Date

8-20-2026

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education Administration (PhD)

Chair

Susan Quindag

Keywords

certified medical assistants, clinical readiness, hermeneutical phenomenology, human capital theory, medical assistant certification, patient safety, uncertified medical assistants

Disciplines

Educational Leadership

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative hermeneutical phenomenological study was to explore how supervising clinicians, including medical doctors, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners, described the knowledge, skills, and abilities of certified and uncertified medical assistants in healthcare clinics in the United States. The problem was that it was unknown how supervising clinicians described the knowledge, skills, and abilities of certified and uncertified medical assistants. Becker’s human capital theory served as the theoretical framework for this study. Participants were recruited through professional social media platforms and clinician-specific online communities. Data collection included semi-structured interviews, a focus group, andwritten responses to a writing prompt. Data were analyzed using van Manen’s hermeneutical phenomenological approach to identify meaning units, codes, themes, and the lived experiences described by participants. Findings showed that supervising clinicians viewed formal education and certification as helpful in building clinical readiness, baseline knowledge, confidence, and workflow efficiency. However, the findings also showed that certification alone did not guarantee competence, as participants described MA performance as shaped by training, oversight, communication, willingness to learn, patient safety awareness, and the clinical setting.

Download

Share

COinS