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Paper on work ethics of being a Medical Assistant and how important these work ethics are....

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WORK ETHICS OF BEING A MEDICAL ASSISTANT

Work Ethics of Being A Medical Assistant Stephanie Hunt Chattahoochee Technical College

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Work Ethics of Being A Medical Assistant Work ethics play a huge role in any professional environment. As they are standards professionals are expected to live by. Medical assisting relies heavily on these ethics appearance, attitude, respect, communication, teamwork, organization skills, character, cooperation, attendance, and productivity. They are what keep clinics efficient, effective, and most of all providing the best possible care for patients. Understanding these work ethics helps shape medical assistants careers. As well as understanding professional ethics exceeds their own personal morals. Medical assistants have to show themselves in a professional and appropriate manner by their appearance. The first work ethic of a medical assistant is appearance. Medical assistants have to have their hair up, they cannot have acrylic nails, nails have to be short and no nail polish on them. Scrubs have to be cleaned and ironed so they do not look wrinkled, they have to wear close-toed shoes. If any medical assistants wear tattoos they have to be covered up. As well as, they cannot wear dangling or hoop earrings they have to be small earrings. If medical assistants wear makeup it has to be natural. They also have to keep up with their hygiene. “Showing a professional appearance involves an attitude that is friendly, sincerely affectionate, and offers genuine interest. A good sense of humor can also be used to diffuse any stressful situations a patient may be experiencing. All contact with patients should be positive and professional” (Hunter Business School, 2018). There are dangers with the cosmetic products in the medical field for example perfume and makeup can cause patients to have an allergic reaction. The second work ethic of a medical assistant is attitude. Being in the medical field it is important to have a positive attitude because it can help calm patients’ anxiety. A lot of times patients anxiety comes from concerns about their own health and well-being. So, it is our job as a

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medical assistant to provide reassurance and comfort to the issue at hand with patients. Having a good attitude will reflect in the patients review of the doctor’s office, which will lead to more future patients. “All employees can benefit from a positive mental attitude but in health care, this soft skill is particularly useful. Because of the demands of the job, the stress of teamwork, and the frequent meetings with patients, it’s important that health care workers keep a sunny outlook. The harsh realities of health care can easily wear someone down, which can lead to stress and other negative consequences” (Carrington College Blog, 2020). The third work ethic of a medical assistant is respect. You have to treat patients and other medical staff how you want to be treated. Being respectful to a patient and other office staff is key to keeping a happy environment in the medical field. “Disrespectful behavior was observed to lead to loss of trust, strong negative emotions, and loss of relationships. Respectful behavior was seen as leading to satisfaction, willingness to share information, adherence to treatment and positive emotion,” (Indiana University School of Medicine, 2010). For example, to show respect is when a medical assistant or office staff gives a patient a compliment. The fourth work ethic of a medical assistant is communication. Communication can come in two forms verbal and written. Clear and concise communication is essential for smooth operations of the entire office. Which is why communication is the most important part of being in the medical field because, it will help patients and coworkers have a clear understanding of verbal and written communication. An example of communication by asking a patient if they have any questions or concerns about their medications, health and procedures. Another example is when a patient is getting vaccinations and the medical assistant checks the vaccination sheet to make sure that the patient is getting the right vaccines and its going into the right site. “Medical assistants should continue to improve their abilities to communicate both verbally and in written

WORK ETHICS OF BEING A MEDICAL ASSISTANT format. Written communication should be clear and concise to offer the best care for the patient and not overcomplicate the information for colleagues. Written communication must also use correct grammar, punctuation, and medical terminology” (Hunter Business School, 2020). The fifth work ethic of a medical assistant is teamwork. Being in the medical field you have to work together with other coworkers to create a better environment for patients. When working as a team in the medical field it benefits everyone by less mistakes being made. “A medical assistant has to be a team player. With many professionals contributing to patient care, a medical assistant has to collaborate in ways that benefit the patient. Because higher team functioning is associated with better patient outcomes, cohesive teamwork is vital” (KNF&T Staffing Resources, 2020). An example of teamwork would be when a coworker asks you to recheck a vital sign on a patient for them. The sixth work ethic of a medical assistant is organization skills. Being a medical assistant, it is very important to be organized because you are dealing with important paperwork includes immunizations, growth charts, sports physicals and referrals. Another way that helps medical assistants stay organized is by having a note pad and pen, putting in the right vital signs into the patient’s chart and making sure that you are giving a patient the right immunizations. “Medical offices are fast-paced environments, and support staff should be able to multitask without losing focus. A medical office assistant manages a broad range of administrative responsibilities that are similar from day to day, but they also need to shift gears quickly when emergencies arise. It’s not always easy, but possessing good organizational skills prevent difficult situations from becoming overwhelming” (Beckermedia, 2019). The seventh work ethic of a medical assistant is character. Having good character, you have to know right from wrong when being in the medical field. Medical assistants have to

