Course Number:
MA 123
Transcript Title:
Med Office Clinical Procedures
Created:
Aug 15, 2022
Updated:
Aug 17, 2022
Total Credits:
3
Lecture Hours:
30
Lecture / Lab Hours:
0
Lab Hours:
0
Satisfies Cultural Literacy requirement:
No
Satisfies General Education requirement:
No
Grading Options
A-F
Default Grading Options
A-F
Repeats available for credit:
0
Prerequisites

MP 111, BI 122 or BI 233

Corequisites 

MA 124

 

Course Description

Covers examination room techniques, assisting the physician with examination, treatment, minor surgery, methods of asepsis and sterilization, and the proper care of equipment and supplies. Prerequisite: MP 111; BI 122 or BI 233. Corequisite: MA 124.

Course Outcomes

Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:

  1. Apply techniques that ensure sterility and quality control in a medical setting.
  2. Prepare the patient for physical examinations and procedures, including surgical and diagnostic procedures and assist the physician.
  3. Apply general knowledge of vital signs, documentation, medications, medication administration, specimen collection, ECG and spirometry.
  4. Communicate professionally with patients, families and members of the healthcare team.
  5. Determine chief complaint utilizing interview skills and patient assessment.

Suggested Outcome Assessment Strategies

Students will demonstrate these learning outcomes by answering theoretical and application multiple choice questions on information covered in lecture and reading assignments. Students may complete a variety of assignments to demonstrate understanding, including group work, case studies, and homework assignments.

Course Activities and Design

The determination of teaching strategies used in the delivery of outcomes is generally left to the discretion of the instructor. Here are some strategies that you might consider when designing your course: lecture, small group/forum discussion, flipped classroom, dyads, oral presentation, role play, simulation scenarios, group projects, service learning projects, hands-on lab, peer review/workshops, cooperative learning (jigsaw, fishbowl), inquiry based instruction, differentiated instruction (learning centers), graphic organizers, etc.

Course Content

The following list outlines the concepts, themes, and issues students need to understand and be able to use appropriately. Students will have the opportunity to demonstrate understanding in written and oral form, individually and in groups.

