What Does a Pediatric Physician Assistant Do?
As the name suggests, pediatric physician assistants or PPAs primarily assist qualified pediatricians. They are medical professionals trained to deliver a wide range of healthcare services to adolescents, children, and infants. This write-up will educate you about the various roles these medical experts play. You’ll also learn about the kind of qualifications and licenses an individual must have to be called a pediatric physician assistant.
Qualifications a Pediatric Physician Assistant Must Have
Make sure the physician assistant taking care of your child has completed a degree authorized by the ARC-PA (Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant). Most of these degree programs require the candidate to possess healthcare experience. Additionally, there are certain classroom prerequisites that the applicants must complete to be accepted. For instance, prerequisites for some programs include physics, chemistry, anatomy, physiology, microbiology, and other relevant subjects.
Some recognized institutes do offer associate degrees to aspiring PPAs. However, individuals aiming to work with top healthcare providers or looking to join prestigious clinics and healthcare facilities must get a bachelor’s or master’s degree in the discipline.
People who haven’t completed a PA program that focuses completely on pediatrics can still work as a PPA. For that, they must ensure that while completing a general PA program, they must attend classes on pediatric care. Additionally, they must perform clinical rotations in pediatric care.
The coursework for PA degrees typically includes laboratory testing, community healthcare, pharmacology, and, of course, physical assessment. Individuals looking to work as a PPA should do internships that involve pediatrics.
Must-Have Licenses for a PPA
To work as a PPA, a professional must be duly licensed. The licensing requirements are the same for all US states. The NCCPA, or National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, offers the license in the form of a certificate. This license requires renewal every 10 years. The NCCPA considers a PPA to be eligible for license renewal only if he or she has 100 hours of continuing education in the discipline every couple of years.
The Job Responsibilities of a PPA
A PPA offers his or her services to children aged between 0 days and 17 years. These experts perform physical exams, read test results, diagnose health issues, and treat a range of common diseases. They can order tests, prescribe medications, and even assist during surgeries. Read on to know more about the job responsibilities of PPAs:
Basic Job Description of a PPA:When you visit apediatric physician assistant, the professional will first perform a thorough physical checkup of your child. The expert will ask you a few questions and take notes on the child’s (and the family’s) medical history. They have the training required to diagnose and treat pediatric health problems like injuries, fevers, rashes, and infections. You can also rely on them to manage chronic conditions like ADHD and juvenile diabetes.
PPAs are often the first ones to detect more serious diseases in children, thanks to their ability to read blood work, X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, and ultrasounds. They also often need to perform procedures like setting fractures, suturing wounds, and administering injections. If the diagnosed health problem is minor, pediatricians assign the responsibility of planning the treatment and prescribing medicines to PPAs. However, PPAs always work under the close supervision of experienced pediatricians.
Role of PPA in Patient Education and Support: PPAs educate parents about nutrition, healthy habits, illness management, etc., to ensure that the children get the best possible care at home.
Their role as health educators becomes even more crucial when a child is diagnosed with a critical illness. A PPA should be ready to address all parental concerns and provide parents with empathetic guidance in such situations.
PPA as Assistants to Physicians and Surgeons: A pediatric physician assistant works as part of a team comprised of physicians, nurses, pathologists, and other healthcare service providers. If required, they also need to work as assistants to surgeons. Other than these, one of the most important jobs of PPAs is maintaining patient records.
Conclusion
If you want your newborn to lead a healthy and happy life, make sure he or she stays under the supervision of an experienced pediatric team from day one. Magnet Health NYhas the best pediatricians and PPAs working for them.