Working as a medical assistant puts you in a very fulfilling profession. When you?re in the field of healthcare, you can make a difference in the lives and health of your patients through what you bring to the table. Fulfilling as it may be, being a medical assistant can also be challenging. You have to be ready the entire time you?re on duty, both with your skills and the equipment or tools you operate.- Medical Assistant Kit
Remember that as a medical assistant, each working day isn?t going to be like the last. Every patient comes with their own needs and concerns which you can attend to. This brings in the need for you to have a well-prepared medical assistant ? vital to assisting in the diagnosis and treatment of your patients.
That being said, here are seven things you must remember to include in your medical assistant emergency kit:
1. Sterilization Tools
You?re going to have big, sophisticated machines for sterilization in your workplace. In your kit, you?ll need something more portable to keep your tools from being infected. The trusty set of sterilization tools includes 70% alcohol solution, alcohol pads, cotton balls, cotton buds, and perhaps, even a UV disinfecting wand.
Considering how many sick people you deal with in a day, it?s vital to prevent infection from spreading from one person to another. Moreover, you also need the sterilization tools to clean and disinfect your hands before handling a patient.
2. Clipboard
While computers and smartphones are paving the way for electronic or digital documents to be the norm, this doesn?t mean that writing down notes is already obsolete. Nurses, doctors, and medical assistants will still have a need to manually write down notes. This is where a clipboard comes in handy, as it’s a very simple thing which helps you write down anything you have to, even when you?re on-the-go.
3. Stethoscopes
What’s a medical assistant without a stethoscope? It?s hard to imagine having a working day without ever needing to bring one for yourself, but how do you choose a good stethoscope? Here are three ways to help you pick one:
- Try it out before buying so you can feel, see, and hear the difference for yourself;
- Don?t go overboard ? always ask for recommendations first. Yes, you?ll want to buy the best high-quality option, but this doesn?t necessarily mean buying the most expensive one on the market;
- Consider your retailer very carefully, so you?re sure you?re only buying from a reputable seller.
4. Thermometer And Disposable Thermometer Shields
Medical assistants will frequently have to check patients for their body temperature; this is a very important aspect of giving proper diagnosis and treatment. Medical assistants will need to have an accurate thermometer that can last through multiple uses, given the number of patients they see in a day. To keep the thermometer sterile, disposable thermometer shields are also a must.
Female medical assistant in clinic. Health care service
5. Blood Collection Needles And Tubes
Medical assistants may also be asked to take blood samples. In fact, one of the basic tasks a medical assistant will need to learn how to do is properly inserting the needle into the vein, and then collecting the blood samples.
6. Blood Pressure Monitor (Sphygmomanometer)
Aside from body temperature, a medical assistant will also have to take a patient?s blood pressure on a regular basis. This is why a portable blood pressure monitor is handy to have for medical assistants. Remember these tips when you?re looking for a good blood pressure monitor:
- Size matters, so be sure to have a cuff that?s wide enough even for patients who have quite big arms.
- Don?t spend extra on models with unnecessary features.
- Check if the device is accurate and properly calibrated.
7. Needles And Syringes
Part of working as a medical assistant involves injecting medicine, vitamins, and supplements to patients on a regular basis. That said, having to go back to the medical supply room or even having to buy needles and syringes can be quite a hassle. This is why you should also keep a few disposable syringes and needles in your kit.
Conclusion
As you get more experience in the job as a medical assistant, you?ll find yourself adding and removing some items in your kit depending on what you and the patients need. However, this should be a good starting point for making your personal kit. The most important thing to remember is that as a medical assistant, you have to be prepared for anything that comes your way, and that level of preparation starts with having a functional medical assistant kit.