  1. GENERAL PROTECTIVE PRACTICES
    • Understand the methods of hand sanitization
    • Identify safety signs, symbols and labels
    • Identify safety techniques in responding to an accidental exposure
    • Describe the purpose of Safety Data Sheets and understand their use
    • Identify  principles of body mechanics and ergonomics
    • Identify critical elements of an emergency plan for response to an emergency
    • Discuss principles of fire safety issues and evacuation in an ambulatory healthcare environment
    • Discuss other safety regulations including but not limited to natural disaster or other types of emergencies, recognize the effect these emergencies have on people and be cognizant of personal impact emergencies might have
  2. INFECTION CONTROL AND OSHA
    • Be familiar with bloodborne pathogens inherent in the health care environment
    • Perform handwashing
    • Identify safety signs, symbols, labels and safety techniques used to respond to accidental exposure to blood, body fluids, needle sticks and chemical agents
    • List major types of infectious agents
    • Describe the infection cycle: A. infectious agent, B. reservoir, C. susceptible host, D. means of transmission, E. portals of entry, F. portals of exit
    • Identify methods of controlling the growth of microorganisms
    • Practice standard precautions and proper disposal of biohazardous materials
    • Define and understand the use of PPE for all body fluids, secretions and excretions, blood, non-intact skin, and mucous membranes
  3. GENERAL PREPARATION FOR EXAM
    • Recognize the role ethics and morals have in the delivery of health care
    • Develop knowledge and skill to prepare patients for, and assist physicians in the examination of patients; and to perform basic diagnostic tests.
    • Learn the components of a chief complaint from patients differentiating between objective and subjective information
    • Know the contents and function of all items on an examination trays
    • Know how to assist the physician as requested.
    • Incorporate critical thinking skills when performing patient assessment and patient care.
    • Explain the rationale for performing a procedure on a patient and how a patient’s concerns might affect the procedure being performed.
    • Be aware of the principles of body mechanics and ergonomics when working with patients
  4. PERFORM PATIENT PROCEDURES
    • Know the procedure for taking vital signs.
    • Know the procedure for visual acuity testing with the Snellen chart.
    • Know the procedure for screening test for color blindness.
    • Know the procedure for screening test for audio perceptions.
    • Know the positions for various patient exams and learn the proper way to drape a patient for a specific examination.
    • Explain to a patient the rationale for performance of a procedure
    • Reassure patients of the accuracy of test results
    • Demonstrate sensitivity to patient rights
    • Document patient results in graphs or tables for ease of use
  5. MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION AND CALCULATIONS
    • Provide knowledge and skills to receive a medication order and translate that into correct doses using proper mathematical applications and an understanding of both the metric system and the household system of measurement and the conversions between the two
    • Identify correct units of measurement and proper documentation utilizing appropriate abbreviations and symbols
    • Provide knowledge and skill to enable students to prepare patients for injections.
    • Understand a physician's order to administer an injection.
    • Prepare an injection from an ampule, single or multiple dose vial. Identify the correct route and site of administration.
    • Learn the techniques to administer medication by oral, subcutaneous, intradermal, or intramuscular routes.
    • Understand the purposes of and administration of fluids given intravenously.
  6. ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHY
    • Develop knowledge and skills to perform electrocardiography from the preparation of the patient to the mounting of a diagnostic tracing.
    • Understand the electrocardiograph, its operation and relationship to the patient.
    • Development of proper technique in obtaining electrocardiograms.
    • Develop an understanding of artifacts, how they relate to the electrocardiograph and how to identify and avoid them.
  7. DIAGNOSTIC EXAMINATIONS
    • Develop an understanding of the various types of  pulmonary function testing including spirometer and peak flow meters
    • Analyze healthcare results as reported in graphs and tables.
    • Know the difference and learn how to assist the physician in female exam, a male exam and a pediatric exam.
  8. MINOR SURGERY AND OTHER MINOR OFFICE PROCEDURES
    • Understand the process for preparing items for autoclaving.
    • Know the process for preparing a sterile field and performing within a sterile field
    • Develop knowledge and skills to prepare patients, and equipment for minor surgery and assist physicians in the operating room, maintaining both medical and surgical asepsis, infection and quality control.
    • Understand the methods of controlling the growth of microorganisms and the importance of cleanliness and asepsis in a medical office.
    • Gain proficiency in putting on sterile gloves after a surgical scrub.
  9. THERAPY AND PATIENT INSTRUCTION
    • Develop skills and knowledge to enable students to administer basic physical therapy modalities and instruct patients as directed by physician employers.
    • Understand the types wound care and how to apply sterile dressings and bandages
    • Understand the administration of immediate care for soft tissue injury.
    • Know how to perform crutch fittings and demonstrate the most commonly used crutch gaits
  10. X‐RAY CONCEPTS
    • Provide knowledge so the student can understand and discuss basic radiology use and safety and instruct patients in preparation for various x‐ray exams.
  11. NUTRITION
    • Describe dietary nutrients and define the function of dietary supplements
    • Identify and understand the concerns of patients with special dietary such as weight control issues, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, cancer, lactose sensitivity, gluten issues and food allergies.
  12. EMERGENCIES
    • Enable the student to identify and treat emergencies in the office and practice safety in prevention of office emergencies.
    • Students will understand provider level CPR certification and first aid.
    • Recognize the physical and emotional effects on persons involved in an emergency
    • Demonstrate self-awareness in responding to an emergency situation
  13. SUPPLIES: ORGANIZATION AND CARE
    • Understand the basic concepts of establishing and maintaining a supply inventory of all expendable supplies and equipment in a physician's office.
    • Understand the purpose of routine maintenance of clinical equipment

Department Notes

This is a required course which fulfills a portion of the curriculum for the certificate in Medical Assisting. The extent of transferability or credit allowed for the course would be dependent upon the institution and the program to which the student is transferring.

Related Instruction

Computation

Hours: 25

Outcomes:

  1. Apply techniques that ensure sterility and quality control in a medical setting.
  2. Prepare the patient for physical examinations and procedures, including surgical and diagnostic procedures and assist the physician.
  3. Apply general knowledge of vital signs, documentation, medications, medication administration, specimen collection, ECG and spirometry.

Activities:

Content (Activities, Skills, Concepts, etc.): provide details or specifics

  • Perform clinical competencies as required by the accrediting agency in a medical setting
  • Student calculate body temperature both manually and electronically
  • Student calculate body size ratios of newborn in conjunction with the normal standards and then graph those results
  • Student calculate which size blood pressure cuff to utilize in regards to patients size
  • Students calculate the angle of the needle in all parental injection to make sure they are entering into the correct layer of the body
  • Students calculate and evaluate Immunization records to see when patients are due for follow up vaccines
  • Students evaluate cardiac cycles and relate them to normal heights and lengths of the QRS waves on an electrocardiograph
  • Students calculate the temperature needed for different types of surfaces that will be autoclaved and then input that information into the computer/autoclave
  • Students calculate reading different sizes of hypodermic syringes from insulin syringes to 60ml syringes