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Working as a Medical Assistant can be very rewarding at times, yet it can become extremely stressful and exhausting. Some days are better than others. Holding a Medical Assistant title includes putting yourself on the line to be held liable for any malpractice that happens on your behalf. These malpractices include administering improper medications or dosages to a patient or failure to properly monitor a patient after administering a vaccine. However, the rewards of this position include helping other and making a difference in their lives.
There are also endless opportunities for growth within the medical field by having this certification under your belt. Daily responsibilities of an MA involve stocking and cleaning exam rooms, monitoring supply and medication expiration dates, taking inventory, assisting the provider with procedures as well as extensive patient care. So how does an MA bare a heavy work load like this? Follow these steps to insure less stress as a Medical Assistant and more efficiency in getting your work done.
Step 1: Breakfast
It is said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So, treat yourself to a nice healthy breakfast. Having a bowl of oatmeal with bananas or strawberries, or even a small plate of bacon and eggs will come in handy. This meal will help sustain your energy for the morning portion of work. It will prevent burn outs and boost your focus when it comes to handling urgent tasks and procedures. Eating breakfast is a great way to stay alert and keep you on your toes, ready for anything that comes your way. A healthy, proportioned breakfast is strongly encouraged and will help keep your stomach from growling too loudly while speaking with a patient. A talkative tummy while giving patient care is both embarrassing and inconvenient. Likewise, the healthier you eat the more energy you’ll have and the less time you will spend feeling sluggish.
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Warning
Do not eat an extremely heavy breakfast. Doing this can cause a stomach ache or discomfort. When you are uncomfortable at work it makes it difficult to focus and complete necessary tasks in a timely manner. Also, from experience, eating a breakfast that is heavy and high in carbohydrates can result in drowsiness. Drowsiness on the job can lead to accidental mistakes, and mistakes in the medical field can be considered malpractice thus damaging your professional liability.
Step 2: Comfortable Shoes
Wear your favorite pair of comfortable shoes. Being that you work in a demanding field you will be on your feet more than 80% of your shift. The easiest way to become stressed and uncomfortable is wearing shoes that cause your feet to hurt. Comfortable, closed toed shoes make getting around the office quick and easy. With comfortable shoes you will be able to jog down the hallway when you have a STAT order. Shoes that don’t hurt your feet will assist you in standing for long periods of time and help in maintaining good posture. An added tip would be to wear compression socks with your comfy shoes. In the long run this will prevent achy legs and varicose veins.
Warning
Do not try to impress anyone by wearing your fanciest pair of tennis shoes. The goal is to be comfortable and stress free. Being cute but uncomfortable is the quickest way to impose stress on yourself and become distracted. This will slow you down and have a negative effect on your performance and mood. Also, there are nasty spills including chemicals and bodily fluids in the medical workplace. I can guarantee that you don’t want your best shoes to be wet and ruined by bodily fluids or chemicals no matter how comfortable or uncomfortable they are.
Step 3: Breaks and Hydration
Take breaks when you can and stay fully hydrated too! It is very important that you take a couple of moments to yourself to stay strong and focused. Indeed, it is easy to lose track of time and forget to take a break. However, this is a hasty way to deplete your energy and wear yourself out. Breaks give you a chance to slow down and regroup. While taking your break make sure to have a nice big swig of water. Again, it is easy to forget to stay hydrated because you are fixated on so many other things. Keeping water in your system will keep you awake and save you a boost of energy to finish out your day.
Warning
Do not try to miss your breaks or forget to hydrate yourself. No one is invincible, you will easily run yourself down and possibly suffer unhealthy consequences. Even the slightest bit dehydration can negatively affect productivity and physical work capacity as well. Please avoid eating sugary snacks or drinking sugary drinks on your breaks. Just as you may think these things will boost your energy, they will at some point send you crashing. Too much sugar on an empty stomach can cause headaches, weakness, dizziness and sweating, while dehydration can cause fatigue and lowered cognitive skills.
