Medical assistant cannot assess, plan, or evaluate a patient or their care. They can educate patients about a diagnosis a doctor has given or perform a prescribed treatment, but cannot treat or diagnose on their own. There are a few things that medical assistants can definitely not do. In some states, they can even start an intravenous line. Medical assistants can also relay lab test results, but can't provide an interpretation of them. They can relay questions from a patient to a doctor by phone, and can transcribe dictated medical documents for the doctor. Medical assistants can collect specimens, such as urine, blood, or sputum, for lab tests, and perform STAT screenings. Assisting the doctor during procedures and minor surgical interventions is also within the medical assisting scope of practice.Īctually, medical assistants can administer medications as ordered and under the supervision of the doctor.
They can also prepare instruments for examination, prepare exam rooms, and record vital signs. Medical assistants can perform certain basics tasks without any supervision from a doctor or nurse:
Nurses can delegate certain duties to medical assistants, but some duties must stay strictly with the nurse. Most states have in their laws that a medical assistant can perform duties that they are adequately trained to perform, and are not prohibited from performing under state medical or nursing laws.Īs a medical assistant, you need to make sure that you understand what state nursing law reserves for nurses. This is where it's important to know your scope of practice and the laws in your state regarding what you are allowed to do as a medical assistant. The doctor assumes responsibility for whatever the medical assistant does.īut there's a gray area that can leave medical assistants open to litigation.ĭoctors can tell a medical assistant to do anything, but if the doctor is out of line and telling her to do something outside her medical assisting scope of practice, then she is liable for doing something that she is not qualified to do. Whenever a medical assistant performs a skill, she is doing so under a doctor's supervision. Since it varies, schools have to teach a broad amount of knowledge and tailor certain classes towards the particular state the student is in.Ĭertification is now possible, but the profession as a whole is lacking a unified scope of practice.
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This makes it difficult for any professional who wants to cross state lines or for the regulation of education. The state medical board does have some oversight into the scope of practice of medical assistants, but each state has its own ideas of what is ideal for a medical assistant to do. So many medical assistants are wondering what they can and cannot do, and this is often a point of confusion for many working professionals. This is bound to change as medical assistants become more in demand in doctor's offices, hospitals, and clinics. Some states are now enacting laws to require these professionals to register, but the profession is frighteningly undermonitored by any sort of government agency. The problem with medical assistants is that no one really regulates them. That's why it's important to know your medical assisting scope of practice. Just because they're telling you to do it, it doesn't make it legal! You could still end up getting sued. Each state has different rules.Īlso, don't fall into the habit of doing whatever you are instructed to by your employer. Make sure you read up on your individual state's statues before you undertake any task that you're unsure of. If you're a medical assistant or interested in becoming one, you're probably interested in what exactly your duties are - and what you absolutely cannot do. They're only recently started earning medical assisting degrees and getting certified with national agencies. In fact, most MAs learn their skills on the job.
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