Monthly Archives: November 2010

Phlebotomists are required to follow different standard procedures and rules when drawing blood from the patients. Phlebotomists have to make sure that their patients do not suffer from different kinds of infection because of the procedure needed to be done. Prior to drawing blood using a needle, the phlebotomist must first find an accessible vein. After which, they will then place a tourniquet and an antiseptic is used for precautionary purposes. Keeping the site clean is important. The phlebotomist must also make sure that there are sufficient stocks of supplies available.

When drawing blood of the donor, the responsibility of the phlebotomists is to identify and verify the identity of the patient to avoid complications and legal hassles. The phlebotomist must explain the procedure to the patient in order to make him or her more comfortable and relaxed during the whole procedure. They should also maintain the cleanliness of the trays in which blood is drawn. These health care professionals work together with doctors and nurses. They should also prepare the specimens for research. Placing a label on every specimen is important.

In becoming a phlebotomist, one has to have a graduate or post-graduate degree in the field of health care. Having the needed certificates and licenses is important in working as a phlebotomist. Having patience, good communication skill, hard work, best communication skills and the ability to learn new things are the important qualities that one must have in becoming a successful phlebotomist. The training in becoming a phlebotomist varies. The coursework includes subjects on anatomy and physiology regarding the circulatory system, respiratory, urinary, muscular and skeletal system. Phlebotomists study about blood cells and its composition.  Practical hands on phlebotomist training are also an important part. Students will be able to learn how to get blood by venipuncture. There are also techniques that are used for different ages.  Additional hands on courses also includes specimen handling, labeling, sorting and preparation. All of these are intended to keep the process as organized as possible. Phlebotomists should also learn on how to handle the specimens properly you protect the integrity of the samples to have a better outcome.

The phlebotomist’s salary depends on certain factors like the number of years of practical experience, type of employer, location of the work and the skills and educational qualifications of the aspirant. Those who are working in urban areas will get paid more than those working in small hospitals in rural areas. The phlebotomist salary is low compared to other medical jobs. For new entrants in this field with not much experience, one can start off with around $25,000 per year. For those who have four to six years of experience, they can earn between $26,000 and $29,000 a year.  For some who have finished an associate or bachelor degree, they earn more compared to those who have completed a certification. The salary also differs from one state to another. If one works in an urban area, they will definitely earn more than those working in rural areas or small towns.

Becoming a dialysis technician is an attractive option for those who want to enter the healthcare industry without having to work during the odd hours of the night. Most patients have strict dialysis treatment times and these are usually scheduled in the morning or afternoon, giving you time to close the clinic and go home for dinner with you family- unless your boss decides to give you additional paperwork. You can actually go home to your family without worrying if you forgot to sign your signature on the medication sheet or give a certain medication to patient. A dialysis technician’s job also comes with responsibilities- much of which will be taught in the dialysis technician training program you will go to.

A dialysis technician works with a hemodialysis machine. This machine is used to remove wastes from the blood of a patient that has kidney failure. These patients who are suffering from kidney failure are not your average patients. They require a lot of TLC because of the complication that they are suffering from. In a normal person, the kidney functions by removing wastes and excess fluid from the body and it also functions by producing hormones necessary for bone development. When a person’s kidneys starts to fail, these wastes build up in the body and the hormones required for making healthy bones don’t get properly regulated, the imbalance results in a sickly patient requiring dialysis treatments to remove the wastes from the blood. A patient is hooked to a dialysis machine through a hole or shunt in the arm so the blood can be filtered in the machine and returned to the body.

In the dialysis technician training program, you will learn more about the diseases that affect the kidney function in addition to learning how the dialysis machine works. By gaining more insight on how a disease affects a person, you will also learn the possible complications that a mistake on your part might cause. There are a lot of complications that might occur while the patient undergoes hemodialysis and it is your job to spot them before it becomes out of hand.

The responsibilities of a dialysis technician might sound overwhelming, but you will quickly learn how to adapt by going through the training program with great care. In the dialysis technician training program, you will learn all about the basics first. The basics include subjects in anatomy and physiology, and your communication skills will also be honed during the training. Since you will be spending a lot of time interacting with the patient, you will need to learn how to answer delicate questions without scaring the patient. You will also need to learn about establishing rapport with a certain patient in order to make the procedure seem smoother.

Once you pass the training program, be sure to earn your certificate and licensure by taking an exam. The exam is usually administered by the National Nephrology Certification Organization. The licensure you earned will make you a top candidate for any prospective employer.

Massage therapists are extremely lucky these days. Many people who know how to balance work, rest and play properly often seek the help of massage therapists to ease the aches and pains they have in their bodies. With the help of qualified massage therapists, the stresses in their life seem to melt in the comfort of loving hands of these very skilled professionals.

Massage therapist employ touch on the body of their clients to manipulate the muscles in the body by kneading and stroking the muscles resulting in relaxation. Massage therapists work for a variety of customers, not all of them ask for the services of massage therapists because they need to unwind. Massage therapists can also work with patients who need massages for medical benefits.

Massage therapists can specialize in many types of massages. In every culture in the world, there is always one form of massage therapy available to the locals, which explains why there are modalities in the specialties. A massage therapist can have many specialties available to him or her. The more specialties the therapist has, the more clients he will be able to pull. While there is really no strict duration for massages, a session can be as long as an hour and a half to as short as 15 minutes.

