Healthcare Careers

The trend in the United States has gradually been moving from placing elderly patients in hospitals and long-term care facilities to allowing them to stay in their homes and communities for as long as possible. To achieve that goal, the role of the home caregiver has also expanded, with more need for these trained professionals than ever before. Home caregivers make regular trips to the homes of patients to help them live independently for as long as possible. While training for qualified caregivers has not kept up with demand, new training programs are cropping up at community colleges around the country to get more professionals into this rewarding career.

Jobs for Caregivers

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth for home caregivers and health aides is expected to increase exponentially as the demand for these professionals rises. Many caregivers work part-time evenings and weekends, while others find full-time employment. Some of the duties of a home caregiver might include:

• Working with elderly or physically or mentally disabled patients to help them live independently
• Helping patients recently discharged from hospitals as they recover from illness, injury or surgery
• Providing psychological support and instruction to patients they visit
• Performing light housekeeping duties like changing linens and cooking meals
• Checking a patient's vital signs and keeping a record of the results for doctors
• Assisting patients with basic functions like bathing, grooming or dressing

Because many home caregivers must help patients get in and out of bed or get

In the hunt for jobs that can survive in any economic climate, vision care has slowly but surely come to the forefront. Adults of all ages are discovering that careers as dispensing optician offer job stability and a decent salary after just a few short years of training. Whether you are just starting out after high school or looking for a job change after years in the workforce, we have the facts to help you decide whether a career in optician is the right choice for you.

What is Opticianry?

Once a patient receives a prescription for glasses or contacts from an optician or ophthalmologist, the dispensing optician is responsible for creating the eyewear for the patient's specific needs. This professional uses a host of diagnostic equipment to measure the cornea's thickness, width, and curvature to fit contact lenses precisely to the patient. In some cases, the dispensing optician will be responsible for cutting the lenses and placing them into the frames, and adding tinting or protective coating to the lenses themselves.

Once the eyewear is complete, the dispensing optician meets with the patient once again to ensure the glasses fit properly and make adjustments as needed. These employees might also help clients who need repairs to their glasses or educate them about appropriate care of their eyewear. Some also perform administrative duties, such as maintaining a database of customer prescriptions and tracking inventory and sales.

This video explains optician training.

Addiction counselors work with individuals who have issues with drugs, alcohol, gambling or eating. These professionals operate in a variety of settings, providing both individual and group counseling services that offer the support patients need to move on from their additions. If you have a passion for helping people and are willing to put in the time and training to obtain certification in your field, addiction counseling might be the right job for you.

Many students begin their study in addiction counseling at their local community college, and then they move to a professional position or a four-year university where they can continue to advance in their field. While many states require individuals to have a master's degree to become licensed as an addiction counselor, others use their community college training to get their foot in the door and advance with on-the-job experience.

About Addiction Counseling

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth for addiction counselors over the next decade is expected to be favorable. The job may be performed in a variety of settings, from private offices to clinics and hospitals. Counseling sessions are frequently in group format, with many patients coming to weekly sessions that help them overcome their addictions over a period of time. These counseling sessions provide support and information to help people modify behaviors and address issues that led to the addictions in the first place.

Most states require addiction counselors to obtain a license

It has become popular in Australia, New Zealand, and Great Britain. It has even been embraced in the rural villages of Alaska. Now, dental therapy is coming to the continental United States, thanks to a pilot training program offered through the state of Minnesota.

Dental therapy is the future wave, offering patients additional access to dental treatment, using a more cost-effective solution to many common dental issues. Dental therapists operate as middlemen between dentists and dental hygienists, offering many services usually provided by dentists but often at a fraction of the cost. The program was introduced in Minnesota to help reach the state's rural areas where people cannot access dentists easily due to distant locations and unaffordable fees.

This video offers a look at what a dental therapist does.

The English Example

According to the National Health Service website, dental therapists are a mainstay in countries like Great Britain, where approximately 380 were on the General Dental Council Role in 2002. Since then, dental therapists have been authorized to work in all areas of dentistry, including general dental practices. The therapist works directly with a registered dentist, providing the treatment that the dentist prescribes.

Dental therapists in England also have opportunities to move into other areas of the dental field, including research and teaching roles. A diploma course in dental therapy takes about 27 months to complete and includes a variety of topics, including preventative

Do you have a passion for caring for others? Are you looking for a career in which you can start relatively quickly? Certified Nursing Assistant programs are cropping up nationwide, thanks to stimulus funds designed to get people into the healthcare field as quickly as possible. In as little as three months, you can move from a student at a community college to a fully certified nursing assistant working in a hospital, nursing care center, or home setting.

While these programs are not new, additional funding from the stimulus package has allowed many community colleges to increase the number of certified nursing classes they offer. This means even more students can get on the fast track to a healthcare career that is much more stable than many other industries today. The short amount of time in school also means tuition savings for those who want to explore new career opportunities but don't have many extra funds to do so.

What is a Certified Nursing Assistant?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, certified nursing assistants work in various settings, offering hands-on care to patients under the supervision of RNs and other medical staff. In some cases, CNAs may help patients eat, bathe, or perform other daily tasks. Some might also take patient vitals, including temperature, pulse, and blood pressure. They may assist the rest of the medical staff by moving equipment, setting up supplies, or assisting with some procedures.

This video describes the nursing