner with examinations, schedule patient appointment and prepare blood for tests. The mission of the American Association of Medical Assistants is to provide the medical assistant professional with education, certification, credential acknowledgment, networking opportunities, scope-of-practice protection, and advocacy for quality patient-centered health care. 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