Medical Assisting Standards and Skills

Skills:

1. Identify essential functions, similarities, and differences of healthcare facilities (e.g., acute care, long-term care, assisted living, homecare, rehabilitation, and hospice).
2. Examine ethical and legal issues and the standards for healthcare professions (e.g., standards of care, code of ethics, facility ethical protocol, and appropriate legal documents).
3. Analyze Protected Health Information (PHI), authorization to release and rescind release.
4. Identify regulations associated with consent (e.g., verbal, written, implied, verbal, and exceptions.)
5. Identify professional healthcare workers’ organizations and credentialing requirements.
6. Identify the organizational structure of the healthcare team.
7. Demonstrate professionalism as a healthcare worker.
8. Demonstrate the standards of professional appearance.
9. Demonstrate knowledge and comprehension of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
10. Summarize the patients’ Bill of Rights.
11. Describe the role of the mandated reporter.

Skills:

1. Identify and demonstrate skills for medical emergencies.
2. Identify and demonstrate skills for injury emergencies.
3. Perform standard first aid skills (e.g., hemorrhage, shock, fainting, choking, and burns) and obtain HeartSaver First Aid Certification.
4. Identify skills and protocols vital in an environmental injury situation or chemical exposure.
5. Demonstrate how to control severe, uncontrollable external bleeding with a manufactured tourniquet.
6. Demonstrate direct pressure to control external bleeding.
7. Describe and demonstrate skills required to obtain BLS for the healthcare provider at the minimum accepted standard of practice (e.g., compression, AED, and breathing techniques).
8. Describe and demonstrate pediatric CPR.
9. Describe and demonstrate skills for the removal of foreign-body airway obstruction.
10. Identify and demonstrate the use of automated external defibrillation with CPR.
11.  

Skills:

1. Demonstrate verbal and nonverbal communication.
2. Employ the use of appropriate medical terms and abbreviations.
3. Greet and introduce oneself to patients.
4. Adapt communication according to the patient’s needs.
5. List strategies used to obtain the patient’s symptoms.
6. Interview patients to gather medical information, identify patient symptoms via telephone and/or face-to-face triage.
7. Demonstrate emergency management skills, evaluate, and record incidents, identify the appropriate response, and complete variance reports based on injuries.
8. Identify barriers to open communication.
9. Provide a verbal patient report.
10. Complete a written patient report.
11. Collect a medical history.
12. Identify and document pertinent patient information.
13. Demonstrate how to respond to patients’ needs.
14. Explain the importance of responding to a patient’s needs in a timely, compassionate, and professional manner.
15. Demonstrate respect for cultural diversity and orientations.
16. List strategies used to maintain patient dignity at all times.
17. Accommodate patients with special needs.

Skills:

1. Answer, prioritize, and accurately address in-office and phone calls from patients, vendors, and other industry professionals.
2. Maintain an appointment matrix.
3. Generate daily appointment schedule.
4. Perform appointment cancellation procedures.
5. Process and check patient referrals.
6. Demonstrate procedures used to register/check in new and established patients.
7. Employ medical emergency protocols in office/facility including activation of EMS and notification of appropriate medical personnel.
8. Verify patient information using two forms of patient identification (i.e., state-issued driver’s license, insurance card, photo ID, etc.).
9. Determine ethical electronic communication in the workplace (i.e., appropriate cell phone usage).
10. Organize and maintain technical information.
11. Manage and locate elements of a patient file.
12. Maintain patient demographic information.
13. Retrieve patient files.
14. Correct documentation errors.
15. Electronically file results and/or correspondence.
16. Process electronic prescriptions.
17. Maintain appropriate documentation on each patient chart.
18. Identify ethical considerations regarding confidentiality, maintaining integrity and security of medical records in accordance with state rules and standards of practice.
19. Compose various types of business documents.
20. Perform electronic mailing.
21. Demonstrate sending and receiving a fax.
22. Organize incoming and outgoing mail.
23. Prepare packages for shipping.
24. Demonstrate understanding of various types of health insurance.
25. Define various terms associated with health insurance.
26. Demonstrate understanding of appropriate billing codes (HCPCS, ICD, and CPT).

1. Explain procedure to prepare exam room, including supplies and medical instruments, for minor surgeries or procedures (e.g., defining a sterile field, applying sterile gloves, identifying barrier protection, preparing sterile instruments for use).
2. Apply facility interviewing techniques to obtain concise and accurate reporting of relevant information from patients, (e.g., chief complaint, pain scale, review of symptoms, medications, allergies).
3. Assist with a pediatric exam.
4. Measure and record an infant’s height, weight, head, and chest circumference, plot growth chart.
5. Calculate Body Mass Index (BMI) for a pediatric patient.
6. Obtain a pediatric urine specimen.
7. Measure and record pediatric vital signs.
8. Review Vaccine Information Sheet (VIS) with parent/guardian.
9. Demonstrate understanding of pediatric vaccines and schedules.
10. Complete immunization record.
11. Assist with basic patient exams.
12. Measure and record vital signs.
13. Measure and record blood pressure manually.
14. Measure and record automated blood pressure.
15. Identify all pulse sites.
16. Perform a radial pulse.
17. Perform an apical pulse.
18. Perform body temperature using a variety of thermometers.
19. Perform respiratory rate.
20. Perform an oxygen saturation.
21. Perform a pain assessment.
22. Assist with a physical exam.
23. Measure and record height and weight.
24. Identify equipment used for specific exams.
25. Calculate Body Mass Index (BMI).
26. Prepare patients for various physical examinations.
27. Assist in positioning and draping patients.
28. Perform visual acuity testing.
29. Perform audiometry.
30. Assist with obstetric and gynecologic procedures.
31. Assist with urologic procedures.
32. Assist in patient discharge.

