Jul 10

Nursing Leadership Challenges are Unique

Physician Assistant No Comments »

If you think you have a leadership challenge…

Most of us know at least one nurse with today’s ever-expanding demand for qualified healthcare professionals. What most of us do not know are the unusual leadership demands that nurses face that are unique in our modern business world. We have developed common leadership practices among nurses that simply don’t and probably cannot exist in most occupational fields.

The ideal or most recommended span of control (ratio of supervisor to subordinate) is one (1) to fifteen (15). Many nurses, upon promotion and introduction to the world of supervision, are often presented with inordinate spans of control that can range from sixty (60) on low end to over one hundred (100) on the high end. Additionally, most nurses are never given formal leadership training prior to assignment to the first leadership role as a charge nurse, supervisor or director of nurses. Think of the challenge and demand placed on a supervisor with eighty (80) or more direct reports.

At GCI, we have worked with hospitals around the country and the same challenge faces nurses everywhere. To be moderately successful in the face of such leadership dilution is truly amazing. Consider the demands of supervising so many with so little time per person. If a supervising nurse spends only 30 minutes a week communicating (expectations, work instructions, performance feedback, etc.) with each of his/her eighty direct reports, the result is 40 hours per week. That’s right, no time remains for any other activity such as meetings, reports, staffing, census analysis, purchasing, etc.

The truth is that most nursing supervisors simply DO NOT get to supervise (in the traditional context) subordinates at all. It is truly amazing that so many good nurses become good leaders without a model of leadership to follow.

There are solutions to help mitigate the daily challenges nurses face as they transition from subordinate to supervisor. Proper training provides nurses with tools they can apply immediately upon completion. Targeted training also helps veteran nurses improve their leadership productivity.

Solutions to nursing leadership challenges include eight (8) basic learning objectives:

1) Learn to differentiate communication from effective communication
2) Deal properly with problem patients and families without losing control
3) Define true accountability for subordinates rather than blame
4) Utilize 5-Step process for delivering performance feedback
5) Apply techniques to reduce passive-aggressive subordinates
6) Build trust with your co-workers through activities that create relationship “Equity”
7) Be assertive with physicians and patients without being obnoxious
8) Understand what motivates Generation Y (Why) employees age 28 and under

We have found that strength in these areas help nurses become better leaders in a unique and demanding world. To learn more about GCI call (903) 806-5588. Please take our Poll and share your thoughts!

GCI “When Training Matters”
World-Class Training Solutions
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Apr 11

Veterinary Assistant Salary

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The field of veterinary is concerned with animal care and treatment. The veterinary technicians and senior doctors ensure that the animals are treated properly. One of the other important members of the veterinary team are the veterinary assistants. Increase in demand of the hospital jobs pertaining to veterinary experts, has also led to the need of veterinary assistants. Read more on careers in veterinary.

Veterinary Assistant Job Description
First and foremost, the veterinary assistant jobs are not so glamorous or something you would really love to do, unless you are an animal lover. So, become a veterinary assistant only if you love and care for animals. Veterinary assistants help the veterinarians and veterinarian technicians by carrying out a diverse range of duties. From cleaning the clinic or the animal treatment room to holding the animal while the treatment process is on, veterinary assistants perform a wide range of duties. Some of the typical work activities of assistant veterinary job profile are:
Help the the veterinarian in medical billing services and record keeping about the patients.
Perform the X-rays of the pets and animals.
Cleaning the tools and instruments used by the doctors.
Maintenance of the office and ensuring the cleanliness aspect of the clinic.
Elementary animal care (provide assistance to pet owner during feeding or giving water to the animal).
Help the pet board the vehicle in case it is physically injured.
Handle the work of carefully transporting animals to the cage or zoo.
Educational Requirements for a Veterinary Assistant
People interested in becoming veterinary assistants, can go for certification programs in veterinary assistance, in subjects related to animal health, animal anatomy and various office procedures. In many cases, a six months vocational training is enough to give you the right skills to become a veterinary assistant. Some people prefer a associate’s degree in veterinary technology or related field for over two years. Clinical Practice and internships under able veterinarians gives the veterinarian assistants right skills and job experience. There are certification exams that one needs to qualify before becoming a certified veterinary assistant.

