Description
Most professionals working in the Healthcare field are literally life-savers, providing essential care and treatments to people suffering from health disorders, chronic diseases, and all kind of illnesses and injuries, whether they require immediate medical attention or not. They make sure people are in great shape, both physically and mentally, by conducting medical tests and routine checkups, prescribing and/or administering medicine, counselling patients on health-related issues, and promoting preventive health measures.
The more specialized Healthcare workers are, the more they tend to work in hospitals. Those who provide more general care will often choose to work in clinics or in private practices instead, opening their own clinic when they are entitled to do so. Other work settings also include community health, occupational health, and educational institutions.
Tasks Overview
Healthcare professionals are usually responsible for the following:
- Diagnosing or assisting in the diagnosis of illnesses, diseases, and other health disorders.
- Prescribing and/or administering proper treatments and medication.
- Keeping track of patients’ physical and/or mental health condition.
- Maintaining accurate and confidential medical records and statistical data reports in accordance with established protocol.
- Educating and counselling patients and their relatives on health-related issues.
- Promoting preventative health measures and participating in health promotion programs.
- Operating and maintaining medical equipment, complying with safety standards at all times.
All professionals working in the Healthcare field usually share the same characteristics, which include, but are not limited to:
- Having strong assessment skills, great intuition, and mature judgment, while being great at decision-making, problem-solving, and analytical thinking.
- Having a strong sense of empathy and compassion, setting high standards of patient care and demonstrating sensitivity to individual needs of patients.
- Having strong interpersonal and communication skills, being able to reassure patients and to effectively address their questions and concerns.
- Having an optimistic, energetic, “can-do attitude” and being great at motivating themselves and others.
- Being able to work independently, as well as to work cohesively as a team.
- Being exceptionally flexible and being great at multitasking and prioritizing, effectively dealing with a broad variety of parameters and changing demands in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
- Being able to work under pressure in challenging settings and remaining calm during times of critical needs.
- Having strong work ethic and a great sense of responsibility, reliability, and commitment.
- Having exceptional attention to detail and good motor coordination.
- Having a thorough knowledge and understanding of current medical legislations, treatment procedures, equipment, and tools, including medical terminology and medications.
It’s no surprise that most Healthcare positions require an exceptionally high level of education that yields the necessary knowledge and skills related to this field. After all, Healthcare practitioners are referred to as “Doctors”, a title they earn by completing a doctoral degree. As for those who assist Doctors, or are not being referred to as “Doctors”, the minimal education requirement is usually a bachelor’s or master’s degree in Medicine, Biology, Health Science, Nursing, or the like. There’s also a broad variety of fields in which all Healthcare professionals may choose to specialize by completing additional degrees and certifications.
In this highly-regulated field, professionals of all levels must also be acknowledged members of numerous national and provincial regulatory bodies, having successfully passed licensing exams, earned relevant credentials, and met other strict requirements. All Healthcare positions are also subject to criminal record and child abuse registry checks.
Since the emergency medical service operates on a 24/7 basis and all work is carried out in planned shifts and/or called schedules, Healthcare professionals may be required to work irregular hours, such as evening, weekends, and national holidays. Furthermore, most Healthcare positions are extremely stressful and emotionally challenging, hence, people working in the field are expected to have exceptional stress management skills and a high level of stamina.