Healthcare jobs such as Registered Nurses, LPN’s, LVN’s and related Medical Technicians provide over 15 million jobs, and ten of the 20 fastest growing occupations are healthcare-related. Most healthcare workers have jobs that require less than 4 years of college education, such as health technologists and technicians, medical records, billing and coding, health information technicians, diagnostic medical sonographers, radiologic technologists and technicians, and dental hygienists. As people age they have more medical problems, and hospitals will require more staff. Wages vary by the employer and area of the county. Aside from their salary, most medical jobs include excellent benefits, as well as retirement plans.
Medical Technicians
Medical assistants complete administrative and clinical
tasks in the offices of physicians, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities. Training programs in medical assisting take
about 1 year to complete, and lead to a certificate or degree. Some community colleges offer 2-year programs that lead to an
associate’s degree, with classroom and labs in anatomy and medical terminology. Medical assistants also learn how to code both
paper and electronic health records (EHRs) and how to record patient information. There may be additional months of on-the-job
training to complete, depending on the medical facility.
The National Commission for Certifying Agencies offers several certifications for medical assistants; Certified Medical
Assistant (CMA), Registered Medical Assistant (RMA), Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA), and Certified Medical
Administrative Assistant (CMAA). Contact your state board of medicine for more information. Medical assistants held about
600,000 jobs in 2015, with a salary of approximately $30,590. Employment of medical assistants is projected to grow 23% yearly
through 2025, much faster than average.
Emergency medical technicians (EMT) and paramedics care
for the injured in a variety of emergency medical settings. People’s lives depend on their quick reaction times and competent
care. Programs in emergency medical technology (EMT Training) are offered by technical institutes, community colleges, and
facilities that specialize in emergency care training. Programs at the EMT level include instruction in assessing patients’
conditions, dealing with trauma and cardiac emergencies, clearing obstructed airways, and using field equipment. EMT courses
include about 150 hours of specialized instruction, and clinical training can be in a hospital or ambulance setting. At the
‘Advanced EMT’ level, there are 400 hours of instruction, where candidates learn skills such as using complex airway devices,
administering intravenous fluids, and giving some medications.
Paramedics, by comparison, have the most advanced
training. They first must complete both the EMT and ‘Advanced EMT’ levels of instruction, along with further practice in
advanced medical skills. Colleges and technical schools may offer programs which require about 1,200 hours to complete, leading
to either an associates or bachelors degree. All states require both EMTs and paramedics to be licensed. The National Registry
of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) certifies EMTs and paramedics. Finally, most EMTs and paramedics take a course
ensuring that they are able to drive an ambulance. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of emergency
medical technicians (EMT) and paramedics is projected to grow 25 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than average. The
average annual wage for EMTs and paramedics was $31,980 in May 2015.
Phlebotomists draw blood for tests, transfusions,
research, or blood donations. Phlebotomy programs are available from community colleges, vocational schools, or technical
schools. These programs usually take less than 1 year to complete, including classes in anatomy, physiology, medical
terminology, and laboratory work, and lead to a certificate or diploma.
Further, phlebotomists must learn specific
procedures on how to identify, label, and track blood samples. The National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT), National
Healthcareer Association (NHA), the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), and the American Medical Technologists
(AMT) offer Phlebotomy Technician certifications. The average annual salary for phlebotomists was $31,630 in May 2015, and
employment of phlebotomists is projected to grow 25 percent over the next 10 years.
Nursing Programs
As the public ages, nursing care has become a major source of employment for new technical program graduates. It is common for 90% or more of the class to find nursing jobs within 6 months. You don’t have to become a registered nurse to make good money, as a licensed practical nurse with several years of work experience can earn well over $40,000 a year. The
Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) designation is the
first step in becoming a nurse. After Becoming a CNA, you will assist in caring for patients by monitoring vital statistics,
bathing, feeding and maintaining personal hygiene. Most CNA programs can be completed within a few months, allowing you to
begin working. As the public ages, nursing care has become a major source of employment for new technical program
graduates.
The next step in a nursing career is to become a
Licensed
Practical Nurse (LPN) or a
Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN). This is a one year long
program, in which you’ll work under an RN, and be assigned advanced care work. Practice requirements for LPNs vary from state
to state, but basic duties include passing meds, wound care, and administering feeding tubes. 1-year nursing certificate
programs train students to pass the licensing test, in order to become an LPN or LVN. It is common for 90% or more of the class
to find nursing jobs within 6 months. You don’t have to become a registered nurse to make good money, as a licensed practical
nurse with several years of work experience can earn well over $40,000 a year.
To become an
Registered Nurse(RN), you will be required to take courses in medical terminology, patient care and life sciences. Although associate degree programs provide students with adequate nursing training, a bachelor’s degree provides greater clinical exposure and a stronger general education. A 4-year BSN program allows students to study specialized areas of nursing, including pediatrics, geriatrics and mental health nursing. An RN has to cope with more responsibility, and must oversee the work of LPNs and CNAs under their supervision. If you wish to continue advancement, a masters degree and several years of experience as a nurse, may qualify you for the Nurse Practitioner (NP) credential. Nursing job openings are projected to grow 16 percent over the coming decade, much faster than the average for all occupations. The average salary for nurses with an Associates degree was $43,700 in 2015, while nurses with a Bachelors degree earned $67,490 per year.
Certification requirements include board certification by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). The license period varies by individual state, but is usually valid for either two or three years, at which time you’ll need to renew. Registered nurses (RNs) are not required to be certified in a particular specialty by state law. For example, it isn’t necessary to be a Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse (CMSRN) to work on a hospital Medical-Surgical (MedSurg) floor, and most MedSurg nurses are not CMSRNs. To keep your license current, you must take continuing education courses, and renew your license every few years. There are a fixed number of credits that each state requires, and if you work in a hospital facility, these courses may be offered on-site.
Nursing Specialties
Anatomy Courses Online
Basic Human Anatomy
Human Skeleton and
Bones
Muscles
Intro to Circulatory System
Circulatory Diseases
Intro to Respiratory System
Respiratory Diseases
Intro to Endocrine System
Gastrointestinal
System
Lymphatic System
Renal System
Free Medical Courses Online
Intro to Biology –
A brief introduction to the field of biology by Khan Academy.
Cell Structure –
Cell structure, prokaryotic cells, eukaryotic cells, plasma membrane, cytoplasm, nucleus and ribosomes, endoplasmic reticulum and golgi bodies, mitochondria, chloroplasts, peroxisomes, cytoskeleton, extracellular matrix, cell walls, cell junctions.
Membrane Transport –
Fluid mosaic model, diffusion, osmosis, plasma membrane, concentration gradients, selective permeability, facilitated diffusion, passive transport, active transport, sodium potassium pump, electrochemical gradients, immune cells, membrane, endocytosis, phagocytosis, exocytosis.
Cellular Respiration –
ATP: Adenosine triphosphate, ATP hydrolysis, Oxidation and reduction, redox reactions, fermentation, cellular respiration, Glycolysis.
Cellular Biology –
Fertilization, sperm, eggs, gametes, zygotes, germ cells, chromosomes, chromatids,
cell division, phases of mitosis, meiosis, cell cycle regulation, cancer, and stem cells.