Medical Assistant

The program follows the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB) core curriculum required by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). The Medical Assistant Program at Rock Valley College has a site visit scheduled for pursuing initial accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. This step in the process is neither a status of accreditation nor a guarantee that accreditation will be granted.

• Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)
• (727) 210-2354
• https://www.caahep.org/

• Incorporate clinical and theoretical knowledge while safely performing clinical skills efficiently. 
• Apply computer skills while entering varying data accurately. 
• Prioritize patient care support activities effectively and efficiently. 
• Combine varying methods of communication to support patient centered care. 
• Demonstrate professional behaviors in the Medical Assistant profession. 

Students who successfully complete the program are eligible to sit for the national certification exam through the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) and earn the credential of CMA-AAMA. 

• Lifting Requirements: 50 pounds. Lift and carry equipment and patients up to 50 pounds. Support and assist patients in and out of a wheelchair, and on and off an examination table. Frequency of the lifting requirement is 0-25% of the time.
• Pushing requirement 200 pounds. (Push a patient weighing 200 pounds in a wheelchair).
• Average percent of time during a regular workday spent walking, squatting, sitting, bending reaching is 25%.
• Average percent of time during a regular workday spent standing is 75%.
• Kneel, bend, stoop and/or crouch to perform CPR, assist patients, and to retrieve items from cabinets located below waist level.
• Bend, reach above shoulder height, and or twist to position examination table, adjust equipment, or obtain supplies.
• Fine motor dexterity should be adequate to grasp with both hands, pinch with thumb or forefinger, to manipulate equipment and delicate instruments such as microscopes,
  sphygmomanometers, and perform tasks such as phlebotomy, electrocardiography, drawing up and administering parenteral medications, handling small containers of potentially biohazardous specimens (one inch by one inch), using sample measuring devices such as capillary tubes, setting up and maintaining a sterile field, putting on personal protective equipment, and operating controls on instruments and equipment, operating multi-line telephone systems, computer keyboards, and ten-key adding machines, and the ability to talk on the telephone and write simultaneously.

Tactile Standards

• Palpate pulses, muscle contractions, bony landmarks and edema.
• Differentiate between temperature and pressure variations.

Visual Standards

• Adequate visual acuity, such as is needed in the preparation and administration of all forms of medication, the performance of diagnostic laboratory procedures, and for observation necessary in patient assessment and care.
• Read accurately numbers, letters, and cursive writing on instruments, equipment, computer screens and paper.
• Discriminate shapes and color in order to identify reagents and other materials such as laboratory media, stained preparations and the physical properties of various body fluids.
• All the above with or without corrective devices.

Auditory Standards

• Adequate auditory perception to receive verbal communication from patients and members of the health care team either in person or over the telephone.
• Hear heart sounds, blood pressure sounds, patient distress sounds to assess health needs of patients.
• Hear instrument timers and alarms.
• Hear over the telephone, paging systems or intercom in order to communicate with patients and other members of the health care team.
• All of the above with or without corrective devices.

Communication Standards

• Adequate communication skills (verbal, nonverbal, and written) to interact effectively with individuals.
• Speak in the English language in clear, concise manner in order to communicate with patients (such as interviewing and taking patient history, obtaining chief complaint, and providing patient education regarding treatment plans, disease prevention, or health maintenance), families, healthcare providers, other members of the healthcare team and the community.
• Comprehend oral and written language including medical terminology in order to communicate with patients, families, healthcare providers, other members of the healthcare team and the community.
• Write in English clearly, legibly, for documentation in the medical record, completion of forms, and to initiate written communication.

Mental/Cognitive Standards

• Sufficient intellectual and emotional functions to plan and implement assigned duties in a responsible manner.
• Function safely, responsibly and effectively under stressful situations.
• Remain alert to surroundings and potential emergencies.
• Interact effectively and appropriately with patients, families and coworkers.
• Display attitudes and actions consistent with ethical standards of medical assisting.
• Maintain composure while managing and prioritizing multiple tasks.
• Communicate an understanding of the principles of confidentiality, respect, tact, politeness, collaboration, teamwork and discretion.
• Handle difficult interpersonal situations in a calm and tactful manner.
• Remain calm, rational, decisive, and in control at all times, especially during emergency situations.
• Maintain cleanliness and personal grooming consistent with close personal contact.
• Function without causing harm to others if under the influence of prescription or over-the-counter medication.
• Function without causing harm to others. This would include situations that may result from any mental or physical conditions.

• Exposure to infectious diseases
• Sharps injuries
• Bloodborne pathogens and biological hazards
• Chemical and drug exposure
• Ergonomic hazards from lifting, sitting, and repetitive tasks
• Latex allergies
• Stress

At the same time, there are protections set up with the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), and those protections are particularly important within a healthcare environment. OSHA has a series of standards that protect the safety of healthcare workers and patients.

Accredited medical assisting programs are required to teach students about the hazards that they face on the job and the protocols that can be put into place to ensure a workplace culture that prioritizes safety.