August 17th, 2009 by alexi
Thinking about becoming a chiropractor or physical therapist? A new study will have everyone running for the table!
“Patients who received chiropractic or physical therapy had lower total health care costs and were less likely to have surgery than demographically similar Wellmark members who did not receive such services, and overall, 89 percent of all patients receiving physical medicine services reported improvement of at least 30 percent within 30 days.”
Read more here.
Has chiropractic work or physical therapy benefited your life? Do share below in the comments!
Tags: chiroprac
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August 12th, 2009 by alexi
Becky, a university graduate with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Nursing, took time out of her busy week going through hospital orientation as a recently certified Registered Nurse, to answer some questions about the world of nursing.
When did you become interested in nursing?
I became interested in nursing after my freshman year of college. I was Pre-Med and the fit just didn’t seem right for my long term goals. I knew I wanted to be a mom, but at the same time, I wanted to have a career. I love that nursing will afford me the opportunity to identify with something outside of mothering. Also, after a few years of work experience, I plan to go back to school and get my master’s degree and become a nurse practitioner, or possibly even get my Doctorate in Nursing Practice. I love that I have these choices!
What is your favorite part of being an RN?
I love that I am always learning! It can be frustrating at times to not know everything, but the learning and growth can be so rewarding because you really see the impact in people’s lives! As a nurse you get to be with your patients during some of their most vulnerable times–being a part of that and helping them through the process of healing, loss, whatever their situation may be is really fulfilling.
What has been particularly memorable about your job now or nursing school?
I can’t pinpoint one single patient. You see everything in nursing! Really, everything.
“You see everything in nursing! Really, everything.”
I love the growth that I have seen in myself throughout nursing school, and even now as a RN- I learn something new each day, and have so much left to learn. I also love knowing that I really helped someone in my day.
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Tags: health, health care, health care degree, interview, medical careers, nursing, spotlight
Posted in Career, Education, Healthcare, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »
August 11th, 2009 by alexi
Nursing is a virtually recession-proof job that will always be in demand. My Colleges and Careers asked pediatric nurse practitioner SueAnn Hyland (R.N., P.N.P.) of Orange County, Calif., more about what she does on a daily basis.
Fun Fact: Married with two children, Hyland just completed her first triathlon last weekend. No big deal at all…
What made you interested in nursing?
My grandma was a Labor and Delivery nurse and growing up, my family and I always talked with her about her career which made me very interested in health care. As I got older, I recognized I really enjoyed working with and helping people and I was particularly keen on the variety of opportunities and flexibility within the world of nursing.
What are your typical daily responsibilities as a nurse?
Currently I work as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner with two pediatrician’s in a pediatric office. I work completely autonomously in the care of children with ages ranging from birth – 21 years. My responsibilities include baby/child/teenage check-up’s and sports physicals, diagnosing and treating illnesses, writing prescriptions, and ordering and interpreting labs, x-rays and other tests.
What is your favorite part of the job?
My favorite of my job is building relationship with the families and children I take care of. I particularly enjoy helping new moms during the challenging transitions with a newborn and watching the baby grow as they visit the clinic regularly during the first 2 years of life. Also I really enjoying working with teens and helping them better understand and take care of their bodies. In my nursing career I have worked in a variety of settings and specialties including pediatric cardiac intensive care unit (ICU), neonatal ICU, pediatric ICU, and general pediatrics. Every area of nursing has its pros and cons, with unforgettable patients in each setting.
Every area of nursing has its pros and cons, with unforgettable patients in each setting.
Tags: health career, medical careers, nursing
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August 6th, 2009 by Kate Lehnhof
Pharmacy Technician
Your pharmacist is the most important person of your health care team post surgery. Why? Because even though the doctor can diagnose you, the surgeon can slice you and the nurse can nurture you, but the thing that is really going to take away the pain post surgery is tiny and be taken every 4 hours with water: your pain meds. Not a smile for Nurse Jennifer as she props up your pillow, not the precise cut of the fifteen blade, it’s the pills people. The perfect stepping-stone position on your way to becoming a pharmacist is a pharmacist technician. As a pharmacist technician you act as the right hand of the pharmacist. A career in the pharmacy field gets a jumpstart working as a pharmacist technician. It requires minimal training and is the perfect way to get your foot in the door in the field.
What does a Pharmacist Technician Do?
- Receive and verify perscriptions both manually and electronically.
- Retrieve, count, poor, weigh, measure and mix the medication.
- Establish and maintain patient records, prepare insurance forms.
- Stock and take inventory of medications within pharmacy.
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Tags: medical training, pharmacy technician
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August 5th, 2009 by Kate Lehnhof
What is A Sonographer?
Sonogrpahy Careers
Sonography, or ultrasonography is using sound waves to producel images of organs, tissues, or blood flow inside the body. Lay man’s terms: looking at your insides. Sonography is an alternative to radiology, which has been used for years to show pregnant moms their little nuggets. Sonographers operate the equipment, which collects the images that are photographed and examined by doctors. From these photographs physicians can diagnose patients.
By the Numbers
- More than half of all sonographers were employed by hospitals, and most of the rest were employed by offices of physicians, medical and diagnostic laboratories, and mobile imaging services.
- Diagnostic medical sonographers held about 46,000 jobs in 2006.
- Employment of diagnostic medical sonographers is expected to increase by about 19 percent through 2016—faster than the average for all occupations—as the population ages, increasing the demand for diagnostic imaging and therapeutic technology.
Preparation
Sonographers may train in hospitals, vocational-technical institutions, colleges and universities; employers prefer those who trained in accredited programs and who are registered. Colleges and universities offer formal training in both 2- and 4-year programs, culminating in an associate or a bachelor’s degree. Two-year programs are the most common.
Personality Profile
Hands and eyes would be great. Just teasing, but seriously hand-eye coordination is necessary to get good images. An affection or healthy tolerance for math and sciences is prime. People who go into sonography have to participate in continuting education. As technology advances and better images are produced, sonographers must learn about these new techniques and programs.
Perks
- Faster-than-average employment growth is expected.
- Sonography will likely become more popular and more in demand as people search for safer alternatives to radiology.
- Sonography doesn’t have the radioactive side effects taht radiology comes with.
Interesting Tidbit
Different specialities withing sonogrpahy include: Echocardiography (blood flow and blood vessels), Neurosonology (brain and spinal cord) and Gynecology (you guessed it, looking at little baby nuggets in the womb).
Show me the money
Annual earnings differed slightly between doctors’ offices and hospitals in 2002, averaging $50,390 and $47,530 respectively. The median overall earnings for diagnostic medical sonographers were $48,660. The highest and lowest ten percent earned $66,680 and $35,800 respectively, while the middle half made between $41,420 and $56,020.
Tags: health career, radiology, sonographpy
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