What are medical assistants? Do they include nurses, aides, and caregivers? Are they even certified? What do they do? What is resume writing for nurses and how can it help you in your career?

The presence of a medical assistant is a must in every medical facility or medical office. They may perform clerical, administrative, or clinical tasks and assist professional medical practitioners in their job. They carry their job under the direction and supervision of a medical authority.

Medical assistants provide a valuable contribution to every healthcare team. Their work actually depends on the place where they were assigned and on the specialization of the practitioner. There is what you call an administrative medical assistant, clinical medical assistant, and other specialized assistants. Their work varies depending on what was designated to them.

Usually, medical assistants are found in hospitals whether public or private, offices of physicians, inpatient or outpatient facilities, and in private offices of different health practitioners. As long as the work is involved in the healthcare industry, be it in nursing centers or residential facilities, they are to be considered a medical assistant.

For medical assistants who work in the hospital and clinics, their job includes jotting down medical history reports, readying their patients for examinations and operations, taking vital signs, carrying diagnostic tests and medications, discussing various medications and nutrition do’s and don’ts of patients, preparing the laboratory and instruments needed during examinations and operations, assisting patients during surgeries or even in simple things like changing clothes, removing and cleaning of bandages, and accompanying the patients in the examination rooms. Their jobs may cover a lot of things but they execute their jobs according to the advice of the health professional.

Meanwhile, medical assistants who work in offices do the following jobs. They list schedules and appointments and sometimes remind the professional of his next activities. They arrange, organize, keep and update medical records. They do billing and requests for payment. Their job even includes managing finances. Their job requires them to be at their desks or workstations, and also includes greeting patients and smiling warmly to them to uplift their spirits. Patients need this kind of warm approach to at least reduce their health worries and make them smile.

On the other hand, medical assistants should take extra responsibilities and should work above and beyond the call of duty during emergencies. They can do their daily job and responsibilities but they have to work double time and should take extra care in cases of emergency because their job is a matter of life and death.

These medical assistants were either trained, educated on the job, or have completed a program or course. They may also have formal or informal training depending on the qualification needed by the job. Either way, every medical assistant should ensure that they do their job correctly and in a manner acceptable for the purpose. Many of us depend too much on them and sometimes we put our lives in their hands. Many times, we believe everything they say because their knowledge about health is wide scoped. And often times we rely to them in all our pains and sicknesses. All in all, these medical assistants provide an important part of our well being and health.