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Is the new professionalism and ACP's new ethics really just about following guidelines?

The Charter ( Medical Professionalism in the New Millennium.A Physician's Charter) did not deal with just the important relationship of ...

Friday, January 06, 2023

Replace RNs with Medical Assistants -what could go wrong?

 Recent data from Houston Texas indicate that RN's at a large local hospital system earn $ 73  per hour while medical assistants earn  $ 19 per hour.Note we are not talking about Physician Assistants who typically graduate from a 2 or 3 year Master's degree program  and after passing the PANCE exam are licensed to practice under the supervision of a physician with the level of supervision varying between states and the type of medical  practice.

 I recently saw an ad for a local community college showing a young woman with the tittle of Medical assistant" on the ID badge with a caption saying" Last year I was waiting tables ". 

The Medical Assistants  level of education versus the RNs that they have replaced in many settings is not  even close and what ever brief training they may receive  at work or at a community college course is  not likely to instill in them the sense of professionalism that RNs possess nor the savvy that years of experience bring into play. 

 In my recent experience with a large non for profit hospital system Medical assistants had taken over many of the duties formerly done by RNs answering phones, putting patients in exam rooms (wherein exams are rarely done) and making appointments.







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