Veterinary Assistant Average Salary
In the year 2009, the veterinary assistant average salary has been USD 27,000. There are various factors that determine the salary of a veterinary assistant. For example, the location of the animal health clinic and the health care center he/she works with. While large cities and metropolitan areas have higher veterinary assistant salaries, the veterinary assistant wages in the rural areas is less. The size of the clinic plays a crucial role in determining the veterinary assistant salary. Most of the veterinary assistant work part time in shifts. Besides, the veterinary assistant salary, there are certain benefits that the veterinary assistant can avail. Benefits of health insurance and vacation pays are some of them.

Just aspiring for a career as veterinary assistant is not enough. Anybody willing to work with animals in challenging situations, must only opt for becoming a veterinary assistant. For example, at times it may be required to give euthanasia to animals, who don’t have much options. Handling lizards, birds, dogs, cats and various other types of animals also is no less than a challenge.

You may read more on:
Veterinary Technician Job Description
Veterinary Technician Salary
Veterinary Scrubs
Low veterinary assistant salary range, coupled with these tough situations, makes few people quit this career even before it has started properly. If there are challenges, then the rewards are equal, as the inner satisfaction derived from treating sick animals is beyond the comparison of many monetary benefits. The job outlook for veterinary assistants is bright, as the population of pets has increased in the past few years. Besides these, the veterinarian assistants can work in zoos and wildlife. These were some information regarding veterinary assistant salary range. Hope you find them beneficial.

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Mar 08

How to Become a Paramedic

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Paramedics are the saviors in most cases of emergency. They are responsible for providing you the vital medical treatment during the times of crisis. They are mostly employed by hospitals, ambulance services or fire departments. It is the competency of paramedic upon which the life of the patient is depended. Thus, the job of the paramedic is a responsible one and needs you to possess certain critical skills. Before you think about how to become a paramedic, you need to understand the paramedic job description. More on medical jobs.

Paramedic Job Description

Paramedics or Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) are employed to provide an on-the-spot emergency medical treatment to the patient, so that the patient holds on until a proper medical treatment under the supervision of the doctor is initiated. Thus, paramedics take the vital signs of the patient and try to gauge the extent of injury or damage to the body. While transporting the patient in an ambulance, the paramedics assess the history of the patient so that they are equipped with all the necessary information that might be required to decide the course of treatment. Usually, a call from 911, directs to the paramedic agency and summons them to the location of crisis. Paramedics work for about 40 – 60 hours per week, depending upon their employer. This job requires them to have terrific mental and physical toughness. When one becomes a fully qualified paramedic and acquires a license for it, he would start earning about USD 44,000 a year.

How to Become a Paramedic

Paramedic education requirements include completing a formal course of paramedic which takes about 18 to 24 months. Along with classroom education, you also need to do some field duty, so as to get a hands on experience about the job of paramedic. The training comprises of three levels, EMT-Basic, intermediate and advance levels of paramedical studies. EMT-Basic is mandatory for everyone who wishes to become a paramedic. Almost every community college or hospital offers EMT-B training. Upon the successful completion of EMT-B, you may proceed to the next level which is intermediate level. However, you may choose to skip this level and directly move to the paramedic level. But then, you will have to complete the stipulated number of job hours, before you become eligible for the advance course.

If you opt to complete intermediate level first, then the prerequisite is that you should have completed 12 months as an EMT-B trainee and produce a proof for the same. Either ways, you’ll eventually land up for paramedic preparatory classes. The curriculum includes anatomy & physiology, electrocardiography (ECG), algebra and at least a 10th grade reading comprehension. In most states, paramedic is a vocational course without a prerequisite for completion of degree course. However, some states like Washington have made at least 2 years of degree education mandatory for anyone who wishes to sign up for paramedic classes. It is important that you do not compromise on the quality of education imparted by the training institute.

Paramedic course is a difficult one and needs to be taken seriously if you wish to complete it successfully. It is also an expensive course which may cost you about USD 4000, only for class fees. The last step is to appear for the national paramedic exam and pass it with requisite grades. Once you acquire all the qualifications to become a paramedic, you can apply for the license in your state and begin job hunting.

Read more on other health care jobs:
Hospital Jobs
Physical Therapy Jobs
Nursing
One important advice for anyone who is pondering over ‘how to become a paramedic’ is that, this is a job that will demand you to make several sacrifices on personal level. Hence, make sure you are prepared for it, before you enter one of the most noble careers in the world.

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Feb 16

Is A Physician Assistant A Good Job In The Medical Field?

Physician Assistant No Comments »

why it is a good job if it is a good job or recommend a job in the medical field. I like math and science and want a career the pays good, but not like 200,000 dollars and a career that you don’t have to go to college for 8 years or more.

