Medical Assistants perform delegated clinical and administrative duties within the supervising practitioner’s scope of practice consistent with state and national legislation and the Medical Assistant’s education, training and experience. Such duties shall not constitute the practice of medicine.

Key points about scope of practice

• Medical assistants are actively and continuously supervised by a medical practitioner.
• Medical Assistants are not required to make decisions regarding the care of patients to determine investigations to be ordered, to diagnose, to prescribe or counsel patients.
• Medical assistants at the direction of the medical practitioner can be asked to educate and provide instruction to patients as per the medical practitioner’s direction.

Breadth of Training

• A full course outline is available from the Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council.
• Completion of the Certificate IV in Medical Practice Assisting will provide you with the skills to complete the following tasks in your workplace.

Administrative

Appointment scheduling
Billing
Medical record maintenance & filing
Inventory control
Recalls and reminders
Extraction of clinical and business data from practice software
Handling mail and phone

Clinical

First aid and CPR
Recognising and dealing with emergency patients
Handling specimens
Assisting with minor procedures
Basic wound dressing
Performing ECGs
Measuring blood pressure, temperature, pulse & respiration
Measuring height, weight and visual acuity
Testing hearing and colour blindness
Obtaining data for growth charts
Performing venepuncture
Removing sutures, staples & surgical clips
Applying bandages, splints and slings
Applying backslabs & removing plasters
Administering Vitamin B12 injections
Performing spirometry
Performing ear irrigation
Measuring blood glucose
Performing urinalysis & pregnancy testing
Sterilisation of reusable instruments
Infection control
Cold chain management