Every part of the human body plays a specific role in a person’s well-being, from our toes to our blood vessels to our hearts. Healthcare workers are similar, with everyone working to fill a role critical to the patient’s overall health. Each healthcare worker with clinical responsibilities has a scope of practice, outlining how they can contribute to a patient’s overall care.

Nursing is an essential part of this healthcare support network. Some people in nursing work with patients directly, while others provide support behind the scenes. Nursing can include providing direct care to patients, advocating for community health, working to prevent disease transmission, and providing health education.

Medical assistants (MAs) and licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) are members of the nursing staff known for providing reliable, quality care to patients. As the director of nursing for MCHC Health Centers, I see firsthand the important role these people fill in our rural community. During the last 12 months alone, more than 30,000 people sought care at MCHC–that’s a significant portion of our region’s population. The vast majority of them received some level of care from members of the nursing team. Given the ongoing shortage of medical workers in rural areas, we frequently add medical assistants and licensed vocational nurses to our team.

What do medical assistants and licensed vocational nurses do?

Medical assistants are often the first point of contact for patients as patients leave the waiting area and are shown to an exam room. There, MAs take patients’ vital signs, ask questions about their health, and prepare for them for the rest of their appointment. MAs also help with procedures alongside licensed nurses and providers, and they administer immunizations. At MCHC, we administer about 1,000 immunizations each month.

Licensed vocational nurses have a broader scope of practice than medical assistants. Becoming a licensed vocational nurse requires a longer training program, which qualifies people to take on tasks that MAs cannot, such as handling certain medications or giving intravenous (IV) fluids. In our clinics, LVNs can provide direct patient care, but they often work behind the scenes, acting as liaisons between the medical assistant, the patient, and the medical provider. The patient might not always see the LVN, but the LVN is always working on the patient’s behalf. LVNs confirm the immunizations medical assistants administer, follow up with patients after their visits, and monitor the interactions between patients’ medications to keep patients safe.

Considering a career in nursing

Those who are well suited to work as a medical assistant or licensed vocational nurse enjoy helping others. They have a strong work ethic, are compassionate and curious, and like to continually learn. In the clinic setting, medical assistants and licensed vocational nurses serve as the eyes and ears of the healthcare team because they are often the first to make contact with patients. While they take a patient’s vital signs, they ask questions that put the patient at ease and gather important insights for the whole healthcare team, insights they share with busy medical providers to make sure details don’t get missed. Many people find satisfying careers as medical assistants or licensed vocational nurses. For others, depending on a person’s skills, interests, and capacity, becoming an MA or LVN can be a good introduction to the medical field, a role where someone can gain experience before pursuing training to become a registered nurse or a medical provider.

To provide people with training to enter the healthcare field, MCHC partners with the Mendocino County Department of Education (MCOE) on their two-semester Medical Assistant Training Program. The classes are held in the evenings, which can work well for people who need to schedule classes around daytime work or family commitments. Students enrolled in this program complete some of their externship hours at MCHC clinics, and those who successfully graduate from the program are encouraged to apply for our open positions. There is a new cohort of the medical assistant program starting in January of 2025. The Alliance for Rural Community Health (ARCH) offers some scholarships to qualified candidates.

MCHC also partners with Ukiah Adult School’s Licensed Vocational Nursing Program, which is three semesters long. Those enrolled often complete some externship hours at MCHC, and graduates are often hired to work in our clinics. Many of the program’s students qualify for Federal Pell Grants, and some qualify for financial aid or loans.

Any career in the nursing field can be rewarding and meaningful for the right person, and all of them lead to better health outcomes in our community.

Jasmin Pintane, MSN, RN, PHN, MCHC is the Director of Nursing at MCHC Health Centers.