Question

Describe the major types of healthcare professionals (excluding physicians and dentists) and their roles, licensure requirements, and practice settings.

Answer 1

Nurse: Bachelor degree of nursing and should be registered as per state policy and qualified through National Council License Examination. Role includes perform nursing diagnosis, patient summary writing, handling admission and discharge process, maintaining compliance management records, medication administration, assignation of nursing staffs, assisting patients, counselling to patients and care takers. Practice settings are surgeries, intensive care, outpatient wards, critical care, community health services, post-operative care and rehabilitation.

Pharmacists: Pharmacy graduation Pharm D is required for unrestricted license for practising. Role includes prescription of drugs, monitoring adverse drug reactions, assessing drug-drug interactions, drug-food interactions, laboratory data evaluation, medication dispensing and patient counselling. Practice settings are pharmacy, hospitals, clinics, community healthcare and physician's office.

Physical therapists: Bachelor in science and masters or doctorate in physiotherapist are required for licence. Roll includes designing patient's treatment plans and monitoring patient progress condition to diagnose musculoskeletal and neurological conditions. Providing physiotherapy and fitness support for post-operative patients. Practice settings are hospitals, clinics, community healthcare and physician's office.

Phlebotomist: Required science degree and national certificate examination. Role including collection of blood specimens through arterial blood collection, venipuncture or capillary blood collection. Practice setting is preanalytical or diagnostic laboratories.

Paramedic: Should complete emergency medical services trainings and pass National Registry exam. Roles include facilitate mobile intensive care and providing life support and first-aid in emergence care. Also, administratrion of medication when required as per physician direction. Practice setting is mobile health care such as ambulance.