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 careers2. Diagnostic services careers3. Health informatics careers4. Support services careers5. 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