...The Scope of Practice of a Physician Assistant The term scope of practice has been defined as “The definition of the rules, the regulations, and the boundaries within which a fully qualified practitioner with substantial and appropriate training, knowledge, and experience may practice in a field of medicine or surgery, or other specifically defined field. Such practice is also governed by requirements for continuing education and professional accountability” (Defining Scope of Practice, n.d.). Physicians, nurses and all other medical professionals are required to know what their particular scope of practice includes and to adhere to those guidelines at all times. Many different types of healthcare professionals are found in an Emergency Room facility, and they will all have a scope of practice that they must adhere to. One such healthcare professional would be a PA or a Physician Assistant. A PA must work under the supervision of a Physician who is ultimately responsible for the PA’s performance and professional conduct with the patient. Any medical procedures that the supervising Physician performs in his scope of practice may be delegated to the PA, as long as the PA has had the necessary training and competency to successfully perform the procedure (Rogers, 2007). In an Emergency room setting a PA may be responsible for such patient care activities as evaluating incoming patients through the process of obtaining a complete and accurate health history, conducting physical...
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...Phoenix Prof. Keegan Physician’s assistants and medical assistants both perform vital acts in a physician’s office. However, both positions differ significantly in scope of practice, ethical and practical duties, responsibilities, and legally authorized extensions. Physician’s assistant duties, scope of practice and the laws applicable to each of these areas varies from state to state. While physician’s assistants perform their duties under the direct supervision of a licensed physician in any area of primary care including surgical and surgical subspecialties, family practice, obstetrics and gynecology, etc. Nevertheless, physician assistants in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands have authorization to prescribe medication (Hooker, 2010). Although this policy evolution occurred over the objections of some physician organizations about expanded prescription authority, the reality is that this change is codified (Hooker, 2010). Because of their intermediary placement within spheres of primary care and medicine itself, physician’s assistants are not immune from ethical dilemmas and/or malpractice, negligence and/or liability (PAC, 2011). Physician’s assistant share many duties, responsibilities as their supervising physician, based upon their training, their experience in the practice, ethical duties given the following case study situation. Although medical assistants perform complementary as administrative...
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...involves a health care worker who is a medical assistant and LPN and b faces a legal and ethical decision when a patient insists on a prescription of Valium while Jerry is in the office alone. Jerry must decide how to provide the patient with what he needs while maintaining the law and his ethical values. Jerry McCall, although he received professional training as a medical assistant and an LPN, is not qualified to refill a prescription for a patient. According to New York State Law, LPNs are not allowed to work independently. The law “requires LPNs to practice under the direction of a registered professional nurse, nurse practitioner, physician, dentist, physician assistant, specialist assistant, podiatrist, or midwife” (Office of the Professions, n.d.). Jerry is aware of the rules and regulations concerning prescriptions and should not be intimidated by a pushy patient. Rules and laws are in place to protect both patients from injury and health care workers from malpractice. The law covers all medications because a patient can have an adverse reaction to even a common medication which is why all prescriptions must be ordered by licensed professionals. It does not matter whether the patient requests a daily medication such as a blood pressure medication or Valium as in Jerry’s case. The only legal way that Jerry could call in a refill for the patient is if the physician instructed him to because this would be within the scope of his duties. NYSNA, the New York State...
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...Case Study Jerry McCall is Dr. William’s office assistant. He has received professional training as both a medical assistant and a LPN. He is handling all the phone calls while the receptionist is at lunch. A patient calls and says he must have a prescription refill for Valium, an antidepressant mediation, called in right away to his pharmacy, since he is leaving for the airport in thirty minutes. He says that Dr. Williams is a personal friend and always gives him a small supply of Valium when he has to fly. No one except Jerry is in the office at this time. What should he do? (Fremgen, 2009). Overview Health care providers are faced with making difficult ethical decisions everyday. Moral and value systems influence the ethical decision process, but the law and licensure regulations do as well. This case study is an example of a potential ethical dilemma and a possible breach of the law. The following questions will be explored: 1. Does Jerry’s medical training qualify him to issue this refill order? 2. Would it make a difference if the medication is for controlling high blood pressure that the patient critically needs on a daily basis? 3. If Jerry calls in the refill and the patient has an adverse reaction while flying, is Jerry protected from a lawsuit under the doctrine of respondent superior? Scope of Practice Jerry has had training as both a medical assistant and as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). Medical assisting as an occupation remains loosely regulated...
