Medical Assistant Challenges

The Challenges of Being a Medical Assistant
Danielle Pliler
Kaplan University

The Challenges of Being a Medical Assistant
Does anyone really know what their getting into when they graduate college and find a job in their chosen field? No one wants to think about the bad when starting a new job, the thrill of starting a career is a distraction. In medical assisting there are many challenges starting out such as, knowing exactly what you’re licensed to do after graduating. Author Rachelle Ballard explains in her article “Challenges of Medical Assisting” how one could get in trouble and even lose ones license if not working in the scope of practice.
Every job has its ups and downs. Medical assistants need to be sure they’re working within

the jobs boundaries. A medical assistant must know their rules or limits that say what can and cannot be done. Some medical specialists have very straightforward procedures and working outside of those restrictions puts not only the patient at risk, but also ones employment if you were sued. A medical assistant works under direct supervision of a clinician that person or a supervising doctor must be present in the office while you provide care. Medical assistants must understand what they can and cannot do.
Doctors can choose to train their medical assistants on advanced practices in the office, and that’s great but the risk may outweigh the reward. When unsure a medical assistant should always contact their state medical board for clarification. A patient life and MAs license is always more important than the unlicensed skills you could pick up. Deciding to execute orders or procedures without the direct order of a supervising physician is hazardous and should never happen. A medical assistant should always know their chain of command should they ever need to go above their direct supervisor with a problem.
Anyone who works in health care must know that they are ultimately responsible for the patient’s best care and welfare. MAs must also be prepared to deal with any delicate issues that may arise. One must know what to do if an employer seems to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or if a coworker is stealing pills from the medication supplies, or money from the office account. There are office policies and procedures to follow if these problems may arise. All of these complications will sporadically arise and knowing how to handle them is vital. The hardest part is that co-workers aren’t just acquaintances, they are usually friends. It’s really hard to turn in people that a relationship has been formed with.