Thesis: Physician assistants are well-recognized and highly sought-after members of the health care team who, with doctors, provide quality care to patients. In order to do that, training, hard work, and a good education are required. I. As history says, physician assistants have always been a much needed commodity in health care. A. Who came up with the idea for a physician assistant? 1. Dr. Eugene A. Stead, Jr. came up with the idea in 1965. 2. He was chairman of the Department of Medicine at Duke University. B. Why was there a need for physician assistants? 1. There was a shortage and uneven distribution of primary care physicians. 2. He selected Navy corpsmen who received considerable medical training during their military service in Vietnam. He based the curriculum on the fast-track training of doctors during World War II. II. Physician assistants are skilled health care practitioners who offer many common medical services. A. Physician assistants have many demanding responsibilities. 1. Physician assistants can collect historical data, order lab tests, interpret lab results, read EKG’s, teach and counsel patients, assist physicians in rounds, and record patient progress under a physician’s supervision. 2. Physician assistants also have patient contact such as physical exams, suturing of wounds, assisting in surgery, giving injections and immunizations, venipuncture, applying casts, and prescribing medications all under a physician’s supervision. B. Physician assistants have training to care for eight out of ten people who visit a family practitioner. C. What does the job involve and what are your limitations set by the doctor? III. While physician assistants can do many things, there are differences between them and doctors. A. Besides the title, doctors and physician assistants have slightly different responsibilities. 1. Physician assistants practice medicine with the supervision of a physician while a doctor is an independent practitioner. 2. The doctors have complete responsibility for the care of the patient. Physician assistants share the responsibility. 3. Doctors also make themselves available for the more difficult and complex procedures. B. The main difference between a physician assistant and a doctor is education. 1. The Physician Assistant Program is about two-thirds of the time one would spend in medical school. 2. Physician assistants don’t have an internship or a residency. IV. One of the most important things a physician assistant can have is a good education. A. The first two years of college are very important. 1. A physician assistant will take a college curriculum and have classes
Being a medical assistant is not an easy job; it requires mentally and physically functions. According to the Medical Assisting and Administrative and Clinical Competencies seventh edition, to become a successful medical assistant I have to obtain specific knowledge base, skills, and prove precise behaviors such as professional characteristics. The medical assistant is an intermediary between the doctor and the patient so the ability to think critically, analyze and communication is very important. Furthermore, it explains that the general skills of the medical assistant can be divided in...
Physician assistants (PA's) practice medicine under the supervision of physicians and surgeons. PA's are trained to provide diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive health care services, as delegated by a physician. They work with members of a healthcare team, they take medical histories, examine and treat patients, order and interpret laboratory tests and x rays, and make diagnoses. PAs may be the principal care providers in rural or inner city clinics where a physician is present for only one or two days each week. In such cases, the PA confers with the supervising physician and other medical professionals as
The physician assistant is a team player in the medical world, working daily with surgeons, physicians, therapists, and many other health care professionals. Similar to the job description of physicians, PAs see patients, take medical histories, preform physical exams, make diagnoses, order and interpret tests, and develop treatment plans (Ludwig). A physician assistant, nowadays, may even perform procedures that were once performed exclusively by physicians. Because every PA must have a supervising physician who oversees their work, it is assumed by many that PAs are “assistants to doctors”, however, that is not the case because a vast majority of PAs work independently. The extent of supervision by a physician varies depending on location and branch of medicine. Although, a physician assistant may carry out much of the same roles as a physician would, the amount of schooling required to become a PA is nearly half as many as that of a physician. Physician assistant programs nationwide require an undergraduate degree in one of many sciences, such as biology, and certain
Physician Assistant is a career choice that entails various specialties and flexibilities that attracts many. Those who desires a path to practice medicine as soon as possible, PA 's lateral mobility allows that to happen. Compared to medical school, PA school requires less time and amount less debt. As the population grows and chronic diseases spreads, The future projection of PA is growing faster than the average careers.
