If you're considering a healthcare profession, getting your feet in the door is a good place to begin. You can help patients improve their health, well-being and lives by working with them. The healthcare industry in the United States is growing rapidly, and you can choose from a variety of careers.
You can start your career as a licensed practical nurse or certified medical assistant. Both are highly rewarding careers that offer a fast entry into the medical field. The programs last for less than a full year.
MA vs LPN Duties
A medical assistant is a person who works under the direction of a physician. They perform administrative as well as clinical tasks. Patients may need assistance with scheduling appointments, filling out insurance paperwork and preparing lab reports. In addition, they can assist with patient examinations and prepare for surgical procedures.
MAs often work in offices and clinics, as well as outpatient surgery centers. Some MAs work at nursing homes, hospitals, and private practices.
Medical assistants' duties can vary depending on the facility. However, in general they should be able to understand how to take vitals, prepare patients for an exam, explain medication and treatment plans, and update records. MAs need to have excellent communication skills and maintain privacy.
Also, they must be able administer injections to patients and take blood samples for testing. Some MAs may even be trained in simple surgeries such as phlebotomy.
LPNs tend to work in assisted living and rehabilitation centers, hospitals and medical offices. LPNs are able to work any schedule, whether it is full-time, part-time, or nights and weekends.
Both healthcare professionals must be committed to their own professional and educational development, irrespective of the specific responsibilities they have. MAs can improve their careers by earning certifications and national registrations. Earning CEUs may help LPNs maintain their license.
You can earn two jobs and get paid for them
BLS has predicted that MAs and LPNs both will experience a growth in demand of 23 percent within the next 10 year period. There is a big difference between the salaries of these two careers.
According to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), according to average LPN salaries, medical assistants earn more than LPNs. The salary of an MA depends largely on the job that they hold and their experience. However, the average LPN salary remains consistent.
There is also a significant difference in the educational requirements for a career as a medical assistant and that of an LPN. LPNs have to pass the NCLEX before they can practice in their home state.
FAQ
What does the term "healthcare" mean?
Health care refers to delivering services related to maintaining good physical and mental health.
What should you know about immunizations
Immunization is the process of stimulating an immune response to a vaccine. Immunization is the process by which the body makes antibodies (immunoglobulins), that protect against infection.
What are the three main objectives of a healthcare program?
The three most important goals of any healthcare system should be to provide affordable healthcare for patients, improve outcomes, and decrease costs.
These goals have been made into a framework called Triple Aim. It is based upon research from the Institute of Healthcare Improvement. IHI published this in 2008.
The idea behind this framework is that if we focus on all three goals together, we can improve each goal without compromising any other goal.
Because they don't compete with one another, this is why. They support each others.
As an example, if access to care is improved, fewer people die from inability to pay. That reduces the overall cost of care.
We can also improve the quality of our care to achieve our first goal, which is to provide care at an affordable cost. It improves outcomes.
What will happen to Medicare if it isn't there?
The number of Americans without insurance will rise. Employers may decide to drop employees from their plans. Many seniors will be responsible for higher out-of–pocket expenses for prescription drugs, and other medical services.
Statistics
- Healthcare Occupations PRINTER-FRIENDLY Employment in healthcare occupations is projected to grow 16 percent from 2020 to 2030, much faster than the average for all occupations, adding about 2.6 million new jobs. (bls.gov)
- For instance, Chinese hospital charges tend toward 50% for drugs, another major percentage for equipment, and a small percentage for healthcare professional fees. (en.wikipedia.org)
- Price Increases, Aging Push Sector To 20 Percent Of Economy". (en.wikipedia.org)
- For the most part, that's true—over 80 percent of patients are over the age of 65. (rasmussen.edu)
- Over the first twenty-five years of this transformation, government contributions to healthcare expenditures have dropped from 36% to 15%, with the burden of managing this decrease falling largely on patients. (en.wikipedia.org)
External Links
How To
What are the 4 Health Systems
Healthcare systems are complex networks of institutions such as hospitals and clinics, pharmaceutical companies or insurance providers, government agencies and public health officials.
This infographic was created to help people understand the US healthcare system.
Here are some key points.
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Healthcare spending is $2 trillion annually, representing 17% of the GDP. That's more than twice the total defense budget!
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Medical inflation reached 6.6% last year, higher than any other consumer category.
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Americans spend 9% on average for their health expenses.
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As of 2014 there were more than 300,000,000 Americans who weren't insured.
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The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been signed into law, but it isn't been fully implemented yet. There are still large gaps in coverage.
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A majority of Americans believe that the ACA should continue to be improved upon.
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The United States spends more on healthcare than any other country.
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Affordable healthcare would lower the overall cost by $2.8 Trillion annually if everyone had it.
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Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance cover 56%.
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The top 3 reasons why people don't get insured include not being able to afford it ($25 billion), not having enough time to look for insurance ($16.4 billion), and not knowing about it ($14.7 billion).
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There are two types of plans: HMO (health maintenance organization) and PPO (preferred provider organization).
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Private insurance covers the majority of services including doctors, dentists and prescriptions.
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Programs that are public include outpatient surgery, hospitalization, nursing homes, long-term and preventive care.
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Medicare is a federal program that provides health coverage to senior citizens. It pays for hospital stays, skilled nursing facility stays, and home health visits.
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Medicaid is a federal-state program that provides financial aid to low-income families and individuals who earn too little to be eligible for other benefits.