Handling Stress as a Medical Assistant

Certified Clinical Medical Assistants (CCMAs) are tasked with several clinical and administrative duties. It can be tedious to manage the stress that comes with balancing daily tasks, emergent situations, and unexpected patient interactions. How can Medical Assistants (MAs) manage the administrative side while continuing to perform all clinical duties? How can they utilize the daily schedule? And, what are some useful tools to organize the day and avoid burnout? We explore some tips and tricks to managing stress within the healthcare environment, as well as share some experiences from our students at KLR Medical Certification Training School as they participate in their work-based learning rotations.

Prioritize Like a Pro – Focus on What Matters Most

As a medical assistant, your to-do list can feel endless. With so many responsibilities pulling you in different directions, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. The key to staying productive and lowering stress? Prioritize with purpose.

Start by learning to distinguish between urgent tasks, those that require immediate attention to prevent negative consequences, and important tasks which are those that contribute to patient care but may not be time-sensitive. For instance, verifying a patient’s insurance before an appointment is both urgent and important, as it directly affects the patient's experience and the clinic’s workflow. On the other hand, restocking the printer can usually wait until a slower part of the day.

At the start of your shift, take a few minutes to review your schedule and identify the top 3-5 tasks that absolutely need your attention first. These should be tasks that will have the biggest impact on patient care, clinic flow, or your ability to complete other duties.

Prioritizing like a pro helps you:

• Avoid last-minute chaos by tackling essential tasks early.

• Stay focused on what truly matters rather than reacting to distractions.

• Feel accomplished by checking off meaningful tasks first, which boosts confidence and momentum for the rest of your shift.

KLR’s Certified Medical Assistants (CMAs) spend several hours in the clinics. They make sure they can make the most of their time and opportunities to ask questions and learn from experts in the field. We got a chance to hear some tips and tricks from our senior student who was finishing her final rotation with our partners at Riverview Health.

Suzanna Wittman, CCMA Second Year Student

Question: What advice would you give to a student just starting their medical assistant rotation about handling stress and staying balanced?

Suzanna Wittman: "Get your tasks done that you are currently doing before doing other tasks, that will help you be more organized. When there’s a rude patient, explain to them the importance of why you are doing what you are doing. Get your work done at school so you don’t feel overwhelmed. You’ll find your groove in how you room patients, it will just be whatever you are comfortable with by giving the patient the best care."

Question: What’s one strategy you’ve found helpful for balancing both clinical tasks and administrative responsibilities during your rotation?

Suzanna Wittman: "A strategy that I have found that helps me balance both with clinical tasks and administrative responsibilities during my rotations is to do as much prep work for both of them ahead of time so then I’m able to do my tasks more efficiently. Having that preparation beforehand helps me and the other medical assistants at my rotations be successful."

Time Block Your Day – Boost Focus and Productivity

As an MA, you juggle countless responsibilities throughout the day. You are answering patient calls, verifying insurance, assisting with procedures, and documenting records. It’s easy to feel scattered when tasks are constantly interrupted or piled on top of each other. That’s where time blocking comes in.

Time blocking is the practice of dividing your workday into dedicated time slots, each reserved for a specific type of task. For example, you might reserve 8:30 - 9:00 a.m. for checking voicemails and returning calls, 9:00 - 10:00 for updating patient records, and 10:00 - 10:30 for handling referrals. By assigning tasks to set time periods, you create a more structured and predictable workflow.

This strategy helps reduce stress by:

• Minimizing distractions - You're less likely to be pulled in multiple directions when you know exactly what you're supposed to be doing and when.

• Preventing task overload - Grouping similar tasks together limits the mental strain caused by constantly switching gears.

• Improving time awareness - It’s easier to stay on schedule and identify when you're falling behind or have time to catch up.

KLR students have dealt with challenging situations that require being flexible and open to constructive criticism. Students who reach out about their experiences have been able to get their concerns met swiftly and fairly as our team works to hear both sides and openly encourages our MAs to advocate for their needs. Our preceptors share their positive and negative feedback through site-specific evaluation forms that allow us to handle issues in a timely manner. These challenges are part of working in a fast-paced environment, and you can learn to balance your own mental health with the workload that is expected of our CMAs. Our senior student that worked with Perry County Memorial Hospital (PCMH) had to build her confidence in order to take on more responsibilities. Here’s what she had to say about it!

Kaleigh Mitchell, CCMA First Year Senior

Kaleigh Mitchell: "I would say that the most challenging part is just gaining the confidence to do things on your own such as taking people back to do intake and blood draws. I handled it by having my preceptor come back with me and make sure I was doing it correctly or had them check over my intake/vitals and the HPI (History of Present Illness)."

Take Mental Breaks 

Medical assisting is a high-demand job that requires focus, multitasking, and constant communication. Without mental breaks, it’s easy to become overwhelmed or burned out—even on the most routine days. That’s why building in small moments to pause and reset is crucial.

A mental break doesn’t have to be long to be effective. In fact, just two to five minutes between tasks can make a noticeable difference. Students in KLR Medical Certification Training School’s CCMA class go over a small mindfulness activity to help reset after stressful situations. The Five Senses worksheet allows us to practice focusing on the present moment and not get stuck in the high emotions they can often exacerbate the situation. Stepping away from your workstation, stretching, breathing deeply, or simply closing your eyes and focusing on the here and now can help to:

• Clear mental fatigue

• Lower stress levels

• Improve decision-making and memory

• Increase energy and motivation

  
  

Question: How do you manage your time between school, rotations, and any personal responsibilities you have outside of the program?

Kaleigh Mitchell: "I try to schedule my personal responsibilities around school and rotation, but sometimes it just doesn’t happen like that. DON’T stress about missing rotation or school when it comes down to your emotional or physical health. That doesn’t mean to skip clinicals or school, it means take care of yourself. Keep your cup full, not half empty."

Final Thoughts:

Balancing the clinical and administrative demands of medical assisting isn't easy, but with the right strategies in place, it becomes manageable and even more empowering. By prioritizing key tasks, organizing your day with intention, advocating for your needs, and allowing yourself moments to recharge, you can maintain your focus, reduce stress, and continue delivering excellent patient care. Remember, being efficient isn’t about doing everything at once—it’s about doing the right things at the right time. These habits not only support your productivity, but also protect your well-being in a fast-paced healthcare environment. Take a look at our KLR student’s advice for future medical assistants from her rotations at PCMH.

Question: Looking back, what advice would you give to a student just starting their medical assistant rotation about handling stress and staying balanced?

Kaleigh Mitchell: "Ask all the questions, no question is a stupid question. Don’t let anyone, not even a patient drag you down with their “well you’re a student” comment. Keep learning and building that confidence."