Step 4: Pens and Sticky Notes
Always keep sticky notes and pens on hand. Having these items handy will keep you prepared to write down any important information as needed. This will show the doctors and the physicians that you are ready to take instructions at any given time. Writing the information on the sticky notes will insure that you won’t miss any detail. This is also an efficient way to keep “To-Do” reminders, almost like tying a string to your finger; instead it’s a sticky note in your pocket.
Computers are becoming more heavily relied on in the work place, but what happens when they freeze up or crash? This is another reason why having sticky notes and pens or even a notepad on hand is useful. If your computer goes down and you need to take messages or patient vitals, keeping these items with you will assure that you don’t have to stop working even if your computer does. Staying prepared is an essential goal.
Warning
Though you may have a sharp memory, do not try to remember the doctor’s orders just from the top of your head alone, take notes. If the doctor gives you specific orders, and you forget a small portion of the information he/she gave you, it can throw the whole task or procedure off. To the doctors this may see as though you lack listening skills or that you aren’t thorough in your work. In all actuality you are just human and indeed, we all forget things here and there. Having sticky notes and pens will leave no room for misunderstandings on your part or the provider’s part.
Step 5: Organization
Have your desk organized to your own liking and understanding. As a Medical Assistant in a busy practice you will have a hefty workload. Sometimes you don’t have a lot of time to complete everything that’s on your plate. When you do have a chance to complete admin work you want to be able to find the documents you need in less than a minute. Having a clean and organized desk will be beneficial to both you and your time.
Warning
When you have an irritated physician asking for a specific document you do not want to spend a long time looking for it because you can’t remember where you placed it or because your desk was too cluttered. Now you have a haggling physician on your case thus creating stress for you. Do not forget where you place documents, especially documents that have patient information on them.
If those documents get into the wrong hands because you misplaced it, that can potentially serve as a HIPAA violation. Do not lose documents that could be a part of a patients care plan. This can cause for information to be missed and not taken into consideration when it is time for the patient’s treatment.
Step 6: Confidence
Confidence is key, so have confidence in yourself and your work. A positive and poised attitude will rub off on others. It will give patients the impression that you love your job and that you are very knowledgeable when it comes to it, even if there is something you are unsure about. You should feel great about yourself anyways because you are helping others and providing the care that they need. The higher your confidence is the better mood you will be in throughout a busy day.
Warning
Do not excessively flaunt your confidence. You don’t want to become cocky and bothersome to co-workers or patients. Being overly confident might give your colleagues a conceited, arrogant impression of you.
Step 7: Put on Your Best Face
Finally, fake it until you make it. . . at least until you’re off the clock. Just like any other job, you want to avoid a hostile work environment. Keeping a smile on your face and letting things roll of your back will make it easier to maintain a peacefully workplace. Stay professional and greet everyone kindly. When it comes to interacting with patients you never want to alarm them by showing worry or concern in your face. Being that you work in a medical facility, you will see and hear numerous amounts of unpleasant and sad things. To avoid causing patient distress and an unhappy doctor or physician, keep a straight face when necessary.
Warning
While letting certain situations roll off your back is good, do not let it come to a point where people are taking advantage of you and begin to walk over you. Remain assertive and respectful and stand your ground when necessary. Don’t complain or gossip to other co-workers about those whom you dislike in your workplace either. This will be a quick and easy recipe for a drama-filled environment. Also, do not take the disappointments or anguish of work home with you. Leave work at work and when you get home, relax. Carrying work on your shoulders will lead you to feel dreadful of going back the next day. It will put a damper in your mood and eventually it will take a negative toll on your work and work atmosphere.
These are just a few steps to lessen the stress of being a Medical Assistant. A healthy breakfast, breaks, constant hydration and confidence are the core keys, the other steps fall in place behind them. Also remember, staying prepared is an essential goal. Preparation and preparedness work hand and hand with becoming less stressed. You can reference back to this process when you start feeling overwhelmed. However, remain calm and remember: Fake it until you make it… at least until the end of the day.
