BambiBelle07

This is verified by the doctor. The doctor is the one who prescribes the meds. I am not dispensing anything without the doctors permission. The doctor sees the patients/talks to them about their meds before they leave with them.

I pack the meds for select patients. When they come in for their appointment I dispense (give) them to the patient and have them sign for it. Maybe I'm using the word dispense in the wrong context, but on the patients' intake is a list of the meds they get.

Good tips all! I made a chart last week with all the patients I am distributing meds to this week. Since I won't be distributing to all those patients myself, I am going to have my co-workers initial next to the patients they distribute to. I will initial next to the patients I distribute to. That way we know what patients got their meds and who gave it to them. Does this seem like a good idea or extra work. I'm new, so I don't want to seem like I'm overstepping my boundaries coming up with systems to make the office run smoother. I will also suggest 2 people counting the narcs to ensure the count is 100% accurate.

That's the truth. I obviously can't trust them. Gotta watch my back 24/7 when I'm around them.

I am a CMA. I realize this is a nursing board, but I have not come across a board for Medical Assistants. I just started a new job at a private practice about a month ago. For the first two weeks, my co-workers were nice enough and fairly helpful. This did not last long. I am the youngest and by far the least experienced. I have no idea how I got in charge of what I feel is the most difficult/critical job: handling the narcotic medications by myself. I am responsible for dispensing medication and keeping up with the inventory in the system. On top of that I am responsible for making sure all paperwork is ready for the appointments/taking patients back and getting them ready for the doctor. I get really overwhelmed with all this work and don't have a minute to breath. My coworkers are lazy and spend a lot of time gossiping and looking at their phones and asking me to do things like take a patient back, call so and so when they can see I'm already swamped and stressed out. I told my boss this and she said I am overwhelmed because this is all new, but I will get the hang of it. This week we were short a bottle of narcotics, or according to my co-workers we were. Right away, my co-workers accused me of stealing since I am the one who takes care of the meds. They were ready to tell on me and get me fired. I told them I would never steal anything and they continued to question me. Why are we short? What happened to the medication? I informed them I always triple check everything when I dispense meds, so I couldn't of dispensed it by mistake. I keep inventory. In the computer it said we had 0 on hand of the narcotics I was accused of stealing. So there was no way I could have stolen it since the computer proved it was all dispensed. I told them who I dispensed to. When I did the inventory on 10/23, we had three bottles on hand. This week, I dispensed those three, so we were not short like my co-worker said we were. When I did the inventory on 10/16, we five on hand. The week ending on 10/23, two were dispensed. So,when I did the inventory on 10/23, we would of had three. So in two weeks, I dispensed four of the bottles and my coworker said she dispensed one. Somehow a miscount had to of occurr. For the week I counted five bottles of the narcotics on hand, another coworker said there should have been six. So she kept insisting one was missing even though it wasn't. Later that day I was talking to the doctor about a patient's medication, and when I got out of the room, my co-worker who insisted there should have been six bottles started questing me on what I was talking to the doctor about in a really snappy tone. Then my co-workers continued to scold me on how I need to be extra careful and write everything down, which I do. I always triple check my work, which is why I was surprised this happened. Sometimes I even count twice to make sure my count is correct. For the rest of the day, I felt like they were talking about me. I'd hear them whispering in the other room and whenever I walked by, they would get quiet and stare at me. I just couldn't believe how they immediately accused me of stealing the meds and this incident kinda ruined the weekend for me. I feel like no one has eachothers back anymore, especially at this place. There is no teamwork. I feel like I am constantly covering my behind, defending myself, and walking on eggshells around these people. They constantly question what I'm doing like they can't wait to catch me doing something wrong so they could get me in trouble. Has as anyone had similar experiences? And how do I handle working in this environment? I don't necessarily want to find another job because I like the doctor and the patients. Plus, I've only been there a month and that wouldn't sound good on a job app.

Ok. So you will be training and working at the same time. How long until you are on your own? After the first month? I, too get nervous on the first day. My boss actually saw it as a positive because it showed I didn't want to mess up and really cared about doing the job right. I asked the other MAs a lot of questions because I didn't want to make mistakes on the first day. I think these are all positive qualities and I'm sure you will do a great job.

