HEALTH CARE CAREERS Mrs. Jessica Dean

Daily Objectives  Compare the educational requirements for associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees  Contrast certification, registration, and licensure

Educational Requirements  Depend on many factors  Can vary from state to state  Some basic standards do exist

Secondary Education  Refers to basic preparation in high school  Includes major core courses  Keyboarding, computer applications, and accounting skills can be utilized in many health careers

Health science technology education (HSTE)  Secondary career/technical program in health occupations  Prepare students for immediate employment in many health careers  Also prepare students for additional education after graduation

Postsecondary Education  Education received after graduation from high school  Includes education in career/technical schools, community colleges, and universities

Types of degrees  Associate degree  Awarded by career/tech school or community college  Requires completion of prescribed two-year course of study

Bachelor’s degree  Awarded by college or university  Requires completion of prescribed course of study that usually lasts for four or more years

Master’s degree  Awarded by college or university  Requires completion of one or more years beyond a bachelor’s degree

Doctorate, doctoral or doctor’s degree  Awarded by college or university  Requires completion of two or more years beyond a bachelor’s or master’s degree  Some require four to six years of additional study

Certification, registration, licensure  Methods used to ensure skill and competency of health care personnel and protect consumer or patient  Certificate or statement is issued if person fulfills requirements of education and performance and meets standards and qualifications established  Ex: certified dental assistant, certified laboratory technician, certified medical assistant

Registration  Required in some health careers  Done by regulatory body (professional associations or state boards) in health care area  Administer examinations and maintain current list of qualified personnel  Ex: registered dietitian, registered respiratory therapy, registered radiologic technologist

Licensure  Government agency authorizes individuals to work in a given occupation  Usually require a person to  Complete an approved educational program  Pass a state board test  Maintain certain standard to obtain and retain licensure Ex: physicians, dentists, physical therapist, registered nurses, licensed practical/vocational nurses

 Usually graduation from an accredited program required before certification, registration, or licensure will be granted  Ensures program of study meets established quality competency standards  Important to make sure school has accredited programs before enrolling

Continuing Education units (CEUs)  Required to renew licenses or to maintain certification or registration in many states  Individual must obtain additional hours of education in the specific health care career during a specified period of time

Training  Professional  Usually requires four or more years of college and an advanced degree  Ex: medical doctor, dentist

Technologist or therapist  Requires three or four years of college in addition to work experience  Ex: medical laboratory technologist, physical therapist, speech therapist

Technician  Usually requires two-year associate degree, HSTE, or three to four years of on-the-job training  Ex: dental lab tech, medical lab tech, surgical tech

Assistant or aide  Usually requires up to one or more years of training that combines classroom and/or on-the-job experience  Ex: dental, medical, or nurse assistant

Daily objectives: 1. Describe therapeutic health care careers along with duties, educational requirements, and employment opportunities 2. Interpret abbreviations used to identify therapeutic health career workers

Five career clusters 1. Therapeutic services careers 2. Diagnostic services careers 3. Health informatics careers 4. Support services careers 5. Biotechnology research and development careers

Therapeutic services: Directed toward changing the health status of the patient over time. Workers use a variety of treatments to help patients who are injured, physically or mentally disabled, or emotionally disturbed. Treatment is directed toward allowing patients to function at maximum capacity.

Dental Careers  Job duties  Concerned with health of teeth and soft tissues of mouth  Places of employment  Private dental offices, labs, clinics, dental departments in schools, hospitals, health departments  Specialty areas  General dentistry, endodontic, orthodontics, oral surgery, pedodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics

Levels of Dental Workers  Dentists (DMD or DDS)  Dental hygienists  Dental lab tech  Dental assistants

Emergency Medical Services (EMS)  Job duties  Provide emergency, prehospital care  Provide care to victims of accidents, injuries, and sudden illness  Places of employment  Fire/police department, rescue squads, hospital ER, urgent care centers, industry, emergency helicopter or life flight services, military

Levels of Workers  First responder  Emergency Medical Technician basic (EMT-B)  Emergency Medical Technician Defibrillator (EMT-D)  Emergency Medical Technician Intermediate (EMT-I)  Emergency medical Technician Paramedic (EMT-P)

Medical Careers  Job duties  Involved with diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of diseases and disorders of human body  Places of employment  Private practices, clinics, hospitals, public health agencies, research facilities, HMOs, government agencies, colleges or universities

Levels of Workers  Physicians (doctors)  Doctor of Medicine (MD)  Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)  Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM)  Doctor of Chiropractic (DC)  Physician assistants  Pathology assistants  Medical assistants

Mental and Social Services  Job duties  Mental services: deal with mental or emotional disorders  Social workers: help people deal with illness, employment, or community problems  Places of employment  Hospitals, psychiatric clinics, home health agencies, public health departments, government agencies, counseling centers, prisons, long-term care facilities

Levels of workers  Psychiatrists  Psychologists  Psychiatric/mental health technicians  Social workers  Genetic counselors

Mortuary Careers  Job duties  Preparation of the body  Cremation or burial of the remains  Places of employment  Funeral homes/mortuaries, crematoriums, cemetery associations

Levels of Workers  Funeral directors/morticians/undertakers  Embalmers  Mortuary assistants

