Healthcare Professions
Healthcare is a sensitive profession that requires commitment and perfectness. Healthcare professionals are trusted by patients to take care of their health and should thus be qualified in the different fields of practice. Most healthcare professions require high qualifications for practice in the healthcare sector. Some of the healthcare professions include Physicians, Advanced Practice Nurses, Dentists, Physician Assistants, and oral-maxillofacial surgeons. The roles of various healthcare professionals have changed with time, and thus, the qualifications required have also changed. Changes such as the introduction of technology in the healthcare sector have affected the operation of the healthcare sector.
Physicians operate under a strict licensure program that several qualifications. First, physicians are required to hold a medical degree from a recognized medical school. Further, physicians are required to have undergone a one-year internship program before being eligible for a license (Phelps & Gerbasi, 2013). Most physicians obtain a residency by specializing in a specific field of practice. Licenses to physicians are always restricted to different regions, for example, under a particular state government.
Dentists are trusted to treat patients with teeth problems as well as to offer advice on proper mouth hygiene. The qualification of a dentist involves graduating with a degree in dental surgery or dental medicine from a recognized medical institution. Like most other healthcare professions, dentists are licensed before being allowed to practice in their fields. Mostly, a degree in dental medicine is taken over four years, above which a dentist may decide to pursue other specializations.
Advanced practice nurses are more trained than ordinary registered nurses. The essential qualification for a nurse before licensing is a degree in nursing and other relevant courses as specified by different regulatory bodies. An advanced practice nurse is, however, required to have a master’s degree above the qualifications of a registered nurse. Besides, advanced practice nurses specialize in fields such as cancer care, pediatrics, and even geriatrics. Also, certifications are available for different classes of advanced practice nurses. For example, advanced practice nurses may be certified to work as anesthetists, midwives, or even clinical nurse practitioners.
Physician assistants are required to have higher qualifications like physicians. The essential requirement for physicians and physician assistants is a degree in medicine (Miers, Rickaby & Pollard, 2017). Then, the physician assistants are required to have qualified with a master’s degree in Physician assistant programs from accredited institutions. The qualifications for physician assistants allow them to work together with the physicians, although the physicians mainly conduct supervision work. Also, Physician assistants may be required to obtain specialization certificates in other fields, such as surgery and medicine prescriptions.
Oral-maxillofacial surgeons have higher qualifications in the field of dentistry. Generally, dentists qualify for a license after acquiring a degree in dental medicine. However, some dentists proceed to obtain higher qualifications and specialize in more complex professions. Oral-maxillofacial surgeons first qualify as dentists before proceeding with advanced education. Among the specializations that oral-maxillofacial surgeons have are disorders in the mouth, face, and jaws. The correction of such disorders requires dentists to have more experience than the one acquired while attending dental classes.
References
Miers, M. E., Rickaby, C. E., & Pollard, K. C. (2017). Career choices in health care: Is nursing a special case? A content analysis of survey data. International journal of nursing studies, 44(7), 1196-1209.
Phelps, M. R., & Gerbasi, F. (2013). Accreditation requirements for practice doctorates in 14 healthcare professions. AANA journal, 77(1).