Other Health Professionals
Medicine is not restricted to physicians. A wide variety of health care practitioners work in this exciting field. By far the largest professional group is nurses. Registered nurses help physicians during examinations, treatment, and surgery. They observe, evaluate, and record patients’ symptoms, administer medications, and provide other care (see Nursing). Nurse practitioners perform basic duties once reserved for physicians, such as diagnosing and treating common illnesses and prescribing medication. Certified nurse-midwives care for mothers during pregnancy and deliver babies (see Midwifery). Nurse-anesthetists administer anesthesia to patients during surgery. Licensed practical nurses provide basic bedside care for sick patients under the supervision of registered nurses and physicians.
Allied Health Professionals
Audiologists-> Perform hearing tests, determine the extent and cause of hearing loss, and help select treatment. It may include a hearing aid or instruction in lip reading. Audiologists also test workplaces for unsafe noise levels and conduct other hearing-protection programs.
Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians-> Help physicians diagnose and treat heart and blood vessel disorders. Their jobs include obtaining electrocardiograms, graphical images of the heart's electrical activity.
Chiropractors-> Diagnose and treat diseases involving the joints, muscles, and nerves, resulting from misalignments, or subluxations, of bones in the spinal column. By manually adjusting the bones, chiropractors can restore proper alignment and relieve pain and other symptoms. Chiropractors also use techniques such as massage, ultrasound, and diet.
Dietitians-> Help prevent and treat diseases caused by poor eating habits. They may advise individual patients or serve large populations in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and other settings.
Electroneurodiagnostic Technologists-> Use an electroencephalograph machine to obtain graphical images of electrical activity in the brain. They help physicians diagnose nervous system disorders.
Emergency Medical Technicians-> Assist victims of accidents and acute illnesses at the scene of accident or injury, and care for patients during transport to a hospital.
Medical Record Technicians-> Medical record technicians organize and check charts and other patient information compiled by other health care practitioners.
Medical Technologists-> Perform laboratory tests on body fluids and tissues. They analyze the results for abnormalities, and send the findings to physicians.
Nuclear Medicine Technologists-> Operate cameras that detect and map radioactive drugs administered to patients to help in diagnosing certain diseases.
Occupational Therapists-> Help patients with disabilities develop, recover, or maintain basic skills needed to work or perform activities of everyday life. They treat individuals with physical disabilities, memory problems, mental retardation, and emotional disorders.
Optometrists and Opticians-> Diagnose and treat certain vision problems and eye diseases. They prescribe eyeglasses and contact lenses to correct vision problems.
Optometrists treat other eye diseases that do not require the advanced training of an ophthalmologist, a medical doctor who specializes in the eye. Opticians fit patients with contact lenses and eyeglasses, based on prescriptions written by optometrists and ophthalmologists.
Pharmacists-> Dispense medicines prescribed by physicians and other health practitioners. They advise physicians on selection of the safest and most effective drugs. Pharmacists also educate patients on proper use of prescription and non-prescription drugs.
Physician Assistants-> Acting under the direction of a licensed physician, provide diagnoses and prescribe drugs and other therapies to patients with routine illnesses so that the physician can attend to more difficult medical cases. Physician assistants often are the only source of medical help in rural regions where there are few physicians available to service the community.
Physical Therapists-> Prescribe exercises and other treatments to improve mobility, relieve pain, and prevent permanent physical disability in patients with injuries or diseases. These include people with low back pain, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, head injuries, amputations, and arthritis.
Podiatrists-> Specialize in diseases and injuries of the foot. They order X rays and laboratory tests, prescribe drugs, perform surgery, set fractures, fit corrective inserts called orthotics, and design corrective shoes.
Radiologic Technologists-> Operate X ray machines and other diagnostic imaging instruments critical for the diagnosis of diseases.
Recreational Therapists-> Use games, sports, dance, arts and crafts, music and other approaches to improve the physical and emotional well-being of patients. The activities help individuals with physical or emotional disabilities build confidence and interact with other people.
Respiratory Therapists-> Evaluate lung capacity in patients with breathing disorders, including premature infants and people with emphysema. They administer medications and other therapy to improve lung function.