It’s an excellent job; however, you will be in school for 4 years bachelors, 2.5 years masters plus you need some medical experience–so it may be more schooling then fits your requirements. The web site is the aapa.org
A med technologist (clinical lab scientist) is one year training after or in conjunction with the bachelors–heavy on the science and a good salary. Other jobs worth looking into include all the radiologic tech fields (MRI, CT, sonogram, Xray etc); cardiovascular tech, respiratory therapist, and any of the other so-called allied health fields that require a bachelors.

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Feb 03

Physician Assistant Salary And Job In Bay Area?

Physician Assistant 1 Comment »

I am currently a college freshman and I am wondering how much money does a physician assistant typically make in the first year they practice medicine. Also, how many jobs are available in the bay area for physician assistants and how many years of school do they have to attend? Any sort of information will be GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!

Well since you are 7 years away from this, what jobs there are is not really useful & salaries will be different by then as well, but you should be able to make $40-50 or more /hr. You need a bachelors degree then a masters (2.5 years) to be a PA the masters from a PA program. Many require some sort of health care experience as well, so keep that in mind. Start volunteering at a hospital now. Be sure & take all the science classes you can (pre-med like track).

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Dec 16

Medical Assistant Salary Range

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Medical assistants hold a key position among the hospital team members. Besides performing various clinical and medical tasks, medical assistants also assist the senior doctors or physicians in the administration and management of the health care units. Medical assistant jobs are amongst those medical jobs that play a vital role in hospital management. Owing to the increase in the number of patients in the hospitals and health care units, medical assistant jobs are in high demand these days. The medical assistants help the senior physicians and doctors in surgical procedures and operations, thereby making their jobs convenient. Medical assistant salary range, job description and educational requirements of the medical assistants, will form the content of our discussion in the further paragraphs. Read more on the duties of a medical assistant.

Medical Assistant Job Description
Anybody aspiring to be a medical assistant must understand that this hospital job is very challenging due to various tasks that the medical assistant is expected to perform. A medical assistant is responsible for observing the daily health of the patients and reporting the same to the doctor. Medical assistants are also expected to assist people in blood donation, help patients in changing dressings, maintain medical records and carrying out various other diagnostic measures and regular check ups. The medical administrative assistant salary range is between $50,000 to $75,000 per year and it changes on various factors like the work experience of the medical assistant and the extent of administrative tasks that the medical assistant is doing. Medical assistants also handle the administration works of senior doctors, like scheduling appointments, receiving telephone calls and performing data entry operations. Medical assistants are involved in the higher administrative tasks like managing the medical insurance claims and providing the medical billing services to the patients. You may like to read more on medical assistant job description.

Educational Requirements for Medical Assistants
A higher secondary degree in subjects related to medical sciences and medical services is the first requirement of the medical assistant job. To enter the hospital sector as medical assistant, it is mandatory to obtain an Associate of Applied Science degree from a college accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). Further, in order to become a certified medical assistant (CMA) it is important to qualify the certified medical assistant exam, that gives national level certificates.

Medical Assistant Salary Range
Nearly 60% of the medical assistants work with the physicians. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics has ranked medical assistant jobs as one of the fastest growing jobs by 2016. The medical assistant salary range also depends on the training, work experience and most importantly, geographical location. The geographical location matters because a state with more number of hospitals and physicians will obviously create a demand for more medical assistants than a state with less hospital facilities. Besides these, the certified medical assistant salary range is also dependent on the place where the medical assistant is working. For example, a medical assistant in general or medical hospitals and office of physicians / chiropractors / optometrists is paid different salaries. On an average, the salary range for a medical assistant with one or less than one year experience, is $22000 – $25000 annually. Medical assistants with 1 – 3 years of work experience enjoy an annual pay scale of $25,000 – $27,000. Medical assistants who have established themselves and have a work experience of 3 – 8 years can earn anything between $27,000 to $30,000 and the medical assistants who have 8 or more years of experience, earn between $30,000 to $35,000. The medical assistant salary is also a function of the size of the hospital unit.

You may read more on
Pay Scale for Medical Assistant
Physician Assistant Salary Range
Medical assistant jobs offer great career opportunities for young medical students. With an increase in work experience, the medical assistant salary range increases and you will also be able to create a great path for your career development. So, if you are interested in hospital jobs, then the medical assistant job is another rewarding option for you. Have a flourishing career! All the best!

