| As implied by the job title itself, Physician assistants | | | | time, the physicians are tied up in the hospitals and |
| assist the physician by performing some tasks which | | | | clinics and will only be available one or two days per |
| were traditionally carried out by the physician. They | | | | week. |
| provide 80 percent of the services and some of their | | | | 4. Working place - The working schedule of physician |
| common tasks include providing injections, examining | | | | assistants is very much depends on the supervising |
| and treating patients, measuring their blood pressure, | | | | physicians and work settings. If you work in a hospital, |
| counseling patients, performing therapies and | | | | you need to be on call whenever required even if it is |
| interpreting laboratory tests for patients. | | | | public holidays, weekends, midnight or off day |
| While these may be the general duties of physician | | | | especially during emergencies. Physician assistants in |
| assistants, the exact job scope varies with training, | | | | hospitals normally need to be on standby mode. |
| experience, state laws, locations as well as the | | | | Instead those who works in clinics are less critical, and |
| supervising physician's practice. | | | | seldom need to be on call due to the nature of the |
| Let us take a look at the multiple job scope carried out | | | | settings itself. What are requested is a minimum of at |
| by the physical assistants, which might differ due to | | | | least 40 working hours in any one week. |
| the criteria as per mentioned above, | | | | 5. Working physical venue - Physician assistants work |
| 1. The practice of the supervising physician - if the | | | | in all kinds of medical settings including outpatient |
| physician assistant supervisor is a surgeon, then it is | | | | offices, inpatient facilities, critical care units and surgery |
| just normal for him or her to fulfill those tasks which | | | | rooms. They provide some of the most advanced |
| were once carried out by the surgeon himself. In this | | | | trauma care in the world in our forward military units |
| case, the physician assistant needs to have strong | | | | as well as the national army units. |
| knowledge in surgical techniques and procedures as | | | | 6. Extending their access to psychiatric care - Some |
| well as all the necessary surgical equipments and | | | | physician assistants under the Psychiatric unit need to |
| medications. | | | | perform a series of diagnosis and advice on the |
| 2. By the state law - Today, thirty-nine states in the | | | | appropriate types of therapy which are necessary for |
| nation allows experienced physician assistants to | | | | their patients with personality disorder, cognitive |
| prescribe medications without the cosignatory of their | | | | behavioral. They are required to manage the supplies |
| supervising physicians. This has inevitably help to | | | | and stock of these medications and give out |
| reduce the work load of the supervising physicians and | | | | appropriate prescriptions to their psychiatrist disorder |
| also have extended the autonomy of the physician | | | | patients. The appearance of the physician assistants in |
| assistants in appropriate areas. | | | | community mental health centers, psychiatric offices |
| 3. In different locations and places - In rural places and | | | | and mental disorder rehab centre shows an extension |
| inner cities, instead the physician assistants are the | | | | of this profession into new medical field to care. |
| main care providers for the people there ; most of the | | | | |