If directed, can a medical assistant insert a urinary catheter?

In most healthcare settings, the responsibility of inserting a urinary catheter typically falls under the scope of practice for licensed healthcare professionals, such as nurses or physicians. Medical assistants generally perform administrative and clinical tasks that do not include invasive procedures like catheter insertion unless they have received specific training and are legally permitted to do so in their state or facility protocols.

While certain healthcare facilities may have policies that allow specially trained medical assistants to perform specific procedures, the statement that medical assistants can insert urinary catheters in a general context is not accurate. Therefore, without clarification that they are indeed specially trained and authorized by state laws or employer policies, the correct stance would be that a medical assistant should not insert a urinary catheter.