I believe that people everywhere should always have access to adequate medical care. Where you live should not determine whether you live, and the PA profession was created to improve the availability of healthcare in rural and other underserved areas. As a PA, I would be eager to help people have not had access to the care they needed. I want to serve those that need medical attention but don’t have the means to obtain it—whether in rural Michigan, the inner-city of Atlanta, or the backwoods of Arkansas. Making great medical care accessible to all is crucial to improving public health, and it is a necessity across this country and the world. As a physician assistant,
The medical field is among the largest and ever growing career fields, especially when dealing with Physician Assistants (PAs) and Nurse Practitioners (NPs). In the 1960’s when the physician shortage began, the medical field created the PA and NP positions to fill in the gaps (Curren, 2007, p. 404). This matter has opened up numerous questions as more and more PAs and NPs begin practicing, especially concerning their education level. Many patients are concerned that they will not get the proper care. PAs/NPs are beneficial to everyday life by providing patients with the necessary skills needed to successfully treat them.
Define Nursing Nursing is a knowledge-based profession within the health care sector that focuses on the overall care of individuals. According to The American College of Nurse Practitioners (ACNP), “defines nurse practitioners as registered nurses who have received graduate-level nursing education and clinical training, which enables them to provide a wide range of preventative and acute health care services to individuals of all ages. They deliver high-quality, cost effective care, often performing physical examinations, ordering tests, making diagnoses, and prescribing and managing medication and therapies”. Nurse Practitioners are able to specialize in a particular area, such as family and adult practice, pediatrics, and women’s health; and refer patients to other specialists when necessary. Some nurse practitioners work under the supervision of a physician while others run their own practices.
Moreover, as a physician assistant, my duties and responsibilities would include various tasks. I would examine patients and review patients’ medical history. I would perform diagnostic tests and diagnose a patient’s injury. I would provide treatment and console patients’ on the proper treatment. Lastly, I would assess
Lastly, Medical assistants are of great help to the physicians they work for. They make it possible for the practitioners to be effective in their practice. Just like all the other practitioners in the medical field, the medical assistants are expected to maintain high standards in the field. For the medical assistants this will include acting on the instructions given by the practitioners and adhering to the code of ethics as set by AAMA. The medical assistants are also expected to make sound decisions when faced with medical dilemmas. All this should be focused on giving the patient quality care.
In a 2012 collection of state workforce studies and reports, each state evidently needs more physicians. There are shortages of primary care physicians and specialists in every health professions: dental, mental health, pharmacy, and many others. Previously to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) passing, a convergence of difficulties had added to labor force problems. The ACA will inflict additional pressures on the health care labor force.
Pharmacy Technicians Despite popular belief, pharmacy technicians are more than laborers; they are special. trained individuals to be successful. Imagine a family member is admitted to the University of South Alabama Hospital with an acute case of pneumonia, which will require oral and intravenous medications. These medications must be precisely prepared and properly delivered. The common perception is that pharmacists prepare medications and technicians simply deliver them.
Job Description: Pharmacists ensure that medications are used appropriately, and that they bring about the best results. Their responsibilities include professionally interpreting and reviewing the prescription orders written by doctors, dentists, and other authorized health care providers, and also for giving out the medications accurately to patients. The main goal of pharmaceutical care is to improve the quality of patients? lives by the use of medications that have been prescribed in order to accomplish specific results.
Some duties within this field include giving patients intravenous lines for fluid, blood or medication, administering medicat...
My educational experiences sparked my first consideration of a career in physician assistant and encouraged me to further explore this interest. At the same time, I started giving community services to healthcare. My first opportunity to personally interact with the patient was in the emergency department as a volunteer at Dekalb Medical Center. The first day I stepped onto the floor, my
A system in which medical doctors and other healthcare professionals (such as nurses, pharmacists, and therapists) treat symptoms and diseases using drugs, radiation, or surgery. (NCI, para. 1)