Skills:

1. Perform specialty procedures.
2. Perform ear lavage.
3. Perform spirometry testing.
4. Describe the use of electrocardiography (EKG) equipment.
5. Identify the anatomy of the heart.
6. Trace the flow of blood throughout systemic and pulmonary circulations.
7. Identify the origin of electrical activity in the heart and follow its path.
8. Identify characteristics of a twelve lead EKG, three channel.
9. Demonstrate application of limb and chest electrodes.
10. Identify electrocardiogram (EKG) artifacts/troubleshoot machine failure.
11. Demonstrate application of Holter monitor.
12. Identify basic arrhythmias.
13. Perform Venipuncture procedures.
14. Demonstrate correct order of blood draw according to National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) protocol.
15. Perform venipuncture by evacuated tube system.
16. Perform venipuncture by winged infusion system.
17. Explain venipuncture technique to collect blood sample.

Skills:

1. Provide patient education.
2. Instruct patients for diagnostic tests and/or follow-up tests.
3. Instruct the patient in self-breast exam.
4. Instruct the patient in testicular self-exam.
5. Instruct the patient in the use of medications.
6. Provide patient education for various diagnoses.
7. Educate patients in the use of durable medical equipment.
8. Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of nutrition.
9. Demonstrate an understanding of therapeutic diets.
10. Demonstrate an understanding of restrictive diets.
11. Demonstrate an understanding of the energy nutrients and their significance in a balanced diet.
12. Assist with patient rehabilitation and functional activities.
13. Demonstrate appropriate transfer technique.
14. Demonstrate proper use of a wheelchair.
15. Measure, fit ,and instruct the patient on ambulatory devices.
16. Demonstrate use of a walker.
17. Demonstrate use of crutches.
18. Demonstrate use of a cane.

Skills:

1. Perform surgical asepsis.
2. Demonstrate chemical disinfection of instruments according to current industry and OSHA standards.
3. Wrap instruments for sterilization in the autoclave.
4. Perform steam sterilization of instruments (autoclave).
5. Clean and maintain autoclave.
6. Operate ultrasonic cleaner.
7. Prepare and maintain a sterile field.
8. Demonstrate knowledge of chemical sterilization.
9. Prepare a 1:10 bleach and water solution.
10. Assist with minor surgical procedures.
11. Apply sterile gloves.
12. Apply sterile barrier protection.
13. Set up and cover a sterile field.
14. Open sterile packs of instruments and apply to sterile field.
15. Prepare skin for minor surgery.
16. Prepare exam room for minor surgery.
17. Assist the provider in the suturing of a laceration or incision repair.
18. Perform a sterile and non-sterile dressing procedure.
19. Perform suture removal.
20. Perform staple removal.
21. Apply sterile adhesive skin closure strips.
22. Assist the provider with incision and drainage procedure.
23. Assist in the monitoring and evaluation of recovering surgical patients.

Skills:

1. Students will obtain collection of a laboratory specimen per laboratory requisition.
2. Students will perform guaiac testing on a simulated stool specimen.
3. Students will prepare a urine specimen for microscopic exam.
4. Students will perform physical and chemical urinalysis and document results.
5. Students will perform a hemoglobin procedure and document the results.
6. Students will perform the ABO/Rh test to determine the blood type.
7. Students will perform a rapid strep test and document results.
8. Students will demonstrate how to prepare a specimen for processing.
9. Students will perform and document quality control testing.

1. Understand the basic principles of pharmacology.
2. Differentiate drug classifications.
3. Explain the role of governing agencies (e.g., Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), etc.).
4. Use a drug reference.
5. Understand principal actions of drugs.
6. Prepare medications for administration.
7. Reconstitute medication from a powder.
8. Withdraw medication from a vial.
9. Withdraw medication from an ampule.
10. Calculate medication dosage.
11. Identify the Six Right of Medication Administration.
12. Identify the common routes of medication administration.
13. Perform oral administration.
14. Perform intramuscular administration.
15. Perform intramuscular Z-track administration.
16. Perform intradermal administration.
17. Perform subcutaneous administration.
18. Perform transdermal administration.
19. Perform inhalation administration.
20. Describe rectal administration.
21. Perform administration of ophthalmic medications.
22. Perform administration of optic medications.
23. Educate patients regarding medication administration.
24. List and describe the possible adverse effects of medication.
25. Reinforce safety warnings and guidelines.
26. Describe the basic elements of a prescription.
27. Demonstrate comprehension of a medication order.
28. Order medication from a pharmacy.
29. Examine immunization resources, recordkeeping, Vaccine Information Sheet (VIS), Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, (VAERS) and vaccine storage.
30. Manage inventory control procedures including restocking supplies, rotating stock, and checking expiration date.

Skills:

1. Apply the medical terminology used in the major body systems.
2. Classify organs/components that form each of the ten body systems and research their functions.
3. Differentiate between normal and abnormal characteristics in the body system.
4. Categorize the physical, intellectual, and social-emotional stages of growth and development throughout the human lifespan.
5. Identify normal development patterns, milestones across the lifespan.
6. Identify structural units (cells, tissue, organ), anatomical divisions and body planes and quadrants.
7. Explain Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
8. Demonstrate an understanding of common mental health disorders and treatments.