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...Jerry McCall Ethics Case Study Overview This is an USA pseudo-case diverged from the following Medical and Ethics Textbook case study in Ch. 4 of Medical Law and Ethics that gives insight to medical – ethics and their applications (Fremgen, 2010, p. 85). Jerry McCall is Dr. Williams’s office assistant. He has received professional training as both a medical assistant and an LPN. He is handling all the phone calls while the receptionist is at lunch. A patient calls and says he must have a prescription refill for Valium and that the provider, a friend, calls in the medication prior to any flights. This type of request happens often and in slightly different scenarios, but the outcome should remain the same to avoid ethical and legal issues. This paper will review the case study to help resolve the problem, the ethics involved, and the medical responsibility to refilling a prescription without provider authorization. Qualified Medical Training Understanding the definitions of a licensed practical nurse, LPN, and a medical assistant, MA is the first step to making a factual conclusion for this case study. Support staff to the provider cannot make decisions about medication refills for patients without a direct order from the provider. This action is outside the scope of practice for an LPN or MA. Licensed Practical Nurse An LPN is a role in support of the nurse or RN, a registered Nurse usually in a skilled nursing setting such as a hospital or long-term care facility...
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...correct; see sample paper in doc sharing Negligence in Certified Nursing Assistant Practice Erika Igarta-Illescas HSM 320 Health Rights and Responsibilities September 24, 2011 Beth VanOrsdale Negligence in Certified Nursing Assistant Practice Do not bold or underline title Negligence according to Fremgen (2009), is an unintentional action that occurs when a person either performs or fails to perform an action that a “reasonable person” would or would not have committed in a similar situation. Excellent Negligence can happen in many various ways in a health organization such as failure to report, failure to follow orders, performing duties in a careless manner and at times carrying on a job that is not part of a scope of practice. In today’s hospital and skilled nursing facilities, Certified Nursing Assistant is in an environment that is high in demand by Registered Nurses and Physicians to monitor the conditions of the patient. To assure assistance to perform their duties as it should in their scope of practice. Most commons ? that categorizes to a Nursing Assistant’s are failure to report abuse to charge nurses, errors in inputting daily activities and failure to assist patients in their daily activity needs. Good info; please referenceThis paper will explain the seriousness of negligence in a Nursing Assistant and how to prevent these errors. When a Nursing Assistant is getting prepped up for their duties, a constant reminder through their education...
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...Association of Medical Assistants, offers a Certified Medical Assistant Certification for those who have obtained the required education through an accredited medical assistant program (American Association of Medical Assistants). The Medical Assistant’s professional Code of Ethics is a guide I can always refer back to when my ethical responsibilities are being tested, or when I am in doubt whether a certain situation is ethical or not. It is a reminder of why I choose this career, dedicating myself to the care and wellbeing of all people. For Medical Assistants, there are three certifying agencies available within the state of California, where I reside: American Association of Medical Assistants, where you can obtain a “NCCA” Accreditation (aama-nh.org), American Medical Technologists RMA certification, where you can obtain a AMT certification (amt1.com), and California Certifying Board of Medical Assistants where you can obtain a California Certified Medical Assistant (CCMA) certification (ccbma.org). The “Scope of Practice” determines the boundaries that a physician, or other medical professional practices. In entails the range of responsibilities and practice guidelines (medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com). The American Association of Medical Assistants determines this (aama.ntl.org). Three of the standards of professionalism that are based on the codes of ethics for Medical Assistants are: Seek to continually improve the knowledge and skills of the Medical Assistant...
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...Title: Nurse Practitioner V.S Physician Assistant Yvonne Barker English: 102 Date4/6/2013 People rarely see medical doctor anymore. Patient is more like to have appointment with a Nurse Practitioners NP, Are a Physician Assistant PA. Both nursing practitioner and physic assistant can play the roles in healthcare practices. Patient is in good hand, weather we are treated by a PA or a NP. The different between a nursing practitioner and a physician assistant NP favor the nursing model while the PA favor the medical model. Education to become a nurse practitioner (NP) requires coursework and clinical rotations beyond that required of the RN. Curriculum includes, but is not limited to, courses in epidemiology; nursing theory; health promotion; pathophysiology; physical assessment; pharmacology; differential diagnosis and laboratory/radiography diagnostics; statistics and research methods; health policy; role development and leadership; acute and basic chronic disease management (e.g., adults, children, women's health, geriatrics, etc.); and, clinical rotations, which varies depending on the program. MSN programs also require a clinical research project. There are a variety of paths to becoming a licensed nurse practitioner in the United States. Typically, the process begins with obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN, usually 4 years), followed by a Master’s of Science in Nursing (MSN, usually 50 credits). The flexibility of the MSN degree allows students to...
