What it means
In health care staffing, MA most often means medical assistant: a person trained to take vital signs, room clients, collect specimens, give some injections where state law allows, and handle scheduling and records, usually in clinics and provider offices. MA can also mean mental age or milliampere in other contexts.
For the nurse
An MA is unlicensed. What an MA may do depends on state law and the employer, and an MA does not assess, teach or make nursing judgments.
Related terms
UAP
Unlicensed assistive personnel: trained workers without a nursing license, such as nursing assistants, who help with client care.