boards need to regulate MA's

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Really sick of ma's doing all sorts of things under a dr's license. (or RN license). It is quite amazing the things they do. Scary as a matter of fact. Really feel the boards of Nursing need to take a stand on this issue. They regulate everyting else , why not MA's (medical assistants). I plan on looking into it in Ohio. Any one else ? Don't get me wrong, I love MA's Cna's etc... they are a vital part of the medical world. However, the things they are allowed to do are jaw dropping. Not that skills are difficult but the critical thinking aspect of the skill is another matter. I know they are acting under the license of a DR. but, don't want them to care for my child or 88 yo mother.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

Oh, boy, we get into very long, heated posts over this issue. Not sure why they don't.

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Maybe if they should be licensed and have their own accountability. That way if they make a mistake, they can't just walk away from it and put it off on someone else's license.

I won't let an MA work under my license, so I choose not to work in areas where that situation would arise.

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Specializes in Geriatrics/Family Practice.

I totally agree. When I floated to a different family practice clinic, I a LPN had to work under a MA. The doctor had a MA under him rather than a nurse. She called the patients with their lab results, set up their testing, patient teaching, gave all injections, called in prescriptions, and all kinds of other things. I roomed the patients and did vitals and that was it. I had to sit back and listen to her give medical advice to the patients on the phone, some very inaccurate. She was telling a patient her lab results and told the patient that she had an elevated "female stimulating hormone", not follicle stimulating hormone. I think that this practice is very deceiving to the patients who I believe think that they are talking to a nurse. Her job consisted of doing everything all other nurses under every other physician I have worked for do. I just sat back and said nothing due to the fact I wasn't going to stir up trouble, they know that they have a MA working under the doctor and not a nurse and it wasn't my place to say anything. I did however ask the nurse manager how this can happen and she said it was because she was working under her doctors license. As a doctor I would want someone with critical thinking skills working under me who carries their own insurance when an error is made. If a doctor orders something incorrectly we as nurses are their to questions things and know why we are questioning it. Does a MA know what is normal and abnormal for testing, ordering, or all of the above? Maybe they are qualified for this but that was not the impression I was given in nursing school. Well enough of my vent, but I feel your pain.

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Specializes in ICU, currently in Anesthesia School.

MA's are regulated by the Medical board in most states. They are a creation of the MD's and operate with delegated duties of the physician. Nursing boards will not be able to regulate them due to this fact. It also means you should legally have the right as a nurse to not supervise them. Hence why they mostly work in offices and clinics, not in acute care. Pull the statutes from the medical board in your state and show the MD what s/he is responsible for, not you.

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Specializes in High Risk In Patient OB/GYN.

Just curious-what exactly does the OP object to them doing? Examples?

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Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.
Really feel the boards of Nursing need to take a stand on this issue. They regulate everyting else , why not MA's (medical assistants). I plan on looking into it in Ohio. Any one else ?

I tried everyone from the TN BON to John Stossel, Oprah, Good Morning America, 20/20. Not a single reply :angryfire

I contacted the MA's schools, not a single reply :angryfire They advertise "why spend money getting a two-year degree when we can offer you the same education in as little as 8 months".

Just yesterday I saw a HH patient who was released from the hospital and his discharge meds were a real mess. Med reconcillation from the hospital was done on paper. Gees.

He was on Coumadin but while in the hospital was on Plavix. His discharge papers only mentioned restarting the Coumadin, no mention of Plavix. He called the doctor's office on Friday to inquire. The MA told him "ok I'll call the script in for you", she never even checked with the doctor. I called the doctor. No, he's not supposed to be taking Plavix. He said he'd speak to the MA.

I agree MA's can be valuable members of the medical profession if they stay within their scope of practice.

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Specializes in hospice, and home health.

I am a MA and I take my job very serious. I will not do anything that I AM NOT LICENSED to do. If it is a job that takes soemone with more skill, I will let them do it, and be there to assist if necessary. I am not qualified to perform many duties, so therefore, I refuse. I also try to think of it as being RESPONSIBLE not only for my well being but that also of my patients and their families as well.

ALso, I am certified, not much better, but I did take the state certification test.

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Specializes in Family NP, OB Nursing.
I agree MA's can be valuable members of the medical profession if they stay within their scope of practice.

The problem is that MAs really don't have any scope of practice. I know the rules vary from state to state, but in many states they aren't licensed. some are certified, but come on without oversight what is certification...if you don't have a license and/or you don't have oversight well then you don't have a scope of practice.

My sister went to school for medical transciption. She then went to work for a family doc, who gradually increased her duties until she was not only doing secretarial work but also injections, blood draws, calling in refills, vital signs and other things. Basically anything the doc asked her to do. While she was doing this I was in nursing school and even into my third year I wasn't even allowed to do most of that stuff yet.

Most MAs, whether they are certified or not, can do whatever a doc asks them to do...as stated they work under the docs license, so if the doc is willing to risk it then it's his problem. An MA NEVER works under an RNs license...if you work with an MA it is the doc who is responsible for the MAs work not the nurse!

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Just curious-what exactly does the OP object to them doing? Examples?

Iv's , infuse fluids (sometimes as much as 2 lit. with meds), bx tissue, give medical advice, give out various meds without dr. written order, introduced as dr's nurse, look at a 12 lead and tell a pt what they think it says, "looks ok to her", tell pt's they do the same thing as a nurse but don't get payed for it, tell pt's about meds and are wrong in the information they seem to" know, "I could go on and on but I hope this gives some idea of what I'm talking about.

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MA's are regulated by the Medical board in most states. They are a creation of the MD's and operate with delegated duties of the physician. Nursing boards will not be able to regulate them due to this fact. It also means you should legally have the right as a nurse to not supervise them. Hence why they mostly work in offices and clinics, not in acute care. Pull the statutes from the medical board in your state and show the MD what s/he is responsible for, not you.

thanks for the info. didn't know that, went on several ma sites but couldn't find anything. Found a site on cirtification (ma), but it seemed like a company that gives them a paper that says , look , now your cirtified, rather than any sort of accountability.(the type of company that says, " For a low 50.99$ -You too can be a cetified MA) So once again, thanks !

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Specializes in Peds, GI, Home Health, Risk Mgmt.
MA's are regulated by the Medical board in most states. They are a creation of the MD's and operate with delegated duties of the physician. Nursing boards will not be able to regulate them due to this fact. It also means you should legally have the right as a nurse to not supervise them. Hence why they mostly work in offices and clinics, not in acute care. Pull the statutes from the medical board in your state and show the MD what s/he is responsible for, not you.

Let's talk about what physician delegation work (MA or PA) is all about--finances and control. MAs are a cheap nurse substitue. An MA can do RN-type tasks but won't get RN-level wages (maybe not even LPN/LVN wages), a big savings to the doc. And not having their own standards of practice or regulatory guidelines, docs can have MAs do things that nurses might not be willing to do. And PAs--a cheap physician substitute (but they at least get pretty good training, compared to an MA).

When I started working in a GI lab a number of years ago, the GI docs where having the RNs make the abdominal incision for PEG tube insertion (cuz the doc was manning the endosope). I told them "no way!" was I cutting on a patient--I didn't have surgery training and they weren't paying me surgeon wages. So there was a practice change after that, with the docs doing the cutting and the RNs keeping the endoscope in place and lassoing the guidewire that went into the stomach through the incision.

HollyVK, RN, BSN, JD

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