Physician Assistant Research Paper

Physician Assistants: A Helping Hand
M. Buckner
OC TECH

Abstract In this paper I will provide focus to an often-overlooked health profession. I am referring to the PA, or, physician assistant. Physician Assistants are some of the best and brightest in the business. The many levels of care at which they practice and operate make them a vital piece to the puzzle that is health care. Physician Assistants have been an integral part of the changes in healthcare through the last 50 years. They are a very versatile group of professionals and we are seemingly finding new ways to utilize their broad talents. We will take an in depth look at the physician assistant and: their role in today’s workforce, the history of the PA and how it has affected
S., Cawley, J. F., & Asprey, D. P. 2010, p. vii para. 1). A physician’s assistant is a health care professional whose duties include everything from emergency medicine to the routine time consuming duties of the physician. These duties are pretty broad and far spread. In the book Careers In Health Care Swanson, B (2005) describes those duties as such: The physician assistant can be expected to carry out duties directly with patients, including interviewing patients and taking detailed medical his- tories; conducting physical examinations; ordering and/or interpreting selected diagnostic studies, such as common laboratory procedures and radiologic studies; making tentative diagnoses; performing certain thera- peutic procedures, such as administering injections and immunizations, applying casts, and suturing wounds; following up on patient care;
It requires lots of planning along with the morals and character of a true professional. This is a career path requiring lots of selfless work, a compassionate heart, and a sharp mind. The pay is competitive and benefits are aplenty. To be fully prepared to pursue this profession one must gain experience in the medical field and be prepared to do a lot of research. If these things are done with the right tenacity then problems on the road to meet that end should be minimal.

References
Swanson, B. (2005). Careers in Health Care. McGraw-Hill. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com

Career As a Physician Assistant : High Level Professionals Working Directly With Doctors in Delivering Healthcare. (2005). Institute for Career Research. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com

Rodican, A. J. (2011). Ultimate Guide to Getting Into Physician Assistant School. McGraw-Hill Medical (p.7). Retrieved from