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...Ethics Case Study 1 Lynette A. Volk HCS/335 March 31st, 2-14 Beryl Keegan Abstract Jerry McCall is an employee in a medical office for a Dr. Williams and is professionally trained as both a medical assistant and as a licensed practical purse. While Jerry is alone in the office and the receptionist is at lunch, a patient calls and is requesting a refill for an antidepressant medication, Valium, and states he needs the refill right away, as he is leaving for the airport in 30 minutes. The patient is stating that the doctor is a personal friend of his and that the doctor always orders him a small supply before flying. Jerry must wrestle with the ethical dilemma of what he wants to do and what is legally and ethically the correct thing to do. This paper will determine that Jerry is not legally qualified to refill the valium, or any other medication as it is not within his scope of practice. Ethics Case Study 1 Jerry McCall’s professional training as an LPN and medical assistant does not qualify him to refill the valium order for a patient because it isn’t within a medical assistant’s or an LPN’s scope of practice. Only a physician or physician’s assistant can prescribe and refill prescriptions because they are trained to do so. Jerry has been formally trained and therefore knows what he is not qualified to refill any medications, especially valium, a antidepressant and a controlled substance. It doesn’t make a difference whether it was controlled substance, a blood...
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...Jerry McCall Evanie N Williams HCS/335 December 31, 2013 University Of Phoenix Ethics Case Study It’s important that those who work in the medical field know their scope of practice and keep within their professions guidelines. The following case study will discuss an issue a medical assistant/LPN has encountered during his shift at Dr. Williams’s office and why the assistant must act under his scope of practice. Case: Jerry McCall is Dr. Williams’s office assistant. He has received professional training as both a medical assistant and a LPN. He is handling all the phone calls while the receptionist is at lunch. A patient calls and says he must have a prescription refill for Valium, an antidepressant medication, called in right away to his pharmacy, since he is leaving for the airport in thirty minutes. He says that Dr. Williams is a personal friend and always gives him a small supply of Valium when he has to fly. No one except Jerry is in the office at this time. 1) Dose Jerry’s medical training qualify him to issue this refill order? Why or why not? No, Jerry’s medical training does not qualify him to issue refills on the patient’s Valium order. Jerry McCall is both a medical assistant and an LPN (license practical nurse) neither certificate nor license grants the ability to write prescriptions. Medical assistants are unlicensed health care personnel that can only preform non-invasive technical support under the supervision of a licensed physician. A practical...
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...Ethics Case Study JoAnn DiAntonio HCS/335 October 7, 2013 Claudia Unrein Abstract This paper will discuss the ethical dilemmas faced by some health care providers in the performance of their daily tasks. In this paper we will discuss the case of Jerry McCall, an office assistant working for a private physician, Dr. Williams. Jerry is also certified as a medical assistant and an LPN. Jerry receives a phone call from one of Dr. William’s patients while he is covering the telephones for the receptionist. The patient requests a refill for his Valium prescription because he is in the airport waiting for a flight. He is a personal friend of Dr. Williams and tells Jerry he always calls in a small supply of Valium when he has to fly. Jerry is alone in the office at the time of the call (Fremgen, 2009). What can Jerry do? Scope of Practice Although Jerry works as an office assistant, he is also trained as a medical assistant (MA) and a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), neither of these positions allow him to issue a refill order for any medication, especially a Level IV controlled substance. In their scope of practice medical assistants are not allowed to independently prescribe medications, give out medication samples, or refill prescription requests except under the direct supervision and order of a physician (Buppert, 2008). Licensed Practical Nurses may not call a prescription, including a prescription to refill or extend a prescription, to a pharmacy that has...
