What Do Anesthesia Technologists and Technicians Do? Anesthesia technologists and technicians are trained members of the anesthesia patient care team, with extensive knowledge of all anesthesia equipment and supplies. Under direct supervision, they assist anesthesiologists and certified nurse anesthetists in anesthetizing patients during routine and complex surgical cases in the operating room and outpatient surgical settings. Anesthesia technologists and technicians provide support by preparing and maintaining equipment and supplies used …Read More
Tag Archives: certification
Athletic Trainers and Exercise Physiologists
What Do Athletic Trainers and Exercise Physiologists Do? Athletic trainers specialize in preventing, diagnosing, and treating muscle and bone injuries and illnesses. Exercise physiologists develop fitness and exercise programs that help patients recover from chronic diseases and improve cardiovascular function, body composition, and flexibility. Athletic trainers work with people of all ages and all skill levels, from children to professional athletes and soldiers to industrial workers. They are usually one of the …Read More
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists
What Do Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists Do Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) are advanced practice nurses who specialize in providing anesthesia and related care before and after surgical, therapeutic, diagnostic, and obstetrical procedures. They also provide pain management and emergency services. CRNAs develop individualized anesthetic care plans for each patient using a full range of anesthetic techniques, drugs, and technology. They also participate in preoperative patient education and assess and …Read More
Dental Assistants
What Do Dental Assistants Do? Dental assistants perform a wide array of clinical and administrative duties under the supervision of a dentist. They assist the dentist during dental examinations and treatments, such as preparing the patient, taking x-rays, sterilizing instruments, assisting with instruments and materials, and instructing patients about general and post-operative oral health care. Dental assistants may also have administrative duties, including scheduling appointments, maintaining patient files, and billing for services. …Read More
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
What Do Diagnostic Medical Sonographers Do? Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (DMSs), also known as ultrasonographers or sonographers, use special equipment that directs high frequency sound waves into a patient’s body to collect images for interpretation by physicians to assess and diagnose various medical conditions (procedures commonly known as ultrasounds, sonograms, or echocardiograms). This diagnostic medical procedure can be used to examine the abdomen, breasts, female reproductive system, prostate, heart, and …Read More
Dietitians and Nutritionists
What Do Dietitians and Nutritionists Do? Dietitians and nutritionists are experts in food and nutrition. They advise people on what to eat in order to lead a healthy lifestyle or achieve specific health-related goals. Dietitians and nutritionists try to prevent health problems and aim to treat health problems by helping people develop better eating habits. They often work with patients who have heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, eating disorders, …Read More
EMTs and Paramedics
What Do EMTs and Paramedics Do? Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics (EMTs with advanced training to perform more difficult pre-hospital medical procedures) provide vital care and attention at the scene of an emergency. In an emergency, EMTs and paramedics are dispatched to the scene usually by a 911 operator and often work with police and fire department personnel. Once they arrive, they determine the nature and extent of a …Read More
Health Educators
What Do Health Educators Do? Health educators teach people about behaviors that promote wellness and encourage people to make healthy decisions. Health educators promote and improve individuals’ and community health by identifying disease risk behaviors and developing programs that help people adopt and maintain healthy behaviors. Program development may include collecting and analyzing data to determine the scope of problems and the community needs prior to planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating programs and campaigns …Read More
Home Health Aides
What Do Home Health Aides Do? Home health aides work in the homes of people who need assistance in caring for themselves. They often help people who are disabled, chronically ill, or cognitively impaired. They also help older adults who may need assistance or people recovering from an illness who may live alone or need more assistance than their families can provide. Home health aides usually work under the supervision of …Read More
Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians
What Do Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians Do? Medical and clinical laboratory technologists and technicians collect samples and perform tests to analyze body fluids, tissue, and other substances. Medical and clinical laboratory technologists and technicians have different job responsibilities: technologists perform more complex tests and procedures than do technicians, and they typically supervise technicians. Medical and clinical laboratory technologists examine blood and other body fluids, analyze samples for chemical …Read More
Medical Assistants
What Do Medical Assistants Do? Medical assistants perform administrative and clinical tasks to keep the offices of physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors, and other health practitioners running smoothly. Medical assistants aid office staff and health care practitioners in daily operations. Administrative duties include answering telephones, scheduling appointments, greeting patients, updating and filing patient medical records, arranging for hospital admissions, and some billing and bookkeeping tasks. Clinical duties vary according to what is …Read More
Medical Billers
