Clinical Assistant Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a clinical assistant. Feel free to use our clinical assistant job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a clinical assistant.
Who is a Clinical Assistant?
A clinical assistant is known as a medical assistant or a medical practitioner who performs specified healthcare duties and assists the physician or doctor in administering care and treatment to patients to promote the smooth flow of healthcare practices. The responsibilities of a clinical assistant are to provide basic direction to patients with specifications from a healthcare provider and ensure that patients have a wonderful experience during their clinic session. The clinical assistant gets the record routine information from patients when they newly come to the clinic and the records are weight, height, blood pressure, temperature, and pulse. All this information is needed by the healthcare provider to administer the appropriate treatment to patients. The clinical assistant is also responsible for directing patients’ routes to offices or specific locations where patients can receive treatment clinic. A patient can be a novice ad may not know his/her way around carrying out the medical procedures; it is the sole responsibility of a clinical assistant to guide patients through this process.
The clinical assistant is the first person a patient will meet once they step into the hospital and this makes the clinical assistant also perform administrative roles. The clinical assistant receives patients to the clinic and obtains their record of health information and also ensures they complete all the to finalize the clinical procedure.
Clinical assistants have very strong emotional support towards patients and they always ensure that patients are comfortable. To achieve this, they supervise the cleaning of the clinic environment to ensure it promotes patient safety and hygiene.
Clinical assistants are not doctors but they can help doctors perform their clinical procedures under the supervision of a doctor. They also try to ascertain the cause and effect of diseases to determine a patient’s health status with the aid of diagnostic tests performed by a doctor.
Clinical Assistant Job Description
Below are the clinical assistant job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a clinical assistant job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The duties and responsibilities of a clinical assistant include the following:
- Receives, screens, interviews, and registers patients or the clinical research subjects; takes proper records of vital signs as obtainable in clinical operations and may also help with routine medical procedures based on the appropriate training and certification he has.
- Responds to telephone calls from patients and others; scree calls to ascertain the nature and the urgency of inquiry, refer calls as appropriate and schedules patients’ appointment with the doctor; instruct patients as needed regarding administrative or logistical procedures
- Obtains patient’s medical history, and insurance approvals as appropriate. Prepares and updates medical charts and associated records personal data into files or automated databases
- Arranges appropriately prescribed laboratory tests, specialist referrals, and or diagnostic procedures, orders and may also transport; drugs and other patients care as directed by the practitioner, performs or assist in the performance of basic clinical laboratory procedures, as appropriate to the activities of the unit
- Gathers, verifies, records, and maintains data on clinical activity or research, prepares associated reports as required
- Mediating between patients and health care providers
- Directing and guiding patients through the clinic’s various facilities and procedures
- Sterilizing medical equipment and sanitizing designated areas that are infected as a result of medical procedure
- Supervise the cleaning and sanitation of clinical environment to prevent contamination of infection
- Motivate patients to cooperate in their treatment procedure to recover quickly
- Collect laboratory specimens from patients and get them ready for testing
- Organize patients during visits to the clinic to ensure orderliness and decorum
- Orders and maintains inventories supplies, as mandated to support daily unit clinical and administrative support
- Obtains and authenticate patients billing information as appropriate to the activities of the unit, processes patient accounts, and maintains cleanliness
- Provides daily support for the unit, which includes preparation of documents and reports, providing office services, scheduling and facilitating meetings and travel arrangements, and providing dictation or transcription services
- Supervises student employees, volunteers, interns, or lower-graded staff on the occasional basis
- Performs miscellaneous job-related duties as prescribed.
Qualifications
- High school diploma or GED
- Diploma, certificate, or degree in medical assisting or a related field
- Clinical assistant certification accredited by the American Association of Medical Assistants(AAMA) preferred
- Proven experience with clinical procedures such as specimen collection and diagnostic testing
- Ability to record, monitor, and report patient’s condition to professional personnel
- Knowledge of healthcare procedures, standards, and medical terms
- Advanced record-keeping abilities and proficiency in databases software application
- Exceptional interpersonal skills to assist and reassure patients
- Computer and technical skills
- Ability to prioritize and perform multiple tasks as directed by medical professionals
- Excellent written and verbal communication
Essential Skills
- Organizational and Administrative Skills: Most clinical assistants play an administrative role because they are responsible for welcoming patients to the hospital. The administrative duties they play are: answering phone calls, scheduling appointments keeping records of patients information, and inputting patients’ names into hospital databases. Being highly organized is paramount to maintaining a sense of decorum and orderliness. Skills such as typing and advanced record keeping are highly vital.
- Good Communication and Interpersonal Skills: clinical assistants must be active listeners to understand patients’ health status and other specifications. They must also build the capacity to give information to patients vividly so that patients will not misunderstand them. The information they pass to patients must be written and spoken to other health professionals working with patients.
In addition, they must also show a friendly attitude to patients and always be nice to them.
- Knowledge of Medical Terminology: Clinical assistant should have a good working knowledge of medical terminology in anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and other fields of medical practice. They must also know basic procedures like drawing blood, dressing wounds, and how to administer first aid.
- Computer Skills: the world is going digital and gone are the days were medical records are kept in files. In the modern world, databases are used to store patient medical information. A clinical assistant must possess computer literacy skills to perform a variety of administrative tasks. Especially as many healthcare practices are using EHRs ( Electronic Health Records) and computer competency of one of the most vital medical assistant skills.