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...Ethics Case Study Ranacia Alford HCS/335 Ruby Wesley Shadow In order to make ethical decisions in the medical office setting, everyone should have a clear understanding of their role in the practice. Knowing the scope of their work allows employees to perform their jobs better and to keep from making mistakes that could reflect badly on the liable provider. In the case study that will be discussed, Jerry, the office assistant, is asked to refill a prescription for Valium, a controlled substance, without the doctor’s presence or authorization based on the word of the patient. Does Jerry’s Medical Training Qualify Him to Issue This Refill Order? Why or Why Not? According to the case study, Jerry’s job title is Office Assistant. He has professional training as a medical assistant and a licensed practical nurse. Technically, Jerry’s medical training does qualify him to refill this order. Unfortunately, his current job title disqualifies since the doctor has neither authorized this prescription nor hired him as a nurse. Since Valium is a controlled substance and the patient stated that the doctor calls it in from time to time, there likely are no refills at the pharmacy, thus Jerry would be calling in a new prescription which is completed outside of the scope of his position. Would It Make A Difference If the Medication Was For Controlling High Blood Pressure That the Patient Critically Needs on a Daily Basis? Why or Why Not? As previously stated, Jerry’s current position does...
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...Healthcare is a number one profession where ethics is essential, due to the fact you are dealing people from all different type of lifestyles and situations. In this case study, Jerry McCall is Dr.Williams office assistant. He has received professional training in both a medical assistant and LPN. He is handling all the phone calls while the receptionist is at lunch. A patient calls and says he must have a prescription refill for Valium and antidepressant medication, called in right away to his pharmacy, since he is leaving for the airport in thirty minutes. H states Dr. Williams is a personal friend and always gives him supply of Valium when he as to fly. Only Jerry is in the office at this time. Jerry is unable to provide the patient with the medication that he needs for his flight. When prescribing a medication the prescribed practioner is responsible in case the prescription given cause any harm or doesn’t conform in all essential respect the law and regulations."(Federal Register Volume 75, Number 193). Jerry needs to apologize for the inconvience and advise the patient under the penalty of the law he is unable to grant the customer wishes and complete the refill for the valium without Dr.Williams approval. Although jerry has the training but does not have medical license. If he does proceed and prescribe the patient with the medication it can be considered practicing medicine, which he does not have license to do so. It is possible for Jerry to get sued by the board of...
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...2013 Linda Hagler-Reid, MBA Introduction Jerry McCall is Dr. William’s office assistant. He has received professional training as both a medical assistant and a Licensed Practicing Nurse (LPN). He is handling all of the phone calls while the receptionist is at lunch. A patient calls and says he must have a prescription refill for Valium, an antidepressant medication, called in right away to his pharmacy, since he is leaving for the airport in thirty minutes. He says that Dr. William’s is a personal friend and always gives him a small supply of Valium when he has to fly. No one except Jerry is in the office at this time. Does Jerry’s medical training qualify him to issue this refill order? Why or why not? The American Association of Medical Assistants was established in 1955, a decade considered to be the golden age of medicine, as medical research blazed through the first half of the century. Its creed reflects this perception: “I believe in the principles and purposes of the profession of medical assisting. I endeavor to be more effective. I aspire to render greater service. I protect the confidence entrusted to me. I am dedicated to the care and well-being of all people. I am loyal to my employer. I am true to the ethics of my profession. I am strengthened by compassion, courage and faith.” Though medicine’s golden age may be behind it, its ethics remain firmly in place. Medical assistants serve the public with an ethical obligation to the needs of all. These obligations...
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...Health Care Interview HCS/235 December 10, 2013 Health Care Interview An LPN is useful in a primary care setting; LPNs' have a larger scope then Medical Assistants. A university of phoenix student conducted an interview with an LPN named Melissa Apadoca. Melissa works at Kaiser Permanente in the Family practice and Primary care facility. Just a brief background on Melissa, she has been an LPN for 7 years. Did her LPN training at Denver School of Nursing. Melissa is currently enrolled at the University of Phoenix pursuing her LPN to BSN to become a registered Nurse. She is in her freshman year at the University of Phoenix and anticipates on being done by the end of 2015. A brief over view of the Family Care clinic Melissa works at for Kaiser Permanente. This department has an over all of 15 providers, this includes doctors, D.Os’, Nurse Practitioners, and Physicians assistants. Melissa’s role in the department is mostly direct patient care in the aspect of Medication distribution and medication injections. Her biggest role is in giving patients test results, such as blood labs and other pathology results over the phone. University Of phoenix student: “with going over your primary responsibilities in your specific department at Kaiser Permanente, who are your primary customers”? Melissa Apodaca: “we are a family practice clinic”. So what that means is that we see people from birth to death”. “So I guess the answer to your question would be people of all ages are...
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