Medical Assistants Are Not Nurses!

Medical assistants in the USA are bound by certain legal and ethical rules, some of which vary from state to state. Important is that all licensed, technical, and unlicensed medical office staff must know and understand what a medical assistant is, and what they are allowed, and not allowed do.

For Example: Medical assistants are not allowed to make independent medical assessments (triage), or give medical advice at any time under any circumstances. Also many states mandate that anybody performing phlebotomy, ultrasound procedures, EKGs, or X-rays must have a specific license to do so, including medical assistants.

Medical Assistant Accountability

Respect only comes with recognition and as long as most people are in the dark about the medical assistant career,then medical assistsants will go on being confused with other allied health professionals.

Medical assistants should always properly introduce themselves by name and profession, and avoid confusion by wearing a name tag followed by their credential, such as "Donna White, Medical Assistant". The best way to say I am a skilled allied health professional and proud is to always wear your badge and pin. And always correct anyone who assumes you are a nurse! This is one way to help the MA profession become recognized and appreciated in the public eye.

What Medical Assistants Are Not

Medical assistants should not be confused with non-physician practitioners, such as Physician Assistants (PA), or Emergency Medical Assistant (EMA), and medicine aides (MA)!  Although they have the same, or similar abbreviated credentials they are different occupations with different educational requirements and functions. 

Furthermore, medical assistants are NOT RNs, LPNs, or CNAs, and typically will not work hospital floors, nursing homes, or in the home health care setting, because there isn't always a doctor present, which is required by law.

Whether the medical assistant is a complete novice, or a former nurse hired into the position to assist the doctor in the role of a medical assistant, he/she must never be referred to as "the nurse". Neither the doctor, or medical assistants themselves should NEVER encourage patients to call them nurse, or silently tolerate it if a patient mistakenly addresses them as such.

Medical Assistants Calling Themselves Nurse

It is illegal for a medical assistant to pose as a nurse. The intent of protecting the title "nurse" is to protect the public from individuals who are not nurses, yet deceitfully lead the public to believe they are nurses and able to provide certain services that only nurses are qualified to provide. Twenty four states are known to have statutory protections for the title nurse: AZ, CA, CO, FL, HI, ID, KY, MD, MN, MO, NE, NV, NM, NY, NC, ND, RI, SC, TN, TX, UT, WA, WV, WI.