What Do Medical Billers Do? Medical billers calculate health care provider charges, develop bills, and prepare them to be mailed to patients. By reviewing medical and hospital records and making or verifying calculations, they ensure that even the most complicated bills are accurate. Medical billers are responsible for timely submission of medical claims to insurance companies. Medical billers most often work with electronic billing systems and are responsible to make …Read More
Medical Coders
What Do Medical Coders Do? Medical coders are health information technicians who assign codes used for the billing and reimbursement of health services. These codes describe both the diagnosis of the patient and the services rendered by the health care provider. Codes may differ depending on whether the medical coder works in a hospital or clinic and the type of services provided. These coding sets are revised on a regular …Read More
Medical Records and Health Information Technicians
What Do Medical Records and Health Information Technicians Do? Medical records and health information technicians compile, process, organize, and maintain health information data and medical records of hospital and clinic patients in a manner consistent with medical, administrative, ethical, legal, and regulatory requirements of the health care system. They ensure that health information data is complete, accurate, and secure in both paper and electronic systems. They use various classification systems to code …Read More
Nuclear Medicine Technologists
What Do Nuclear Medicine Technologists Do? Nuclear medicine technologists (NMTs) use a scanner to create images of various areas of a patient’s body. They prepare radioactive drugs and administer them to patients and then monitor the characteristics and functions of tissues or organs in which the drugs localize. The radioactive drugs cause abnormal areas of the body to appear different from normal areas in the images. The particular drugs NMTs are …Read More
Nursing Assistants
What Do Nursing Assistants Do? Nursing assistants provide basic patient care under the supervision of a registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, or other medical staff. Nursing assistants may take and record a patient’s temperature, pulse, and blood pressure; assist patients with activities of daily living, such as feeding, bathing, dressing, and toileting; help patients to get in and out of bed; and assist with nursing procedures. They also answer calls for assistance and help, …Read More
Opticians
What Do Opticians Do? Opticians design, measure, fit, and adapt eyeglasses, frames, and contact lenses for clients according to prescriptions from ophthalmologists or optometrists. Opticians measure a client’s eyes, including the distance between the centers of the pupils and between the eye surface and a lens to determine the best fit for each individual. Opticians use a range of factors to determine and recommend frames and lenses for a client, …Read More
Patient Care Technicians/Associates
What Do Patient Care Technicians/Associates Do? Patient care technicians or associates (PCTs or PCAs) provide various aspects of patient care under the direct supervision of a registered nurse (RN) or doctor. They provide communication, comfort, and safety for the patient and typically have more clinical responsibility and technical skills than nursing aides. They assist patients with walking, bathing, eating, dressing, and getting in and out of beds, wheelchairs, and stretchers. …Read More
Perfusionists
What Do Perfusionists Do? Perfusionists are skilled allied health professionals. They use medical technology to sustain the heart, lungs, circulatory, and respiratory functions of the body during surgery. Specifically, perfusionists operate a heart-lung (or cardiopulmonary bypass) machine that keeps oxygenated blood flowing throughout the body during surgery, and they also monitor blood circulation. If a patient requires additional blood products or medications during the procedure, the perfusionist can administer these …Read More
Pharmacy Aides
What Do Pharmacy Aides Do? Pharmacy aides perform administrative duties in pharmacies. Aides are often clerks or cashiers who primarily answer telephones, handle money, stock shelves, and perform other clerical and administrative duties. Pharmacy aides may also assist pharmacists with maintaining patient records, processing insurance claim forms, and taking inventory of prescription and over-the-counter medications. Where Do Pharmacy Aides Work? The majority of pharmacy aides work in retail pharmacies, including …Read More
Physician Assistants
What Do Physician Assistants Do? Physician assistants (PAs) are health care professionals who practice medicine under the supervision of physicians and surgeons. Working as members of a health care team, PAs take medical histories, examine and treat patients, order and interpret laboratory tests and x-rays, instruct and counsel patients, make diagnoses, and prescribe certain medications. Many PAs work in primary care specialties, such as general internal medicine, pediatrics, and family …Read More
Recreational Therapists
What Do Recreational Therapists Do? Recreation therapists (also known as therapeutic recreation specialists) provide treatment services and recreation activities to individuals with disabilities or illnesses. Recreational therapists use a variety of techniques, including arts and crafts, sports, games, dance and movement, drama, music, activities with animals, and community outings to aid the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of their clients. Recreational therapists’ efforts help individuals reduce depression, stress, and anxiety; …Read More
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors
What Do Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors Do? Substance abuse, behavioral disorder and mental health counselors advise people who have alcoholism or other types of addiction (drugs, gambling, etc.), eating disorders, mental health issues or other mental or behavioral problems. They provide support and treatments to help the client recover from addiction or modify problem behaviors by helping them identify behaviors and issues related to their addiction. …Read More