jennab33

I am a MA who works in California. I am working on my BSN and consider myself to be more knowledgable in many areas that other MA's aren't trained in (due to my nursing classes), however I know what is within my scope of practice and the duties listed above are not! I work in an office setting and do give injections (only under MD orders, and routine vaccines: flu shot, Td, etc), assist the doctor with minor surgeries (never on my own! I was once asked to remove sutures and I refused), I do answers patient questions based only upon our doctor's written protocol (and he's very specific. If I don't know I don't guess!). I have worked with MA's who brag about how they start IVs and that concerns me. I don't introduce myself as the doctor's nurse, but as his medical assistant. He has introduced me as his nurse and that makes me a little uncomfortable, but I don't correct him in front of the pt, but I am very honest as to my title and position. We have a lab that calls with stat results and per law they need to be given to an MD or RN. I could easily take a note for the MD as to these results, but I do not. It is a problem that I think will continue as more trained professionals are replaced by unlicensed personnel.

Hello Everyone, I was recently accepted into National University's program and while completing the requirements for their health assessment I found out I have no immunity to Hep B! I received the series approximately 10 years ago and have never had a post series titer checked. My current Hep B surface Ag is only 5 and according to my doctor I should repeat the series (which I have no problem doing). Have any of my fellow National students run into a situation like this? My fear is that I will need to push school off until January so I have time to complete the series. Can I be in the process of receiving the series and still begin nursing classes? All my other titers are WNL. I did call the nursing department, but the person I would talk to is out of the office until next week. Thanks in advance! Jennifer