Congratulations on the job! I know you are feeling a mix of nerves and excitement, which is totally normal and expected. They probably wont expect you to know everything, and if they do they have unrealistic expectations. Reviewing tonight wouldn't hurt. It will help you feel more confident in your skills and responses. You are lucky you get to practice on staff and sponges. My training was shadowing on my first day. So I went pretty much straight to actual patients. Will you be doing IM and ID injections as well? I haven't done an ID in over a year. So ID injections are something I need to practice as well. So is your position Medical Assistant even though you are in nursing school? Good luck tomorrow! I am sure you will be great!

I know I am late on this post, but I too have found it difficult to hear on the phone. This is especially so if there is a lot of background noise. I have not been to an audiologist due to being underinsured. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who is having a difficult time hearing on the phone. I had a hard time hearing a patient on the phone today (not to mention I'm not familiar with the phones and software since I'm clinical). I gave it my best, but told the patient I would transfer him to someone more knowledgable regarding his question. Any my more tips would be great. I sometimes have a hard time hearing the blood pressure if it is noisy as well.

No problem! I also suggest bringing a note pad when you start working. It can be a small one so it can fit in your scrub pocket. Take notes as you are being trained, so you know what to do. They might have you shadow someone who already works there. That's what I did last week. If that is the case, you'll most likely watch someone do something the first time and then they'll observe you do it the next time. But don't be afraid to ask questions and never assume. I'd rather ask a bunch of questions than do something I'm not sure of which would lead to mistakes and getting in trouble. That is a good answer. Going off of that you could: 1. Ask the patient to explain the issue 2. Repeat what the patient said to make sure you understand them (and let them know what they have to say is important to you) 3. If it is an issue you can resolve, tell them you will do everything possible to make their situation better (calming them down like you said) 4. If it is an issue that you cannot resolve, get someone who can (call for assistance like you said) i think you will do fine on the interview. Do let us know how it goes! :)

Go on the interview! From my experience, an in-person interview occurs if they liked what you said during the phone interview. So congratulations on making it to the next round. You are probably being way too hard on yourself. They had to of liked something you said or they probably wouldn't call you for a second intervirew. I recommend doing research on the company before the interview if you haven't already. That way, you'll know a little about the company incase they ask you about it in the interview. About the car situation. Definitely try and find a ride or take public transit.

I've worked as a Medical Assistant for a little over a year and I've been in more than one job. In my first job, I answered phones, scheduled patients, verified insurance, collected copayments, input patient demographics in the EHR. I also performed clinical duties. I roomed patients, obtained vital signs, performed some procedures, like injections. Now I was the only MA there, so you may or may not be doing both front and back office. At my current job (started last week), I room patients, obtain vital signs, get the chief complaint, and write out the RX. Obviously I don't sign it, but it helps the doctor if we fill it out. I will also be assisting with non-invasive procedures and packing meds. I do some administrative work, like printing intakes for the following day, some filing. It varies from job to job but most likely you'll be taking patient history, obtaining vitals, and performing non-invasive procedures. You might also be on the phones and working with an EHR. If the place you work at is really behind the times, you'll be working with paper charts. At the interview, be prepared for the basic questions: "Tell me about yourself," "How would you handle an irrate patient'" "Describe a typical day at work for you," "How many patients do you see in a day," "why do you want to be a MA." I know you said you've never worked in healthcare, so you probably won't be asked how many patients you see in a day. Good luck with your interview! Working in healthcare can be a great experience. I'm happy to answer questions.

Good news! I got out of that place! Woooooooo! It was a huge weight off my shoulder quitting. I started my new job last week. It's another private practice, but well established and there are a lot of people working there. Now I've just been trying to get used to the doctor and getting the hang of things. It's definitely a different pace than my old job, which will also take getting used to. So far, the other employees have been nice enough and willing to help if they are not too busy. Haven't had too many interactions with the doctor, but the ones I've had were good. I still feel like I have a long way to go before I'm 100% confident without needing reassurance I'm doing the job right, but that comes with practice/experience, right?

I've definitely been applying all over. I'm hoping once I get certified as an MA, I'll be more marketable. How long does it take to become an EMT?

Thank you. I've been on a few interviews. I'm only down to one day a week since we have no patients. The doctor isn't gonna pay me to sit and stare at the walls all day with nothing to do/no patients to see. I'm not discouraged by this. I see this as an opportunity to be persistent in my job searches and get out of there. I know the right job is out there for me.

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