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Dec 11

Investing in Your Future with Medical Terminology

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Investing in Your Future with Medical Terminology

Ask anyone that has taken medical terminology and they’ll tell you it is like learning a second language. The method for constructing words is similar and some of the terminology can be confusing. The good news is that there is some logic to how medical terms are constructed and many of the terms will be familiar. If you know the meaning of arthritis or pneumonia, then you already know two medical terms. The use of everyday terms makes medical terminology much easier to learn than a second language.

What Medical Terminology Students Learn
Medical terminology courses teach the basic building blocks of medical terms: prefixes, suffixes and word roots. Regardless of the length or complexity of the term, once you can identify the parts of a term, you can decipher it.

In our classes we teach medical terminology using a unique combination of anatomy and physiology, word building principles, and phonetic “sounds like” pronunciations. Since each term describes a different part of the body, a disease process or condition, you need to understand basic anatomy and learn the terms used to describe the major body parts.

However, it’s not practical to memorize every term. That’s why courses teach you how to break down complex words into parts you know. This process saves time and will save you many trips to the medical dictionary. Once you master the word building principles you’ll be able to decipher any medical term.

Careers Using Medical Terminology
Medical terminology courses are required for many careers in the healthcare or pharmaceutical industries. Depending on your career path, you may need the course as a prerequisite for college admission or it may be a part of your curriculum.

Students who complete a medical terminology course find that it gives them a competitive advantage in the workplace. If you’re considering pharmaceutical sales, medical billing, medical transcription, court reporting or healthcare-related customer service then a course in medical terminology is a great place to start.

Medical terminology can also open up new possibilities. Whether you are looking for a career change and want to improve your current job performance, learning medical terminology is a great place to start. New careers many students pursue include:

Medical technologist
Medical transcription
Medical billing and coding
Medical engineering
Surgical assistant
Court reporter
Medical sciences
Physician’s assistant
Clinical research professional
Pharmaceutical sales
Healthcare related customer service
Selecting a Medical Terminology Course

Searching for the right medical terminology course can be a daunting task. The good news is you have options.

1. The type of course to take
Choices include instructor-led courses, online courses or a mixture of the two which is considered a blended approach. Typically instructor-led courses are only offered to the public by community colleges or universities. Often location and times can be barriers for people who wish to enroll. Organizations teach courses for their employees but this option assumes you already have a job in a company that provides this kind of benefit. If neither of these options fit your lifestyle an online medical terminology course might be your best option.

2. Credentials of the organization offering the course
Typically these organizations are accredited and provide both instructor-led and online versions of the course. Accreditation is important because it demonstrates that the organization has taken the time to apply for accreditation and has typically been through a lengthy review process. Accredited organizations submit to frequent site visits from their accrediting bodies to review their educational design processes. These organizations are also required to keep records for a number of years. This is important in case you need a transcript or a duplicate certificate for proof of completion. Accreditation for these courses typically comes in two forms.

3. Form of accreditation
Students can earn professional CEUs for a course or they can earn college credit. Some companies offer both options but the fee for the college credit is typically over and above the normal course price. Courses are priced this way to keep costs down for students who only need professional CEUs and not college credit. Often the college credit is a straight pass through to the student and averages about $100-$150 per credit hour. College credit is also something to consider if you want to be reimbursed by your employer. Usually employers will only reimburse for courses that carry college credit. In these cases the additional cost is not a factor.

Learning medical terminology can be an extremely valuable experience. Mastering word building principles will make the process easier and help you to retain the knowledge for a long time to come. Keep in mind to use a reputable accredited company and pick a course delivery option that’s right for you.

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Dec 10

What Is The Best Program For An Rt (associate Degree) To Become An Np Or Pa?

Physician Assistant No Comments »

What is the best and the fastest way for a respiratory therapist with an assosiate degree to become a physician assistant or a nurse practitioner? Any accelerated program and or online

There are no fast or on line or accelerated programs to either of these professions, just like there are none in med school. There is too much at stake & too much hands-on learning. No way to accelerate learning medicine.
For the PA route, you will need to get either a bachelors degree in a science field and apply to a masters PA program OR get accepted into a bachelors degree PA program. You should have the required medical experience as a RT. Contact the aapa.org for details.
The nursing may take you longer–you will need a bachelors of science in nursing (you may get credit for the general ed classes with the AS), you will probably then have to work as a nurse for a bit & then apply into the NP programs (masters/doctorate).

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Dec 08

Physician Assistant Jobs In The Nhs?

Physician Assistant No Comments »

I’m thinking of taking a post graduate diploma in Physician assistant studies at St Georges University of London however i’m just wondering, what employment opportunities are there within the NHS?

Right now their are tons of jobs available for Physician assistants.

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