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WORK ETHICS OF BEING A MEDICAL ASSISTANT understand that their actions can show how good or bad their character is. “Medical assistants should not only be honest but also adhere to moral and ethical principles. They are responsible for many aspects of communication, information gathering, patient education, and confidentiality. Medical assistants must take responsibility for their actions and have a willingness to be accountable for those actions” (Hunter Business School, 2020). An example of character in the medical field is being honest when a wrong action occurs, like administering the wrong medication to a patient. The eighth work ethic of a medical assistant is cooperation. Cooperation is important because if medical assistants do not work together then they will not be able to get their job done efficiently. Medical assistants have to cooperate with each other by working together on immunizations, phone calls, putting patient information into their chart. “The team approach used in most health care settings demands that each member accept his or her role within the organization and cooperate with one another to achieve positive outcomes for patients. Medical assistants are expected to cooperate with the requests of various individuals and departments within a health care setting” (A Private Junior College, 2020, pg.8). An example of cooperation is when both medical assistants are helping each other by one of them setting up the tray for immunizations while the other is drawing up the immunizations.

The ninth work ethic of a medical assistant is attendance. Attendance in the medical field is very important because if you do not show up to work then it will affect the other medical assistants around you. If any medical assistant shows up to work late or does not show up that day, it will cause other employees to pick up their workload. This forces the co-workers to take on additional duties and may prevent them from completing their own work. “Co-workers become frustrated if another employee consistently arrives late or is absent. One missing

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employee can disrupt the entire day, because patients may not be seen at their appointment times because the staff is shorthanded. Also, lunch and other breaks may be shortened because the staff cannot process cases as quickly when an employee does not show up. All employees should know the attendance policies in their facility as outlined in the policy and procedure manual” (Themes, U. 2017). An example of attendance is when a medical assistant shows up to work ten to fifteen minutes early every day.

The tenth work ethic of a medical assistant is productivity. Each medical assistant is responsible accomplishing their duties in the clinic in a timely manner. Being productive with little down time should be a focus of everyday operations for medical assistants. “When medical staff members do not perform tasks properly, it drives down productivity and profits.” (Stryker, 2014). An example of productivity is by being more efficient with a task to decrease the time taken to do it.

In conclusion work ethics play a huge role in the workplace in any profession. However, in the medical field it becomes a code to live by. Since it deals with very personal information including patient records and charts, relaying directions from the doctor to patients about medications, immunizations, procedures, etc. Without them there would be a lot more legal issues as well as operations in the clinics would not be as smooth either.

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References

A Private Junior College, S. (Ed.). (n.d.). What does a medical assistant do? Retrieved October 01, 2020, from https://static.sjvc.edu/_downloads/What-Does-a-Medical-AssistantDo.pdf

Beckermedia. (2019, September 18). 11 Important Skills for a Successful Medical Office Assistant: PCI Health. Retrieved from https://www.pcihealth.edu/11-important-skills-for-asuccessful-medical-office-assistant/

Five Soft Skills to Look for When Hiring a Medical Assistant. (2020, April 27). Retrieved from https://www.knft.com/five-soft-skills-to-look-for-when-hiring-a-medicalassistant/

Hunter Business School. (2020, July 14). 5 Qualities of Medical Assistant's Success. Retrieved from https://www.hunterbusinessschool.edu/5-attributes-of-highly-successful-medicalassistants/

Staff, S. X. (2010, December 13). R-E-S-P-E-C-T: The health of health care depends on it. Retrieved from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2010-12-r-e-s-p-e-c-thealth.html#:~:text=Along%20with%20integrity%20and%20compassion,respectful%20or%20di srespectful%20professional%20behavior.

Stryker, C. (2014, July 30). The Most Effective Way to Improve Medical Practice Productivity. Retrieved from https://www.physicianspractice.com/view/most-effective-wayimprove-medical-practice-productivity

WORK ETHICS OF BEING A MEDICAL ASSISTANT Themes, U. (2017, April 06). Professional Behavior in the Workplace. Retrieved from https://nursekey.com/professional-behavior-in-the-workplace/

Top 10 Skills Needed to Offer Affective Patient Care. (2020, September 11). Retrieved from https://carrington.edu/blog/top-10-soft-skills-needed-health-care/

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