What Are The Duties Of a Clinical Medical Assistant?

Depending on the laws of the state, and the requirements of the medical practice, clinical medical assistants can:

  • Take, and record, patient vital signs
  • Draw blood
  • Prepare patients for medical tests and examinations
  • Explain medication side-effects to patients
  • Remove sutures
  • Administer electrocardiograms
  • Collect laboratory specimens from patients
  • Purchase medical supplies
  • Prepare patients for x-rays

Good interpersonal skills are a must because you will be dealing with many different patients each day.

Some assistants also collect specimens such as blood and urine to take to the lab. At times, the assistant may also serve as tester depending on the test and if there is the right equipment to perform the tests. One of the most simple yet most important parts of this job is the sterilization of medical tools to prevent the spreading of germs. In this line or work, you might also give the approval for medication refills, change wound dressings, perform ECGs and even take stitches out. In some states you are also allowed to prep patients for imaging tests like X-rays.

Another part of working as a medical assistant in a clinical setting is stocking the exam rooms and making sure they are clean and organized. Of course there are cleaning professionals who do the bulk of the janitorial work but assistants may perform some tasks. They also greet patients and make sure they are properly at ease before the doctor sees them. This might involve asking questions about symptoms or medications being taken and explaining the exam procedure to the patient.

Believe it or not, a clinical medical assistant can also be somewhat of a chaperone. For example, male doctors usually prefer to have a female assistant with them when performing certain breast and vaginal exams. This protects the doctor from unwarranted claims from the patient and helps the patient feel more at ease during an uncomfortable examination procedure. This also goes for female doctors who give prostate exams or other sensitive procedures, they may want a male assistant present. A clinical medical assistant also makes sure the patient's chart is in proper order and place in on the door in a special container that alerts the doctor that the patient is ready to be seen.

Where Do Clinical Medical Assistants Work?

Clinical medical assistant inormally works in treatment areas of physician's offices.

Is it possible to become a certified clinical medical assistant?

The current certification for medical assistants is the CMA designation (Certified Medical Assistant). This is offered by the AAMA (American Association of Medical Assistants). Although, It is not specific to the clinical side of being an MA. The exam requires you to have about a 50/50 balance of knowledge of both clinical and administrative duties. You also have to keep up with continuing education credits or retake the exam every 5 years. The AAMA website is: http://www.aama-ntl.org/

 

 

Medical Assistant School News:

 

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