Transcript Careers in Health Science

CAREERS IN HEALTH SCIENCE
Educational Requirements

Secondary education
 Refers
to basic preparation in high school
 Includes Science, Social Studies, English, and
Mathematics

Health Occupations Education (HOE)
 Secondary
vocational program in health occupations
 Can prepare students for immediate employment in
many health careers
Types of Degrees

Associate’s Degree
 Vocational/technical
school or community college
 Completed two-year course of study

Bachelor’s Degree
 College
or University
 Completed four-year course of study
Certification, registration, licensure

Certification
 Issued
by professional association or government
agency that regulates a particular profession
 Ex:
Certified Dental Assistant, Certified Medical Assistant
Types of Degrees

Master’s Degree
 College
or University
 Completed one or more year beyond Bachelor’s
Degree

Doctorate
 College
or University
 Completed two or more years beyond Master’s Degree
or several years after Bachelor’s Degree (can be 4-6
years)
Continuing Education Credits (CEUs)

Educational information
 Used
to keep worker informed and update or refresh
information previously learned
 Can be obtained from reading journals, attending
seminars, obtaining certifications (ACLS, BLS)
 Required
by most organizations to maintain licensure
and to practice
Dental Careers

Basic job duties
 Concerned
with health of teeth and soft tissues of mouth
 Care directed toward:
 Preventing
dental disease
 Repairing or replacing diseased or damaged teeth
 Treating gums or other supporting structures of the teeth
Dental Careers cont…

Places of employment
 Private
dental offices
 Laboratories
 Clinics dental departments in hospitals, schools, health
departments, government agencies
Dental Careers cont…

Specialty Areas
General dentistry
 Endodontics - Treatment of disease of the vessels and roots
of the teeth
 Orthodontics - Alignment or straightening of teeth
 Oral Surgery - Surgery on teeth, mouth, jaw
 Pedodontics - Dental treatment of children
 Periodontics - Treatment & prevention of disease of the
gum and bone supporting the teeth

Dental Careers

Levels of workers

Dentist
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Doctor
Examine teeth and mouth tissues
Diagnose and treat disease and abnormalities
Perform surgery
Supervise work of others
Dental hygienists
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Work under supervision of dentist
Remove stains and deposits from teeth
Expose and develop x-rays
Diagnostic Services

Basic job duties
Perform tests or evaluations
 Aid in detection, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury
or other physical conditions
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Places of employment
Hospital laboratories
 Private laboratories
 Doctors offices
 Clinics
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Diagnostic Services
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Types of workers
 Electrocardiograph
 Operate
(ECG or EKG) Technician
EKG machine
 Physicians use EKG to diagnose heart disease and to note
changes in condition of the patient’s heart
 Experienced technicians can also perform stress test, Holter
monitoring, and specialized cardiac tests
Diagnostic Services

Electroencephalographic (EEG) technologists
 Operate
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EEG to record electrical activity of the brain
Phlebotomist
 Collect
blood and prepare it for testing
 May perform blood test in some states
Diagnostic Services

Radiologic technologist
 Work
with x-rays, nuclear testing, ultrasound and MRI
 Radiographers - Works with x-rays of the body
 Nuclear Medicine technologist - Prepares radioactive
substances to administer to patients and then use film
images on a screen to determine how substances pass
through different parts of the body
Diagnostic Services
 Ultrasound
techonlogist/sonographers: use equipment
to send sound waves into body and record images
produced on screen
Emergency Medical Services
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Basic job duties
 Provide
emergency pre-hospital care
 Provide care to victims of accidents, injuries, and
sudden illness
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Places of employment
 Fire
and police departments
 Rescue squads
 Ambulance service
Emergency Medical Services
 Hospital
or emergency rooms
 Life flight services
 Military
Emergency Medical Services
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Level of workers
Basic first aid training
 Formal EMT training
 EMT-B (Emergency Medical Technician-Basic)
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Provide basic care for wide range of illnesses
EMT-D (Emergency Medical Technician-Defibrillator)
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EMT-B with additional training in basic life support
Can administer defibrillation to certain heart attach victims
Emergency Medical Services
 EMT-P
(Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic)
 Perform
all basic duties of other levels
 Can perform endotracheal intubation
 Administer drugs
 Interpret EKG’s
Health Information and Communication
Services
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Maintain complete accurate patient records
Distribute health information through medical
illustrators, photographers, writers and medical
librarians
Use computers in almost all areas
Health Information and Communication
Services

Types of workers
 Medical
Records Administrators
 Medical records
 Unit Secretaries, Ward Clerks, or Unit Coordinators
Can you tell what this says?
Medical Careers
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Broad category that includes physicians and other
individuals who work in any of the varied careers
under physician supervision
Involved with diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of
diseases and disorders of human body
Medical Careers

Places of employment
 Private
Practices
 Clinics
 Hospitals
 Public
Health Agencies
 Research Facilities
 College or Universities
Medical Services

