Every one of us has relied on a medical professional at least a few times in our lives. When we get seriously ill, or suffer a serious injury, we put our health in the hands of doctors, nurses, and pharmacists, fully expecting to be treated with a certain degree of professionalism and safety. Unfortunately, sometimes the expected care is not given, or not given to the extent which the ailment requires. In these situations, we can feel blindsided, confused, even taken advantage of.
This role does not only allow me to shadow doctors while they engage with patients, providing an opportunity to gain invaluable information and advises. This role requires most of my attention towards patients’ needs, which helps to establish a professional relationship and understand what they expect a doctor to be: caring and sensitive but decisive. As English is not my first language, my bilingual skills give me a chance to help some patients through being a translator. It is not the dream job anyone imagines, hours of sleepless shifts, tremendous responsibility with no room for errors as dealing with fragile lives and not products. This only further strengthens my decision to pursue medicine. What I most admire is how empathetic a doctor can be yet unaffected during a critical situation. It is more than just a skill; it is a talent.
Every year, an estimate of 5.9 million people dies from disease (World Health Organization, 2016). Some of these diseases are caused by bacteria, parasites, virus, trauma, mutations, and environment. Although these diseases can cause death and injury, in many cases, they can be treated by a specialist called a physician. A physician is a person who is qualified to practice medicine. Often, these medical specialists need help in treating large numbers of patients in need of care. In the 1960s, the physician assistant (PA) profession was created.in 1965, there was a noticeable shortage of physicians. Eugene A. Stead Jr., MD, of the Duke University Medical Center assembled the first class to take on the role as physician assistants. These men received medical training in fast track manner to what a physician might learn (Academic Academy of Physician Assistants Organization, 2014).The duties of a physician assistant are similar to what a physician may carry out but differ in some ways. Today, the physician assistant profession is a growing field, but more difficult to achieve. Recently, there has been an increase in the amount of school time and pre requisites to be accepted into a physician assistant graduate program. Specialization of a particular field is even more difficult to achieve. In addition, work environments can be often challenging. However, high salaries and benefits of working in the medical field give reward to the employee.
One good Career job in the medical field is to be a Physician Assistant. If a person wants to work under the Physician this is the job. They examine, diagnose, and treat patients under the supervision of the doctor. They also prepare casts, splints, suture small wounds and interpret medical tests. Another job duty is they can also prescribe medications. Some specialize in a specific area of medicine such as emergency care or other medical positions. Some may assist in advance medical techniques. PAs are often the first choice of medicine rural or underserved places. In some cases the PA will refer the patient to a medical doctor or make arrangements for transferring a patient to a hospital or clinic. The Career Outlook for this job is the employment
For as long as I could remember, I have seen my father rushing to the hospital in a white coat, answering pagers in the middle of important family conversations and attending night calls even in the most terrible weather. I had always wondered; what could be so important that it belittles every other responsibility in his life. It was only after many years of anguish and protests that it finally made sense to me. This defining moment of realization occurred when I first met a patient in his office. I saw how the gratitude in the patient’s eyes can provide a sense of fulfillment that triumphs all other feelings in the universe. It was human life that was most important. Being a doctor does not make you a mere healer but also gives you the responsibility of a caregiver. I had never felt more proud of my father and that was the day I felt the urge to relive this feeling many times over. It was there in that moment that I decided to pursue a career in medicine.
A physician assistant provides a wide range of healthcare diagnostic and treatment services under a physician’s supervision (Shelly Field, Ferguson’s career online). They perform tasks such as taking medical history, perform physical exams, orders lab tests and writes prescriptions. In order to be a successful physician assistant, one must have certain qualities such as knowledge, professionalism and compassion. Physician assistants can specialize in many areas that center on disease type or area of medicine. Examples include from emergency medicine or even surgery. The level of of independence varies from state to state but most PAs work autonomously (BLS, Physician Assistant).
Family and General Physicians deal with everyday problems such as broken bones, infections or just the common cold on a daily basis. They diagnose and treat patients with illnesses and injuries.They have many responsibilities along with that. Their responsibilities include examining patients, collecting medical information about the patient, family history, and maybe other doctors, immunizing patients. They also run tests and labs, prescribe medications, coming up with a plan on how to treat the injury or illness. Which usually includes sending them to different therapies or specialist or prescribing certain treatments to help them get better.
Presence of a Duty of care: Physicians have a responsibility to treat people in a medically- appropriate manner.
“Working in a Hospital everyday is a new situation, so it keeps you on your feet.You don’t know what type of patient you may come across everyday.You interact with patients daily and give them their medication a certain time according to the medication. Other tasks involve you giving the patient's chart to the doctors. Sometimes when I go with the doctors on their rounds, i have the opportunity to counsel the patients about recommended course of
When faced with a tough, and timed emergency situation, there are many directions a heath care provider can go in from there. They can freeze, act improperly, or not quick enough, but some will also act professionally and correctly perhaps saving a patient's life. What determines the direction a health care provider will take is their experience. From knowledge to observation, a medical professional can learn the most efficient ways to work. But one way in particular, past medical experiences and the patient, provider relationship, can influence the decisions a health care provider will make. This can be demonstrated by both Atul Gawande, author of Complications: A Surgeon’s Note on an Imperfect Science, and within Courtney Davis’s The
ARMSTRONG, M. (2011) How to be an even better manager. 8th ed. London: Kognan Page.
A person in this career; Visits patients on hospital rounds, update charts, orders therapy and reports back to physician. Help physicians during surgery or complicated medical procedures. Prescribes therapy or medication with physician approval. Carries out therapeutic procedures, such as injections, immunizations, suturing and wound care. Complies patient medical data, including health history and results of physical examinations. Makes tentative diagnoses and decisions about patient treatment and
Melvin Konner, in “Basic Clinical Skills”, uses a first person point of view along with some bits of humor in order to establish a more relatable narrator. He discusses several topics such as the relationship between doctors and their patients, the healthcare given in hospitals, and the role that the physician plays in different contexts of life.
“Doctor, the trauma patient is ready and prepped for surgery”. “CODE BLUE, CODE BLUE”. “OK Ms. Forsett, these are some papers you will have to sign”. “Trauma team activation, Trauma 1 activation”. These are the most common sayings that you would hear in a hospital emergency room. If you an outsider looking in, this seems like an unorganized workplace, but to the doctor's it’s just organized chaos. Everything seems to be alright and seems adventurous, but the truth be told, doctors only spend 29 percent seeing patients and 49 percent on just paperwork and electronic health keeping records. With this much time being spent on paperwork, is the modern day doctor just a record keeper or are they there to be a second lifesaver to someone’s “God”,
This piece of essay on critical professional biography will among other things, state the meaning of a professional biography, purpose of my professional biography, discuss my entry into the field of nursing, examination of my career pathway in relation to Nursing and Midwifery Council`s domains of Competency Framework-professional values, communication and interpersonal skills, nursing practice and decision-making, leadership management and team-working. I will also discuss my professional development plan, what to improve on in my current role and the lessons learnt from the Critically Exploring Professional