Medical assistant scope of practice in South Dakota
In South Dakota, a medical assistant's scope of practice lets a licensed nurse assign you certain medication tasks, including some injections, if you hold current certification from a national body the Board of Nursing has approved. The Board of Nursing sets the rules for which medication tasks a certified medical assistant may handle. Those rules cover who may assign the work, the certification you need, and when the rule applies.
- Who may assign the work: a licensed nurse
- Injections you may give: intradermal, subcutaneous and intramuscular
- What you must hold: certification that is current from a national body the Board of Nursing has approved
- When it applies: only when the nursing situation is stable
Start here: Getting certified is your first step. Open our South Dakota program page, choose an accredited program, and send the Request information form after the program tables to ask that school for details. Current certification is what lets a nurse hand these medication tasks to you, so keep yours up to date.
- Who sets the rules
- South Dakota Board of Nursing (Admin. Rules 20:48:04.01)
- State credential for medical assistants
- Not stated
- Supervision
- Delegated by a licensed nurse; patient must be in a stable nursing situation
What South Dakota rules say a medical assistant may do
| Task | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Delegation | A licensed nurse may delegate certain medication administration tasks to a medical assistant. | ARSD 20:48:04.01:10 |
| State credential | The medical assistant must hold current certification with a national certification body approved by the Board of Nursing. | ARSD 20:48:04.01:10 |
| Injections | Delegable tasks include administering scheduled medications by intradermal, subcutaneous or intramuscular route. | ARSD 20:48:04.01:10(1) |
| Medications | A certified medical assistant may also calculate the dose of a prescribed amount of medication. | ARSD 20:48:04.01:10(2) |
| Supervision | These delegations apply only in a stable nursing situation, meaning the patient's condition is known and predictable. | ARSD 20:48:01:01 (definition of stable nursing situation) |
Medication tasks a licensed nurse may assign to you
Delegation means a licensed nurse chooses to assign you a task that the rule permits you to perform. The nurse makes that call. South Dakota's rule allows nurses to pass certain medication tasks to a medical assistant.
Giving scheduled medications by injection is one such task. The rule lists 3 methods:
- Intradermal: into the upper skin layers
- Subcutaneous: into the fatty layer under your skin
- Intramuscular: into muscle tissue
A certified medical assistant may also calculate the dose of a medication that has been prescribed, under the same rule.
Certification you need first
This rule applies only to medical assistants with active certification from a national certification body that the South Dakota Board of Nursing has approved. Active means the certification has not expired.
What counts as a stable nursing situation?
A stable nursing situation means the patient's condition is understood and can be predicted. The Board's definitions restrict these delegations to that setting.
If a patient's condition is uncertain, this rule does not cover the task.
Training for a certified medical assistant
Our directory lists 1,094 medical assistant programs in all 50 states, plus Washington, DC. Of those, 484 are accredited by CAAHEP or ABHES.
| Program details | Number |
|---|---|
| Typical program length at career schools | 9 months |
| Program duration range | 2 months to 32 months |
| Median full-program cost, career schools | $17,257 |
| Median annual in-district tuition at public colleges | $4,346 |
| Colleges offering an associate degree | 354 |
These numbers come from the federal college data for 2023-24. Most career school programs take 7 to 9 months, and the typical one takes about 9.
Of all listed programs, 1,049 belong to schools that participate in federal student aid. When comparing costs, note that $17,257 is a whole-program price at career schools, while $4,346 covers one year of in-district tuition and fees at public colleges.
Online medical assistant programs
Some 30 programs offer every class through distance education, and 14 of those hold accreditation. The supervised hands-on practice (called a practicum or externship) still happens in person.
Earnings for medical assistants and similar jobs
In May 2025, medical assistants earned a median yearly pay of $45,690, which works out to about $21.97 an hour.
| Role | Median yearly earnings |
|---|---|
| Nursing assistants | $42,260 |
| Phlebotomists | $45,230 |
| Medical assistants | $45,690 |
| Licensed practical nurse or licensed vocational nurse | $64,400 |
| Registered nurse (RN) | $97,550 |
Ready to start? Go to our South Dakota program page, pick the accredited school that fits you, and send its Request information form to ask that school for details.
This plain summary is not legal advice; the statute or board rule linked in the table is the authority. Rules change, so check the source before you rely on a task.
Certification rules in South Dakota · Medical assistant programs in South Dakota · Jobs in South Dakota · Scope of practice in every state
Nearby: Scope of practice in Montana · Scope of practice in California · Scope of practice in Texas