A Journey of Reflection and Professional Growth: Meet Sabrina, Medical Assistant

Apr 17, 2024/in Career Paths /by kmorello

A Journey of Reflection and Professional Growth: Meet Sabrina, Medical Assistant

Reflecting on her first year at Northwell Health, Sabrina Vidal attributes her growth and development to the support and guidance of her colleagues and leaders. Join us as we dive into Sabrina’s journey as a medical assistant at Northwell Health’s University Physicians Group Medicine in Staten Island, NY, showcasing her dedication and passion for health care.

Sabrina entered the medical assistance profession for the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives. “What I love most about working at Northwell is getting to help the people in our community. I enjoy getting to know each patient I encounter daily.” Building meaningful relationships with her patients and collaborating with her esteemed colleagues are among the many joys Sabrina finds in her role. Her top priority is to provide the best patient care for the individuals she helps. She is committed to addressing any patient concerns or questions, fostering a supportive and patient-centered environment in every aspect of her role.

Sabrina starts her day by carefully preparing patient rooms, sterilizing them, and ensuring they are fully stocked with essential supplies for the physicians and nurses. A central aspect of her role involves triaging patients, where she warmly greets them, introduces herself, and ensures their comfort throughout their in-office exam experience. Sabrina meticulously documents patient questions and concerns, takes vital signs, and relays detailed feedback to the clinical care provider to ensure comprehensive care. She also assists with clinical tasks such as preparing vaccinations and aiding in tests. Sabrina’s cross-training extends to administrative duties, including answering phones, checking patients in or out, communicating test results, and assisting with intake forms.

There are many ways to jump into a career path as a medical assistant. Those who have completed 1-3 years as an emergency medical technician or certified nursing assistant are two new ways someone can enter this field. In 2010, Sabrina graduated from The Willsey Institute in Staten Island, NY, where she received her medical assistant certification. Afterwards, Sabrina went on to work in internal medicine at a local healthcare provider. She then, stepped outside of the health care industry to work in local government. When she realized a career in health care was her true calling, she pursued a position at Northwell as a medical assistant on our Staten Island team.

Sabrina admits that when she was set to start her new role, She credits her team for making her feel at ease during her transition into a career at Northwell, “My growth and development has been nurtured through continuous training and the unwavering support of my peers,” Sabrina shares, emphasizing the collaborative philosophy that fills the Northwell community. It’s this supportive environment that has empowered Sabrina to flourish in her role during her first year.

Sabrina highlights the glowing testimonials from fellow team members and the prospect of contributing to a patient-centric environment is what drew her to Northwell. For Sabrina, Northwell isn’t just a workplace; it’s a community driven by a shared commitment to excellence in healthcare delivery. Sabrina has aspirations to learn more about ultrasonography and the prospect to take advantage of our tuition assistance program to advance her career. Her future at Northwell Health is filled with potential and possibility.

Discover your career potential as a medical assistant at Northwell Health.

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From an emergency medical technician to a medical assistant, discover a new career path into nursing at Northwell Health

Apr 09, 2024/in Career Paths, Nursing /by ezumbach

From an emergency medical technician to a medical assistant, discover a new career path into nursing at Northwell Health

Are you looking to grow your clinical career? There are many paths to take, and at Northwell, we want our team members to feel empowered to develop and grow within our organization—whatever path they chose. See below for one of the many ways you can grow your clinical career leveraging transferrable skills from an emergency medical technician (EMT) to a medical assistant to a registered nurse.

Emergency Medical Technician

Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) provide out of hospital emergency medical care and transportation by ambulance for patients. EMTs use basic life support knowledge and skills necessary to stabilize and safely transport patients ranging from non-emergency and routine medical transports to life-threatening emergencies.

Requires a high school diploma or equivalent.
Driver’s license valid in New York State must be current and without violations.
Current NYS DOH EMT certification.
Must meet the criteria for NYS DOH functional description for qualifications, competencies, and tasks (EMT, BLS, DLD).
One to three (1-3) years of relevant experience is preferred.

Medical Assistant

Medical assistants perform patient care under the physician and nurse’s direct supervision. Their duties include preparing each patient for the physician and administering, obtaining and recording diagnostic laboratory test results. They may also assist in coordinating care to meet patient needs including preparing, organizing and filing reports into the medical record.

Requires a high school diploma or equivalent.
Requires successful completion of one of the following:
- Medical assisting program at an accredited school.
- One to three (1-3) years of medical assistant experience.
- One to three (1-3) years of emergency medical technician experience with current New York State DOH EMT certification.
- One to three (1-3) years of CNA experience with valid, current nursing assistant certification in New York State.

Registered Nurse

Registered nurses perform an age specific plan of care for a designated group of patients using the nursing process of assessment, diagnosis, outcome identification, planning, implementation and evaluation of patient care. They collaborate with physicians and other team members in coordinating and implementing procedures and treatments. They also use leadership skills and clinical judgment in coordinating patient care while directing and delegating activities of the patient care unit team.

Requires graduate from an accredited school of nursing.
Bachelor’s degree in nursing is preferred.
Must be enrolled in an accredited BSN program within two (2) years and obtain a BSN degree within five (5) years of job entry date.
Requires current license to practice as a registered professional nurse in New York State required, plus specialized certifications as needed.

For the complete job profiles of each role, we invite you to visit NorthwellCareers.com or click the link below to discover a career well cared for at Northwell.

Northwell Health supports the growth and career advancement of its team members with tuition assistance, professional development classes, mentorship programs and more. Get your start today and view our available emergency medical technician roles.

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