Massage therapists must be extremely considerate of the people they are lending their services to. Middle aged men and young men do not have the same preferences on the amount of pressure they want on their bodies. It is the massage therapist’s lookout to make sure that the pressure they are applying on their clients is just enough and not too much that it can cause a bruise.

Massage therapists accept clients at the spas, salons and clubs, but majority of them accept part time jobs or are self-employed. Since their job basically depends on the preference of their clients, they need to have strong interpersonal skills in addition to their therapeutic touch so they can earn a high salary.

Education is important in order to be a massage therapist as they don’t just grab a piece of muscle and kneed it immediately. Correct therapy training can be acquired at one of the many vocational massage therapy schools throughout the states.  Massage therapists perform their own set of physical assessment techniques as well. They need to talk with the client so they know what to massage style is best suited for their body. They also need to be educated about the myths and facts on massage so that they wont be sued for accidentally infuriating an already inflamed joint.

A massage therapy course usually takes 6-12 months to complete. Some states don’t require their massage therapists to be licensed, but there are other states that have strict boards governing massage therapy. Many states require their students to finish 500 study hours to complete a course on massage therapy. The programs usually include subjects such as anatomy and physiology, kinesiology and most importantly, body mechanics. Several training schools can offer a specialty massage course in addition to the standard massage therapy training. There are also schools who provide post graduate job placements for their students.

Dental assistants are considered as a very essential part in dental offices. They do routine tasks and helps the office work properly is helps out in almost all operations and tasks performed by the dentists. Dental assistants needs to be organized in doing their work and must have knowledge on the different tools used by dentists. Many of the dental assistants task are called clerical, these means that they are in charge for making and retrieving medical records. They are the ones who make dental scheduling appointments with both new and old patients. They make sure that all medical records are kept well and organized. After the patient is finished with his or her appointment, the dental assistants then takes the payments. After every week, the dental assistants will make sure that the inventory for all supplies and orders are done. Dental assistants also work as an office assistant. It is also the job of the dental assistant to do the prep work for cleanings and operations. They are also in charge for sterilizing the equipments and setting them up when needed to be used. The dental assistants also position the patient on the dental chair and place a bib on them. The dental assistant also mixes all dental compounds needed by the dentist. Some of the duties of the dental assistants is to perform teeth cleaning but with the assistance of another person. Dental assistants are also responsible for taking the molds of the teeth for braces and caps, process it and note it down on the medical records. Some dental assistants also do x-rays, develop it and file it together with the patient’s medical records.

In becoming a dental assistant, the first thing to do is to get a high school diploma. Subjects like biology, chemistry are one of those important subjects needed to be taken in high school. It is also important for one to have an idea on how to use the computer because dental assistants will be doing scheduling by computer. Second thing is to have training. It is essential to have a dental assistant education. This will prepare a person with all the knowledge and skills needed in becoming a dental assistant. There are a lot of dental assistant schools that can be found in every state. Programs offered by the school will give the person knowledge about the anatomy of the mouth, instruments and how to use equipments. This course lasts for nine month up to a year and a certification of completion is then given after finishing the course. Some dental assistant schools offer two year programs that will give the graduate an associate degree.

Dental assistant’s salary shows that one can earn more than $30,000 a year. Some are paid for more than $40,000.  Lowest salaries being paid is $22,000. This is definitely enough for oneself. See, no need to have a bachelor degree for this job in order to earn much. This job is not only interesting. It can open a lot of opportunities also for a person.

These days, the rapid increase of population of the older people gives a great challenge to the health care industry in looking for ways on how they would care for this part of the population. One of the changes made was to create new members of the health care team which are the certified nursing assistants or the CNA’s. These certified nursing assistants are working in hospitals, nursing homes and other health care institutions. The duties and responsibilities of these certified nursing assistants varies according to the laws made by the state and also by the health institution where they are working. The common duty of the certified nursing assistants is to manage the patients daily. They are the assistants of the registered nurses. They report to the attending nurse on the routines made regarding the care of the patient. Part of their duty is to do bed making, bathing the clients, assisting them in eating and going with them during ambulation. These duties are just some of the potential duties for certified nursing assistants.

To become a certified nursing assistant, states require them to undergo trainings and CNA education. The classes in different CNA schools differ, depending on what school is the person enrolled in. Requirements for these CNA schools vary on the institution. Some may require previous experiences and a high school diploma but some schools do not. Some facilities also offer trainings for certified nursing assistant and these trainings are done in the school and lasts for two weeks.  These classes are being taught by registered nurses. They cover different topics from how to fix the bed, how to do bed baths, proper positioning and a lot more. They are also taught on dressing and feeding the patient and also the proper body mechanics needed in lifting and turning the patients to prevent any injury. Some are even taught on how to deal with patients with Alzheimer’s or dementia and how to deal with infection control. Certified nursing assistant schools offer both theoretical or textbook learning and hands on trainings. After the trainings, test is given to find out the person’s proficiency. The test are divided into two parts which is clinical and written. Written test is about the different topics covered during the classes. The other part which is clinical is done by performing clinical procedures in front of the administrators. They will ask a person to perform procedures like turning, bed baths and etc. They will determine whether you are explaining the procedures properly, doing the procedures correctly, doing proper hand washing and providing privacy. After passing the exam, a certification is given and it is now the start of a person’s CNA career. Some CNA’s also take an NCLEX-PN exam to attain a license.

Certified nursing assistant salaries depend on a lot of factors. First is the level of nursing education, years of experience, geographical location of the workplace and the type of work one is doing. These factors greatly influence ones salary. Certified nursing assistants may earn $22,000 to $30,000 annually.