Speech-Language Pathologists-> Help people who have speech problems due to hearing loss, brain damage, stroke, cerebral palsy, and other conditions.
Surgical Technologists-> Assist surgeons, registered nurses, and other operating room personnel in ensuring operating room and instruments are sterilized and functioning properly.
Allied Health Professionals
Audiologists-> Perform hearing tests, determine the extent and cause of hearing loss, and help select treatment. It may include a hearing aid or instruction in lip reading. Audiologists also test workplaces for unsafe noise levels and conduct other hearing-protection programs.
Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians-> Help physicians diagnose and treat heart and blood vessel disorders. Their jobs include obtaining electrocardiograms, graphical images of the heart's electrical activity.
Chiropractors-> Diagnose and treat diseases involving the joints, muscles, and nerves, resulting from misalignments, or subluxations, of bones in the spinal column. By manually adjusting the bones, chiropractors can restore proper alignment and relieve pain and other symptoms. Chiropractors also use techniques such as massage, ultrasound, and diet.
Dietitians-> Help prevent and treat diseases caused by poor eating habits. They may advise individual patients or serve large populations in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and other settings.
Electroneurodiagnostic Technologists-> Use an electroencephalograph machine to obtain graphical images of electrical activity in the brain. They help physicians diagnose nervous system disorders.
Emergency Medical Technicians-> Assist victims of accidents and acute illnesses at the scene of accident or injury, and care for patients during transport to a hospital.
Medical Record Technicians-> Medical record technicians organize and check charts and other patient information compiled by other health care practitioners.
Medical Technologists-> Perform laboratory tests on body fluids and tissues. They analyze the results for abnormalities, and send the findings to physicians.
Nuclear Medicine Technologists-> Operate cameras that detect and map radioactive drugs administered to patients to help in diagnosing certain diseases.
Occupational Therapists-> Help patients with disabilities develop, recover, or maintain basic skills needed to work or perform activities of everyday life. They treat individuals with physical disabilities, memory problems, mental retardation, and emotional disorders.
Optometrists and Opticians-> Diagnose and treat certain vision problems and eye diseases. They prescribe eyeglasses and contact lenses to correct vision problems.
Optometrists treat other eye diseases that do not require the advanced training of an ophthalmologist, a medical doctor who specializes in the eye. Opticians fit patients with contact lenses and eyeglasses, based on prescriptions written by optometrists and ophthalmologists.
Pharmacists-> Dispense medicines prescribed by physicians and other health practitioners. They advise physicians on selection of the safest and most effective drugs. Pharmacists also educate patients on proper use of prescription and non-prescription drugs.
Physician Assistants-> Acting under the direction of a licensed physician, provide diagnoses and prescribe drugs and other therapies to patients with routine illnesses so that the physician can attend to more difficult medical cases. Physician assistants often are the only source of medical help in rural regions where there are few physicians available to service the community.
Physical Therapists-> Prescribe exercises and other treatments to improve mobility, relieve pain, and prevent permanent physical disability in patients with injuries or diseases. These include people with low back pain, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, head injuries, amputations, and arthritis.
Podiatrists-> Specialize in diseases and injuries of the foot. They order X rays and laboratory tests, prescribe drugs, perform surgery, set fractures, fit corrective inserts called orthotics, and design corrective shoes.
Radiologic Technologists-> Operate X ray machines and other diagnostic imaging instruments critical for the diagnosis of diseases.
Recreational Therapists-> Use games, sports, dance, arts and crafts, music and other approaches to improve the physical and emotional well-being of patients. The activities help individuals with physical or emotional disabilities build confidence and interact with other people.
Respiratory Therapists-> Evaluate lung capacity in patients with breathing disorders, including premature infants and people with emphysema. They administer medications and other therapy to improve lung function.
Speech-Language Pathologists-> Help people who have speech problems due to hearing loss, brain damage, stroke, cerebral palsy, and other conditions.
Surgical Technologists-> Assist surgeons, registered nurses, and other operating room personnel in ensuring operating room and instruments are sterilized and functioning properly.
Comments