Medical Assisting Training
Build the administrative and clinical knowledge behind the medical assistant role: scope of practice, infection control, vital signs, documentation, assisting with procedures, medications, phlebotomy, and emergency response.
About This Program
Medical assistants are the most versatile role in ambulatory care, moving between administrative and clinical work throughout the day. That breadth is the value of the role and the reason it demands a clear understanding of its limits: medical assistants are unlicensed in most states and work under a provider's delegated authority, which varies from one state to the next. This coursework builds the knowledge base for both halves of the job, and returns repeatedly to the question of what you are authorized to do and how to respond when asked to exceed it.
By the end of this program you can
- Describe the medical assistant role and how it differs from licensed nursing roles
- Determine your scope of practice and respond appropriately when asked to exceed it
- Apply Standard Precautions, select PPE, and don and doff it in the correct sequence
- Measure vital signs accurately and recognize readings requiring immediate escalation
- Take a patient history using open, closed, and clarifying questions
- Document objectively, correct errors properly, and protect patient privacy
- Prepare rooms and patients, and maintain a sterile field during minor procedures
- Apply the rights of medication administration and calculate dosages
- State the order of draw and identify errors that compromise a specimen
- Recognize a deteriorating patient and respond within your scope
Roles This Prepares You For
- Clinical medical assistant
- Administrative medical assistant
- Ambulatory care technician
- Medical office assistant
- Patient care coordinator
Related Certifications
- CMA (AAMA) — Certified Medical AssistantAmerican Association of Medical AssistantsRequires graduation from a CAAHEP- or ABHES-accredited medical assisting program.
- RMA — Registered Medical AssistantAmerican Medical TechnologistsSeveral eligibility routes including accredited program completion or documented work experience.
- CCMA — Certified Clinical Medical AssistantNational Healthcareer AssociationRequires a training program or relevant work experience.
- NCMA — National Certified Medical AssistantNational Center for Competency TestingSeveral eligibility routes.
What This Coursework Is
This is coursework, not a credential, and it cannot make anyone competent to perform clinical procedures. Every clinical skill covered here — venipuncture, injections, sterile technique, vital signs — requires hands-on instruction and supervised competency assessment before it is performed on a patient. Reading about a skill is preparation for practicing it under supervision, never a substitute. Scope of practice is also set by your state and by your supervising provider's delegation, and it varies substantially: a task that is routine for medical assistants in one state may be prohibited in another. Verify your own state's rules before performing any clinical task. Certification is awarded by the bodies below, most of which require completion of an accredited program including a supervised practicum.
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Course Modules
Work through the modules in order — each one builds on the last.
The Role & Scope of Practice
What medical assistants do, where they sit in the care team, and the legal boundaries that vary by state.
Infection Control
Standard Precautions, hand hygiene, and the PPE sequences that protect patients and you.
Vital Signs & Patient Intake
Measure vital signs accurately enough for clinical decisions to rest on them, and take a history that captures what the patient is actually experiencing.
Documentation & Privacy
Write documentation that is objective and defensible, correct errors properly, and protect patient information in the situations where it is most often lost.
Assisting with Examinations
Prepare rooms and patients, and maintain a sterile field while assisting with minor procedures.
Pharmacology & Medication Safety
Drug names, classes, and routes, the rights of medication administration, dosage calculation, and how to respond to an error.
Phlebotomy & Specimens
Site selection, the order of draw, and the specimen handling and CLIA rules that determine whether a result can be trusted.
Emergencies & Professionalism
Recognize a deteriorating patient and respond within your scope, and communicate in ways that build trust.