Level of workers
 Physician
 Examine
(doctors)
patients
 Make diagnosis
 Perform surgery
 Treat disease
Medical Services
Classifications
Doctor of Medicine (MD) – Diagnosis, treat
and prevent disease or disorder
 Doctor of Osteopathy (DO) – Place
emphasis on nervous, muscular, and skeletal
systems and the relationship between the
body with the mind
 Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) –
Examine, diagnose, and treat disease of the
feet
 Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) – Concentrate
on structures of the spine and nervous
system
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Medical Services
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Physicians Assistant (PA)
 Works
under supervision of physician
 Performs routine physical exams
 Does basic diagnostic test
 Takes medical histories
 Makes preliminary diagnosis
 Treats minor injuries
Medical Services
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Medical Assistant (MA)
 Works
under supervision of physician
 Prepares patients for examination
 Takes vital signs
 Assists with procedures and treatments
 Performs basic lab test
Mental and Social Services
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Basic job duties
 Mental
services workers deal with mental or emotional
disorders or mental retardation
 Social workers help people deal with illness,
employment, or community problems
Mental and Social Services

Places of employment
Hospitals
 Psychiatric hospitals
 Home health agencies
 Public health departments
 Government agencies
 Counseling agencies
 Drug and alcohol agencies
 Prisons
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Mental and Social Services

Psychiatrists (MD)
 Physicians
who specialize in diagnosing and treating
mental illness
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Psychologist
 Study
human behavior
 Use knowledge to help individuals deal with problems
of everyday living
Mental and Social Services

Social workers
 Assist
patients who are unable to cope with various
problems
 Help patients make adjustments to changes
 Assistants usually need one or more years of a Health
Occupation Educational program
Mortuary Careers
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Basic job duties
 Preparation
of the body
 Cremation or burial of the body
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Level of workers
 Funeral
Director/Undertaker
 Embalmer
 Mortuary assistant
Nursing Careers
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Basic job duties
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Provide care for a patient under direction of a physician
Places of employment
Hospitals
 Rehabilitation/Long-term facilities
 Physicians office
 Schools – (School Nurse)
 Industry
 Education – (College, University, etc.)
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Nursing Careers
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Level of workers
 Registered
 Work
Nurses (RN)
under a licensed physician
 Provide total care to patients
 Administer meds and treatments
 Teach health care
 Supervise other nursing personnel
Nursing Careers
 Specialties
 Nurse
after advanced education
Practitioner (CRNP) – Perform basic physical exams,
order lab tests, refer patients, help set-up treatments, treat
common illnesses
 Nurse Midwives (CNM) – Provide care for normal pregnancies,
examine patient, perform routine test, deliver infant, monitor
mother/infant
 Nurse Educators – Teach in Health Occupational programs,
Schools of Nursing (College or University)
 Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA) – Administer anesthesia, monitor
patients during surgery
Nursing Careers
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Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
 Work
under physician or RN
 Provide patient care but not to the extent of an RN
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Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA)
 Work
under RN or LPN
 Provide care such as baths, bed-making, feeding,
transfers, etc.
Nursing Careers
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Surgical Technician
 Work
under RN or physician
 Prepares the patient for surgery
 Sets up the operating room
Nutrition and Dietary Services
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Dietitians
 Manage
food service system
 Assess patients nutritional needs and plan menus
 Teach others proper nutrition
 Purchase food and equipment
Therapeutic Services

Basic job duties
 Use
variety of treatments to help patients who are
injured, physically disabled
 Direct treatment toward allowing patients to function at
full capacity
Therapeutic Services

Types of workers
 Occupational
Therapist (OT) – Help people with
physical developmental disabilities. Use activities to
assist a person in ADLs. Direct pt toward helping pts
acquire independence.
 Pharmacists – Dispense medications on written orders
from Physicians, Dentists. Provide information on drugs
and correct ways to use them. Maintain drug records.
Assess, plan and monitor drug usage.
Therapeutic Services
 Physical
therapist (PT) – Provide treatment for disabling
injury. Use exercise, massage. Promote health and
prevent injuries.
 Physical therapist assistants (PTA) – Work under a
therapist. Perform exercises and massage. Assist
patients.
 Massage therapists – Use massage, body work and
therapeutic touch to provide pain relief.
Therapeutic Services
 Respiratory
therapists (RT) – Treat patients with heart
and lung disorders. Administer oxygen, gases or
medication.
 Athletic Trainers – Prevent and treat athletic injuries.
Provide rehabilitation services. Teach proper nutrition.
Apply tape or padding to protect body parts.
Veterinary Careers

Basic description
 Work

with all types of animals
Level of workers
 Veterinarian
(DVM or VMD)
 Animal Technician (ATR)
 Veterinarian Assistants
Vision Services
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Basic job duties
 Provide
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care to prevent vision disorders.
Levels of workers
 Ophthalmologists
 Optometrists
 Optometric
 Optician
Technicians