Nursing Careers  Job duties  Provide care for a patient under direction of physician  Direct care at mental, emotional, and physical needs of the patient  Places of employment  hospitals, long-term care facilities, rehab centers, physicians’ office, clinics, public health agencies, home health agencies, HMOs, schools, industry, government agencies

Levels of workers  Registered Nurses (RN)  Nurse practitioners (CRNP)  Nurse midwives (CNM)  Nurse educators  Nurse anesthetists  Clinical nurse specialist (CNS)  Licensed Practical/Vocational nurse (LPN/LVN)  Nurse assistants

Nutrition and Dietary Services  Job duties  Recognize importance good nutrition has on health  Promote wellness and optimum health  Provide dietary guidelines to treat various diseases  Prepare food for health facilities  Places of employment  Hospitals, long-term care facilities, child/adult daycare facilities, wellness centers, schools, clinic

Levels of workers  Dieticians or nutritionists  Dietetic technicians

Veterinary careers  Job duties  Work with all types of animals from house pets to livestock to wildlife  Places of employment  Animal hospitals, vet offices, labs, zoos, farms, animal shelters, aquarium, drug or animal food companies, fish and wildlife services

Levels of workers  Veterinarians (DVM or VMD)  Veterinary technologists/technicians (VTR)  Veterinarian assistants or aides

Vision Services careers  Job duties  Provide care to prevent and treat vision disorders  Places of employment  Offices, optical shops, department stores, hospitals, schools, government agencies, clinics

Level of workers  Ophthalmologist  Optometrists (OD)  Ophthalmic medical technologists (OMTs)  Ophthalmic technicians (OTs)  Ophthalmic assistants (OAs)  Opticians  Ophthalmic laboratory technicians

Other therapeutic careers  Occupational Therapy (OT)  Occupational Therapy assistants (OTA) Help people with physical, developmental, mental, or emotional disabilities  Physical Therapist (PT)  Physical Therapy assistant (PTA) Provide treatment for disabling joint, bone, muscle, an/or nerve injury or disease

 Pharmacists (Pharm D)  Pharmacy technicians Dispense medications and provide information on drugs and the correct ways to use them  Massage therapist  Use massage, bodywork, and therapeutic touch to muscles to provide pain relief  Recreational therapist (TR)  Recreational therapy assistant

 Respiratory therapy (RT)  Respiratory therapy technician (RTT) Administer oxygen, gases or medications for heart and lung diseases  Surgical technicians  Set up operating room with equipment and prepare patient for surgery  Speech-language pathologist  Identify, evaluate, and treat patients with speech and language disorders

 Audiologists  Test hearing, diagnose problems, and prescribe treatment  Art, music, and dance therapists Deal with social, physical, or emotional problems  Athletic trainers (AT)  Prevent and treat athletic injuries  Dialysis technicians  Operate kidney hemodialysis machine and monitor patients

 Perfusionists  Operate heart/lung machine

Daily Objectives 1. Describe diagnostic health care careers along with duties, educational requirements, and employment opportunities 2. Interpret abbreviations used to identify diagnostic health career workers

Diagnostic Service Careers  Job duties  Create a picture of the health status of a patient at a specific point in time  Perform tests or evaluations  Places of employment  Hospital labs, private labs, outpatient centers, doctor’s offices, clinics, public health agencies, drug firms, research or governmental agencies

Types of workers  Electrocardiograph (ECG) technician  Electroencephalographic (EEG) technologist  Medical laboratory technologist (MT)  Medical laboratory technician  Phlebotomist  Collect blood and prepare it for testing

 Radiologic technologists (RT)  Work with x-rays, radiation, nuclear medicine, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance to diagnose and treat disease  Radiographers  Nuclear medicine technologists  Ultrasound technologists  Mammographer  Computer tomography technologist (CT)  Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)  Positron tomography technologist (PET)

Daily Objectives 1. Describe health informatics, support services, and biomedical health care careers along with duties, educational requirements, and employment opportunities 2. Interpret abbreviations used to identify health career workers

Health Informatics careers  Job duties  Involved with documentation of patient records and health information  Places of employment  Hospitals, clinics, research centers, health departments, colleges, law firms, HMOs, Insurance companies, long- term care facilities

Types of workers  Health information (medical records) administrators  Medical transcriptionists  Admitting officers/clerks  Unit secretaries  Epidemiologist  Medical interpreters  Medical illustrators  Medical librarians

Support Services Careers  Job duties  Create a therapeutic environment to provide direct or indirect patient care  Places of employment  Hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities, HMOs, public health agencies

Types of workers  Health care administrators  Biomedical engineers  Biomedical equipment technicians  Work with many different machines used to diagnose, treat, and monitor patients  Central/sterile supply  Order, maintain and supply equipment  Housekeeping workers  Help maintain cleanliness of health care facility

Biotechnology research and development  Job duties  Involved with using living cells and their molecules to make useful products  Places of employment  Pharmaceutical companies, chemical companies, agricultural facilities, research labs, colleges, forensic labs, hospitals, industry

Levels of workers  Biological or Medical Scientists  Specialties: Biochemists, Microbiologists, Physiologists, Forensic Scientists  Biotechnological engineers  Forensic science techs/criminalists