Poll: Type of Support Staff in Outpatient Medicine

[Colorado]

Occasionally I have seen FP and other outpatient specialties post that they have RN staff. Our clinic has MAs only and so I was curious..

Edited December 21, 2021 by Colorado

[rev ronin]

Support staff? What's that?

In my eating disorders clinic, I have an RN--due to nursing shortage and maternity leave, shared with other sites.

In my occupational medicine clinic... I'm it, at least for now.

[Colorado]

9 hours ago, rev ronin said:

Support staff? What's that?

In my eating disorders clinic, I have an RN--due to nursing shortage and maternity leave, shared with other sites.

In my occupational medicine clinic... I'm it, at least for now.

Yeah no kidding. I was on shift at the ED the other night when our charge nurse came and told us that she and an RN pulled from the tele floor were our only nurses for the remainder of the shift. Difficult times indeed.

[rev ronin]

It's not ALL bad.  I get paid 1099 PA wages to do nursing intakes--VS, lab slips, EKGs--occasionally.  I've gotten better at running a 12 lead office EKG

[sas5814]

We actually have a primary care team so my answer wasn't fully correct. I have an RN, a LVN, and an office assistant.

[Photograph51]

I have LPN's outpatient (opiate disorder treatment), but their job is to dispense medication more than to do tasks for me.  Inpatient (substance use rehab) I have mostly LPN's and some RN's.  The nurses really do most of the work- when I am there I am the only provider for the day versus 6 nurses at a time round the clock.  I also have counselors everywhere I work, which helps when there are behavior problems.

[ventana]

Please change this poll to be able to select multiple answers.....

 

 

I have always had an MA

Maybe and LPN

 

Now in a progressive, on the ball, forward thinking hospital system and we have  MA, LPN, RN all available to us.

I don't have to do anywhere near as much!  I like it!!

 

 

[Colorado]

16 minutes ago, ventana said:

Please change this poll to be able to select multiple answers.....

 

 

I have always had an MA

Maybe and LPN

 

Now in a progressive, on the ball, forward thinking hospital system and we have  MA, LPN, RN all available to us.

I don't have to do anywhere near as much!  I like it!!

 

 

Will change it. Thanks.

[Reality Check 2]

Like Scott, my team has BOTH RN and LPN in primary care at the VA.

We don’t have many MAs, if any. Some departments have something called a Health Tech - no clue.

I am horribly spoiled now with two nurse teammates. We all work to the top of our licenses. 

LPN schools are fading away and that sucks. We need all levels of nurses.

MAs can be rockstars but - by and large - they aren’t licensed (“registered”) and 9 mos of education would never cut it in my world.

I hope people want to work again soon and COVID quits torching health care workers…… a girl can dream

[ShakaHoo]

22 hours ago, rev ronin said:

It's not ALL bad.  I get paid 1099 PA wages to do nursing intakes--VS, lab slips, EKGs--occasionally.  I've gotten better at running a 12 lead office EKG

Our Occupational Medicine clinic has too high of volume for us to do intake.  We generally have 2 MA's at all times, occasionally 3 MA's.

 

Between DOT PE's, FAA's, other elaborate PE's, Injuries, follow-ups, and other screenings (PFTs, Phlebotomy, Audio testing, Vision/Titmus Testing, etc) you would be working all day and night!

[rev ronin]

2 hours ago, ShakaHoo said:

Our Occupational Medicine clinic has too high of volume for us to do intake.  We generally have 2 MA's at all times, occasionally 3 MA's.

 

Between DOT PE's, FAA's, other elaborate PE's, Injuries, follow-ups, and other screenings (PFTs, Phlebotomy, Audio testing, Vision/Titmus Testing, etc) you would be working all day and night!

Yes, but for those who haven't been following my saga... I've been running my own clinic since September out of a single exam room. I'm profitable, and will be moving to a bigger location earlier in 2022 if the trend continues.  At that time, my wife will join me as receptionist/MA. She is a former CNA from before we were married, has done volunteer reception work for nonprofits since then, but it will be the first time we've worked together, let alone on a family business.

[sk732]

When I was in family med, my rural Regional Health Authority clinic allowed me a receptionist who was not trained as an MOA.  I could borrow the RN's/LPN's from the attached PCH to do the odd nursing related task (chaperone, drop the odd Foley), however I had to do my own vitals, POC testing, start IV's if needed, most of my own immunizations (there was a Public Health Nurse that was in an adjacent building for some of that).  I had to do my own EKG's 4/5 days per week.  I drew the line with XRays  - not trained to do it anyway and I was scared of the machine that had been around since Robert Koch figured out how to shoot pictures.  If any of my PCH patients needed IV antibiotics, I'd have to decide if they'd be sent to the regional ER for their daily dose or if I would go over, start the IV and mainline the drug - the PCH nurses weren't required to maintain IV certifications, including running IV meds.

Take a guess as to one of many reasons I switched to EM...