- Knowledge of Health, Safety, and Sanitation: clinical assistants should be aware of personal patient safety and hygiene at all times. Understanding and practicing safety and also the following sanitization stipulated principles. They must also adhere to health and safety guidelines when performing their duties
- Customer Service Skills: patients that patronize hospitals are customers who select their practitioners based on the quality of care and services received. Treating patients with great care and sensitivity is highly vital to retaining them so that another health practitioner will not snatch them.
How to Become a Clinical Assistant
- Obtain a Bachelor’s Degree
To become a clinical assistant, you can obtain a bachelor’s degree in anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, microbiology, or a related science course. Students that want to be clinical assistants focus on subjects like biology, physics, chemistry, mathematics, algebra, and a relative elective to build themselves scientifically. A student that wants to add more knowledge can volunteer at a local clinic or physician’s office and these experiences will enhance the students’ knowledge of medical terminology and also the rigors of working in a healthcare environment.
- A Master’s Degree in Anatomy or Physiology
Although some may feel this is not important but acquiring a master’s degree in anatomy or physiology will give you more knowledge and skills as a clinical assistant. The skills you acquire can make you more competent in performing your duties.
- Complete the Mandatory Medical Assistant Program(One to Two Years)
Although globally there are no requirements for clinical assistant education, in countries such as the United States; the American Association for Medical Assistants (AAMA) mandates that healthcare professionals complete an approved postsecondary program before seeking certification. The program focuses on courses like anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, infection control, applied mathematics, and other courses. An individual that wants to be a competent clinical assistant must enroll in this program to gain more knowledge.
- Acquire Certifications
There are medical certifications clinical assistants can acquire to build their career such as American Medical Technologists (AMT), National Center for Competency Testing(NCCT), National Health Career Association(NHA). There are many more certifications you can acquire to upgrade your career as a clinical assistant.
- Obtain the State Licensure
There are countries or states where clinical assistants are required to obtain licenses before they practice but in some countries, the case is not so. Find out about your country’s legal requirements for clinical assistants and follow the stipulated law. For instance, in the United States, clinical assistants in Mississippi are not mandated to have a state license or be certified to work but in Washington state, clinical assistants are required to have a license.
- Enroll for Internship
As a clinical assistant, enroll for an internship to acquire the requisite working experience. Enrolling for an internship in the hospital offers you an opportunity to know medical terminologies, medical law and regulation, databases collection, and to get to know about the human body’s health.
- Draft your Resume: draft your resume and start applying for jobs. In your resume; include information about your educational qualification, skills, and experience. Start applying for jobs; you can look for open positions available and beat the interview.
Where can Clinical Assistant Work?
- Hospitals: This is one of the largest employers of clinical assistants. Clinical assistants in a hospital may not work 24/7 like other medical practitioners but they may be scheduled to work at different times of the day. The workday of a clinical assistant may vary between clinical and administrative staff. Most of the hospitals have emergency services and clinical assistants may be required to schedule a prompt meeting of patients with doctors in such situations.
- Outpatient Care: these are not clinics but centers and they are not hospitals. These are usually medical offices that provide services during the day and don’t overnight. The kind of services they provide is; minor surgery, lab tests,or other services. As a clinical assistant in an outpatient facility, you may be mandated to perform administrative and clerical duties during the day. Outpatient care is also open on weekends and they are not strenuous like hospitals
- Pediatric Clinics: some clinical assistants can start up their career in a pediatric clinic to gain experience in this part. If you are a lover of children then this is the perfect place for you to work. You will also need to keep a record of children and communicate effectively with them. A clinical assistant in a pediatric clinic must be very patient because that is the only way to flow along with kids.
- Diagnostic Laboratories: in the diagnostic lab; tests are carried out on clinical samples. They can be urine, blood,or other body tissue test. Examples would be blood testing and screening, drug testing, X-rays, blood sugar scans thyroid testing, or antibody tests. Clinical assistants that are certified in areas like phlebotomy are required for this job responsibility but other clinical assistants can also work and perform clerical and administrative functions.
- Retirement facilities or Nursing Homes: clinical assistants are in high demand partly because of the aging population around the globe. As people age, they tend to need more medical care. A logical place to make judicious use of clinical assistants is at retirement facilities, nursing homes, or assisted living facilities. Many of these residents are not sick but aged and need serious medical attention. In such cases, clinical assistants can administer drugs, give injections and check their vital body organs regularly. May also assist residents with their diet and hygiene and help them move around wheelchairs and walkers around the vicinity. Many of these retirement facilities need medical services to stay in good health and they have their doctors.
- Psychiatric care and behavioral health
- Palliative care facility
- Chiropractor offices
- Medical research centers/ Clinical trials
Clinical Assistant Salary Scale
- The salary of a clinical assistant in the United States is $50,400 per year with an average salary of $36,350 per year. In some states, clinical assistants can earn $13-$17 per hour. The salary solely depends on the experience and location of the clinical assistant.
- In Nigeria, the salary of a clinical assistant is 1, 400,000NGN per year in Abuja the capital city. Some clinical assistants can earn 240,000NGN per month. The salary scale depends solely on the experience and location of the clinical assistant.