Top ten things you need to know about careers in health care --
ch. 1. Why choose a career in health care? --
The health care explosion --
Shift from goods to services --
Demographics of the health care industry --
Health care outside the box --
The health care shortage : causes and solutions --
Salaries and job security --
ch. 2. The growing opportunities in health care --
The occupations most in demand --
Health care roles defined --
The nine major segments of health care --
Skills of health care workers --
Responsibilities of health care workers --
ch. 3. Making the choice for you --
Self-assessment and evaluation --
The art of caring is essential --
Tackling math and science --
Narrowing down the choices --
ch. 4. The education process --
Prepare in high school --
Choosing the program for you --
Finding the right school --
ch. 5. Understanding the patients --
Patients are your customers --
Patients cope in various ways --
Consider the whole person --
Communication and health care literacy issues --
Dealing with difficult patients and family members --
The patients role and responsibilities --
ch. 6. Your role as a health care provider --
The skills you will need --
Your attitude and bedside manner --
Confidentiality issues ---
Combining caring with science --
Finding your own rewards --
Coping with the facts of life and death --
ch. 7. Primary care practitioners --
ch. 8. Partners and associates --
Nurses and Nurse practitioners --
Dietitians and nutritionists --
ch. 9. Rehab team members --
Occupational therapists --
Speech therapists and language pathologists --
Respiratory therapists --
Medical social workers --
ch. 10. Assistants and aides --
Nursing aides, home health aides, P.C.A.s, and U.A.P.s --
Therapy aides and assistants --
Psychiatric aides and mental health assistants --
Surgical technologists --
Pharmacy technologists --
ch. 11. Other therapists --
Horticulture therapists --
ch. 12. Adjunct team members --
Clinical laboratory technicians and technologists --
Medial assistants, front office workers, and medial secretaries --
Orthotists and prosthetists --
Veterinarian assistants and technicians --
ch. 13. Administrative team members --
Health care administrators --
Nursing home and long-term care directors --
Directors of quality assurance and performance improvement --
Geriatric case managers --
ch. 14. Affiliated team members --
Paramedics and E.M.T.s --
Medical illustrators and photographers --
Certified athletic trainers --
Medical transcriptionists --
ch. 15. Other health care workers --
Environmental health specialists --
Health information administrators --
Medical coding specialists --
Health information (medical records) technicians --
ch. 16. More health care roles --
Patient representatives and health advocates --
Radiology technologists and X-ray technicians --
Ultrasound technicians and sonographers --
Electroneurodiagnostic technologists --
ch. 17. Alternative medicine and wellness --
Basic tenets of alternative medicine --
Other alternative healers --
ch. 18. Other issues to consider --
The importance of communication : oral and written --
Honesty and the ability to take responsibility --
Dependability, accuracy, and timeliness --
Health care is not a nine-to-five job --
Working within your scope of practice --
Confidentiality and HIPAA --
Medical malpractice issues --
ch. 19. Finding a job -0- The job search --
Resumes and cover letters --
The future of health care jobs --
ch. 20. Take care of yourself --
Expect to get sick sometimes --
Manage that stress level --
Be proactive about your own health --
Avoid burnout, reward yourself --
Learn to leave the job at work --
ch. 21. You as a professional --
Keep up to date with your field --
Grow with your profession --
The pros and cons of joining your professional organization --
The growing need for information technology --
Making a commitment to excellence --
appendix A. Additional resources --
appendix B. Entrance exams --