First Aid and Emergency Procedures in Medical Assisting

Catalog description

MA116 prepares learners for the essential clinical and administrative duties of the medical assistant through a focus on patient care, communication, safety, and professionalism. Learners develop competencies in patient preparation, general physical examination support, facility operations, culturally responsive care, and effective use of medical terminology and patient education techniques. Additional content includes rehabilitative care, mobility aids, physical therapy coordination, clinical laboratory procedures, CLIA regulations, specimen handling, documentation, workplace safety, emergency preparedness, first aid response, and ethical decision-making. Learners also practice documenting in electronic health records (EHR) and build career readiness through professional communication and job search strategies. The laboratory component emphasizes hands-on application of clinical and administrative skills within the medical assistant’s scope of practice. Learners assist with examinations, prepare and transfer patients, deliver patient education, demonstrate use of assistive devices, and apply infection control and safety standards, including CLIA and Safety Data Sheets (SDS). Practical skills include vital sign assessment, administering intramuscular (IM), subcutaneous (SC), and intradermal (ID) injections, performing venipuncture and capillary punctures, operating EKG equipment, collecting specimens, and responding to emergencies while demonstrating professionalism and cultural sensitivity.