^{By Donald A. Balasa, JD, MBA
Originally published May 31, 2024}

I received the following question from a CMA (AAMA)^®:

I work in a state that does not have education or credentialing requirements for medical assistants. Our clinic is planning to hire certified nursing assistants to work as medical assistants. I realize this is legal in my state, but I believe this could diminish the quality of medical assisting services. Are my concerns justified?

Yes, your concerns are justified.

Although it is legal to utilize certified nursing assistants (CNAs) as medical assistants in your state, it is important to keep in mind that CNAs will be held to the same standard of care as medical assistants. Standard of care may be defined as the level of knowledge and skill demonstrated by a competent medical assistant in your geographic area and in the particular specialty. This could pose a problem because, in most cases, a CNA does not have the same level of knowledge and skill as a medical assistant—especially a medical assistant who has completed accredited medical assisting education and who holds an accredited medical assisting credential such as the CMA (AAMA).

If a certified nursing assistant were to provide medical assisting services that fall below the standard of care for medical assistants and a patient were to be injured because of this substandard care, the delegating provider and the CNA working as a medical assistant could be held liable for negligence.