Nevada Stops "Medical Assistants" from Giving Injections

In Texas I've never even seen or heard of an MA in any doctor's office I've been to. We have CNAs working in hospitals and long term care. There is also a Certified Medication Aide. That position has been around forever. My wife was one back in the seventies. They work in LTC and pass PO meds and do some topical applications but they can't give shots. As for scope of practice, they don't have one because they are under the jurisdiction of the State Dept. of Health, not the BON.

As far as getting or giving shots goes, there are two LVNs working for my doctor. One has been a nurse for about 2 years, the other for about 30 years. I'll let the 2 year nurse give me a shot any day of the week. If I see the 30 year nurse holding a needle I hunt for a hole to crawl into.

Just an observation but it seems that nyforlove is worrying a lot about what other states are doing when her problem is in NY. Do you think that the states that allow MAs to do shots are endangering their citizens in some way? Perhaps we are seeing the start of a nationwide crusade here.

My very first post must defend the honor of reliable, good, and trustworthy Medical Assistants out there. Pride in your work is an asset!
It's funny that someone said that they would much rather have a nurse give them an injection. All the RNs that have given me injections hurt like heck, still sporting a bruise from the flu shot I got over a week ago. Nurses that have given me any injections dart them in and honestly I think darting hurts the worst. Yes I am a MA (and proud of it) and all the patients that I have given injections to have said that they did not even feel it. But then I don't believe in darting the needle in. It's important to acknowledge what higher education involves.
In school we were taught not to dart and we used each other as guinea pigs so unfortunately I do know the difference between the feel of one over the other. "Darting" the needle (its position when piercing the skin) has nothing to do with pain or bruising, and everything to do with the location of blood vessels and nerves. The actual cause of tissue injury, is pushing the contents of the syringe in too fast, causing swelling and injury, which hurts.
Yes, we may (ya think?) have less schooling but we care about the patients just as the nurses do. TRUE.
As for the triage I ask the patient's provider then I call the patient back to let them know what the provider suggested. The provider is supposed to call the patient back, to avoid "whisper game" type of miscommunication. Don't let them get you to do their job for them!
As for calling me a nurse if a patient calls me a nurse I correct them and tell them I'm a Medical Assistant. But where I work (big facility) they call us nurses which I am not too keen on. You're absolutely right. There's nothing wrong with being a Medical Assistant, unless you're doing the work that someone with more information should do.
Thanks and ya'll have a great evening
Cindy

Many years ago I was a Medical Assistant and can assure you that they are everywhere in Texas....As a matter of fact I cant tell you the last time I have seen a RN or LVN in any of the MD offices I go to.....

More's the pity!

Medical Assistants and Physician Assistants have physicians to thank for their roles in health care. No doubt the ones who started the educational programs for them, had been aced by some "uppity" nurses, and decided to form their own world. It works for them, but for patients, not so much.

Nursing was started by Florence Nightingale eons ago, and kept pace with developments in the medical world while maintaining roles unique only to nursing. MAs and PAs may continue to be in physicians' offices, and some EDs and clinics where they answer only to doctors.

I think too, that their origin has to do with the advent of Nurse Practitioners who work with doctors (not for them), and are very skilled and write prescriptions. They, however, are not junior docs. They are a profession in health care unto themselves, similar to the way physical therapists are. A doctor still needs to write the prescription for them to become part of the patient's health care team, but they're not their employer; and it's up to that practitioner to decide how to implement their care.

What I've written above is information for you, not criticism.

if I don't keep getting catcalls and criticisms from the nay-sayers, I just may pass the paper on the State Nursing Association and even post it here (if permitted by allnurses.com).

More's the pity!

Medical Assistants and Physician Assistants have physicians to thank for their roles in health care. No doubt the ones who started the educational programs for them, had been aced by some "uppity" nurses, and decided to form their own world. It works for them, but for patients, not so much.

Nursing was started by Florence Nightingale eons ago, and kept pace with developments in the medical world while maintaining roles unique only to nursing. MAs and PAs may continue to be in physicians' offices, and some EDs and clinics where they answer only to doctors.

I think too, that their origin has to do with the advent of Nurse Practitioners who work with doctors (not for them), and are very skilled and write prescriptions. They, however, are not junior docs. They are a profession in health care unto themselves, similar to the way physical therapists are. A doctor still needs to write the prescription for them to become part of the patient's health care team, but they're not their employer; and it's up to that practitioner to decide how to implement their care.

What I've written above is information for you, not criticism.

MAs just haven't had the experience of looking at the vial, the patient's ID, and then the syringe

More's the pity!

Medical Assistants and Physician Assistants have physicians to thank for their roles in health care. No doubt the ones who started the educational programs for them, had been aced by some "uppity" nurses, and decided to form their own world. It works for them, but for patients, not so much.

A doctor still needs to write the prescription for them to become part of the patient's health care team, but they're not their employer; and it's up to that practitioner to decide how to implement their care.