MA in charge of clinic?

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I work for a primary care clinic in TN. I am finding that I am having a very difficult time swallowing the fact that my clinical supervisor is a Medical Assistant. When it comes to the administrative side of the house I have zero qualms with receiving correction or guidance. On the other hand, when it comes to clinical practice or assessing my clinical competency I cannot seem to process how I am under the supervision of someone who does not have a license. I have looked up the Nurse Practice Act for our state but cannot find anything that gives a direct answer. If anyone can tell me their experiences or if this is even legal/acceptable or if I am being unreasonable not wanting to take direction clinically from a Medical Assistant it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance!

I completely agrees I completely agree they shouldn't be triaging. When I was told they do the triaging I had to pick up my jaw from the floor.

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I understand that they are competent in taking vital signs and other skills but when there is a dispute on procedure and whether or not something is being done correctly I have a hard time understanding how someone without a license can override someone that does, especially when it comes to patient care.

Are there disputes about procedures, or is this something you're imagining might happen in the future?

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Yes this has already happened. issues of specimen collection, medication dosage calculation, other non procedural issues like disposal of biohazard materials and documentation in charts including lot and expirations

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Also, catheters and immunizations

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Yes this has already happened. issues of specimen collection, medication dosage calculation, other non procedural issues like disposal of biohazard materials and documentation in charts including lot and expirations

I'm curious ....how was it resolved? What did the supervising MD think?

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MA'S triage all the time here in Texas. Some clinics don't even have a nurse and if they do their role is telephone triage. I even hear the docs and MA'S refer to themselves as nurses

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Oh hell no. That is where the line is drawn. I'm sorry but I am so sick and tired of MA's calling themselves nurses.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
Yes this has already happened. issues of specimen collection, medication dosage calculation, other non procedural issues like disposal of biohazard materials and documentation in charts including lot and expirations

None of those things require a nursing license. So whoever has the current evidence to back their practice trumps, IMO.

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I realize nothing stated requires a license but I am at a loss having to defend doing something correctly. Someone who does not have a license has nothing to lose.

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I also want to say that I'm not putting them down in any way, I know the level they chose is important and there are a lot of great MAs out there (I work with some that I have learned a lot from). I was just wanting to if anyone had encountered MAs managing over nurses clinically or just admin related, or if the place I work is just completely backwards.

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I was just wanting to if anyone had encountered MAs managing over nurses clinically or just admin related, or if the place I work is just completely backwards.

I know I've read about it on this board several times ...always in this same context. A nurse is offended that an MA has been put "in charge" at a doctor's office. I also see the triage complaint occasionally.

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
MA'S triage all the time here in Texas. Some clinics don't even have a nurse and if they do their role is telephone triage. I even hear the docs and MA'S refer to themselves as nurses

MAs being referred to as "nurses" is just plain illegal in most states. The public has the right to know who is providing their care. Do the cleaning staff get to refer to themselves as "doctor"?

And MAs definitely are not qualified to do telephone triage. That has become a nursing specialty in itself because of the level of skill required.

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