Medical assistants play a vital role in the healthcare industry. From scheduling appointments to taking vitals, medical assistants require a specific and specialized set of skills. While hard skills such as phlebotomy and medical terminology are necessary, soft skills are a big contributor in determining what makes a successful medical assistant. Medix teamed up with Talentoday, our partner in people analytics solutions organization, to determine the top soft skills of medical assistants. Traits like being orderly, relaxed, empathetic and confident were identified as the four most important soft skills of successful medical assistants.
Organization
A career as a medical assistant requires a high level of organization. With many responsibilities including, but not limited to, answering phones, scheduling appointments and providing a high level of patient care, being organized and orderly are very important skills when it comes to being a successful medical assistant. Medical assistants are also trusted with private patient health information, making organization highly necessary. In addition, a high level of organization is needed in a variety of clinical settings such as having the correct patient information, tool or product ready when needed. Orderly and organized people thrive in medical assistant positions because the role leaves little room for ambiguity or tolerance for disorganization.
Composure
When you think of organized people, you may think of type A personalities. However, successful medical assistants are not only orderly, but also composed and relaxed. The ability to remain cool under pressure is extremely important for medical assistants. Faced with many unexpected turns in events, medical assistants need to be comfortable with working under pressure and making decisions quickly. Successful medical assistants that possess this skill are able to manage stress in a healthy way and continue to provide excellent patient care, even under difficult circumstances.
Empathy
Medical assistants are often some of the first people a patient meets when arriving at a healthcare facility. As many people find themselves in a vulnerable place during this time, empathy is an extremely important skill for a medical assistant. Talentoday characterizes empathetic people as warm-hearted, caring, and attentive to the needs of others. They enjoy making people feel welcomed, and are sensitive to those around them. While many medical assistants are responsible for caring for patients from a medical standpoint, they’re also responsible for connecting with them on a human level. Empathy allows medical assistants to excel in their positions by providing an overall exceptional patient experience.
Confidence
As with many positions in the healthcare field, confidence is a must for people within the medical assistant profession. Medical assistants need to believe that they are fully capable of providing the care patients need. Confident medical assistants do not depend on recognition or feedback from others. They believe in themselves and know that they are doing their job to the best of their ability. According to research from Talentoday, there is a correlation between a medical assistant’s level of confidence in their communication with patients and the overall patient experience. The more confident a medical assistant presents to a patient, the higher the medical assistant scores on patient evaluations post treatment. People who are naturally confident excel in the medical assistant profession because they know they are providing the highest level of care to their patients.
From answering phones and scheduling appointments to taking vitals and comforting patients, medical assistants play a huge role in the healthcare industry. In addition to job-specific training, medical assistants need a variety of soft skills to be successful in their role. Being orderly, relaxed, empathetic and confident helps medical assistants excel in their job and provide an excellent patient experience for all they encounter.
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