Physicans Assistant - Research Paper Example

Jamie C. Kemper 25 October, Bailey Portfolio Journals Physician Assistants Physician assistants (PAs) practice medicine under the supervision of physicians and surgeons. They are formally trained to provide diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive healthcare services, as delegated by a physician. Working as members of a healthcare team, they take medical histories, examine and treat patients, order and interpret laboratory tests and X-rays, and make diagnoses. They also treat minor injuries by suturing, splinting, and casting.

Physician assistants record progress notes, instruct and counsel patients, and order or carry out therapy. They may also prescribe certain medications. In some establishments, a PA is responsible for managerial duties, such as ordering medical supplies or equipment and supervising medical technicians and assistants (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010). A rough average suggests that the PAs work 40 hours a week (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010). This seems quite normal, but the working conditions are quite stressful for them.

They have to walk, stand and do certain routines again and again, which causes a lot of fatigue. Also, their work hours span through nights, weekends and holidays, and they have to remain stand by on call at all times (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010). This dictates personality requirements for PAs, such as emotional stability, compassion, care, sympathy, and having a big heart. They have to be good communicators and above all, they must be able to work normally around injured and ill people, while still maintaining a high degree to empathy for such people (Field, 2010).

Physician assistants are highly qualified in their fields and the American Academy of Physician Assistants, Association of Physician Assistant Programs, and National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, Inc. are the major unions in this regard. To be a certified PA, one should pass a certified examination after graduation from an accredited institute, which gives them a certification of Physician Assistant-Certified (Field, 2010). Educational degrees in this field range from associate degrees to bachelors and masters level.

Many colleges offer these courses, like Gannon University, King’s College and others. Mostly these programs are around two years. Students must also go through clinical experience in a vast array of areas including family medicine, pediatrics, general surgery, inpatient and ambulatory medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, geriatrics, emergency medicine, internal medicine, and ambulatory psychiatry. Improvement prospects for physician assistants are becoming physicians while becoming registered nurses is also a possibility (Field, 2010).

Physician assistants are paid well on average around $84,550 per annum, with entrance salaries of around 44 grand, topping up to 125 grand. These high salaries must be backed with good leadership skills, a brilliant work ethic, good manners and hospitality as well as good experience with patients (Field, 2010; Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010). PAs are in demand in medical offices, hospitals, schools, military and paramilitary organizations, and many other fields. These jobs are predicted to rise by 27% till 2016, thus making this a very important profession (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010).

Also, the possibility of getting to a physician’s level is also a healthy incentive. Thus I believe this is an important job, and more people should become aware of it in this age of downsizing and job slashing.Works CitedBureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, Physician Assistants, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos081.htm (visited October 01, 2010).Field, Shelly. "Physician Assistant." Fergusons Career Guidance Center.

Facts On File, Inc. Web. 1 Oct. 2010. .