Health care professions

1. Health care professions

2. Medical (Health) Professions • Analyze medical/health professions and related employment 0pportunities: • Medical professions • Physician • Physicians Assistant • Chiropractor • Other health professions • Nursing • Therapist • Diagnostics • Employment opportunities • Trends • Projections • Where to look

3. Physician • Examine patients • Obtain medical histories • Order tests • Make diagnoses • Perform surgery • Treat diseases/disorders • Teach preventive health • MD: • Doctor of Medicine • DO: • Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine • DPM: • Doctor of Podiatric Medicine • DC: • Doctor of Chiropractic

4. Physician Assistant and Chiropractor • PA • Work under supervision of ________________ • Take medical histories • Perform routine physical examinations • Order basic diagnostic tests • Make preliminary diagnoses • Treat minor injuries • Prescribe and administer appropriate Tx • CHIROPRACTOR • Focuses on ensuring proper alignment of the spine and optimal operation of the nervous system to maintain health

5. Nursing • Provide care for patients as directed by physicians. • Care focuses on the mental, emotional, and physical needs of the patient • RN • Advanced education: • Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Midwife, Nurse educator, Nurse Anesthetist • LPN • CNA

6. Therapist • Help patients who are injured, physically or mentally disabled, or emotionally disturbed • All Tx is directed toward allowing patients to function at maximum capacity • OT • Help patients overcome, correct, or adjust to their particular problems • Teach how to use adaptive equipment and work toward achieving ADLs • PT • Promote health and prevent injuries and limit permanent disability • Massage therapist • Recreational therapist • Respiratory therapist • Speech pathologist • Audiologist • Art, music, and dance therapists

7. Preparation and Credentials Needed • Identify preparation and credentials needed in medical/health professions: • Preparation • High school/secondary • Post secondary • Associate, Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctorate • Professional • Credentials • Certification • Fulfilled requirements of education and performance and meets the standards and qualifications established; issued by an association • Licensure • Government agency authorizes individuals to work in a given occupation; must complete approved education program, pass state board test, and maintain certain standards • Registration • Granted by a regulatory body that administers examinations and maintains a list of qualified personnel in a given health care area

8. Professional/Ethical Characteristics • Analyze professional/ethical characteristics of medical/health professionals: • Professional characteristics • Appearance • Attitude • Actions • Ethical considerations • Definition of ethics • Codes of conduct • Confidentiality • Professional ethics

9. Appearance • How should a health care worker (or any worker) look? • Health • Professional appearance • Uniform • Personal hygiene

10. Attitude and Actions • Empathy: being able to identify with and understand another’s feelings, situations, and motives • Honesty • Dependability • Patience • Acceptance of criticism • Enthusiasm: display a positive attitude • Tact: having the ability to say or do the kindest or most fitting thing in a difficult situation • Competence: qualified and capable of performing a task • Responsibility • Team player

11. Ethics and Confidentiality • ETHICS • Set of principles relating to what is morally right or wrong • Provide a standard or conduct or code of behavior • CONFIDENTIALITY • Information about the patient must remain private and can be shared only with other members of the patient’s health care team