Does the idea of caring for patients and supporting good health or the excitement of popular television shows in hospital settings inspires you? As an aspiring healthcare practitioner and potential nursing student, it would be beneficial to understand what healthcare practitioners actually do and what their daily lives look like before choosing a career path.<\/p>\n
To help prospective students better understand the roles,\u00a0responsibilities\u00a0and typical\u00a0day\u00a0in the life of a healthcare worker,\u00a0we address\u00a0the\u00a0key\u00a0questions:\u00a0\u201cWhat is a healthcare practitioner?\u201d and \u201cWhat does a healthcare practitioner do?\u201d<\/p>\n
What Does a Healthcare Practitioner Do?<\/p>\n
There\u00a0are\u00a0multiple ways to\u00a0answer, \u201cWhat is a practitioner in healthcare?\u201d A\u00a0healthcare practitioner<\/a>\u00a0can be defined as a licensed and certified healthcare professional who provides medical services and care to patients. Examples of healthcare practitioners include:<\/p>\n Registered nurses\u00a0(RNs) Medical Competence\u00a0<\/p>\n Healthcare practitioners are trained and qualified to assess and examine patients, provide diagnoses and treatment, promote healthy habits, collaborate with other healthcare professionals (such as physicians)\u00a0and apply evidence-based practices to their clinical decisions for better patient outcomes.<\/p>\n Soft Skills<\/p>\n While the educational background and specific treatment knowledge can vary significantly between different healthcare practitioner positions and disciplines, the\u00a0soft skills<\/a>\u00a0needed to fill these roles and experience job satisfaction in healthcare include several common competencies:<\/p>\n Communication These types of skills\u00a0allow\u00a0healthcare practitioners to provide patient-centered care while collaborating effectively with colleagues and a patient\u2019s entire healthcare team for better outcomes.<\/p>\n Technology and Innovation<\/p>\n In addition to soft skills, healthcare practitioners should be interested in technology, excited by\u00a0innovation\u00a0and ready to embrace the\u00a0cutting-edge\u00a0of the industry with continuous education as healthcare tools,\u00a0technology\u00a0and techniques advance.<\/p>\n The Typical Daily Routine of a Healthcare Practitioner<\/p>\n A day in the life of a healthcare worker varies considerably between specific professions; depending on the healthcare field and position one chooses to pursue, they might spend their days cleaning and examining teeth, working an intake desk in an emergency department or assisting with the delivery and care of infants in an obstetrics wing of the local hospital.<\/p>\n If you choose a profession where you will be working directly with patients, you\u00a0might\u00a0expect your workdays to follow this general schedule.<\/p>\n Starting the Day<\/p>\n The beginning of\u00a0a\u00a0healthcare\u00a0practitioner\u2019s\u00a0day in\u00a0the life\u00a0involves preparing to take on the rest of the\u00a0shift.<\/p>\n Reviewing Patient Charts and Schedules<\/p>\n Healthcare practitioners begin by reviewing their schedules, patient\u00a0charts\u00a0and upcoming appointments.<\/p>\n Team Huddles or Shift Handovers<\/p>\n Additionally, the beginning of a new shift\u00a0may\u00a0begin with a team huddle during which the outgoing providers brief the incoming providers on essential information to ensure continuity of care for their patients.<\/p>\n Patient Interactions and Care<\/p>\n A healthcare practitioner\u2019s day is primarily spent caring for and interacting with patients.<\/p>\n Conducting Assessments, Treatments and Follow-Ups<\/p>\n These interactions may consist of patient examinations and assessments\u00a0along with\u00a0administering treatments,\u00a0monitoring\u00a0the\u00a0patient\u00a0and following up after care has been provided.<\/p>\n Balancing Bedside Manner With Technical Skills<\/p>\n While healthcare professionals have important jobs and\u00a0must often squeeze as many appointments as possible into a given day, it is still\u00a0essential\u00a0for them to balance their technical skills and responsibilities with a pleasant\u00a0bedside manner<\/a>. This includes\u00a0having the\u00a0patience to practice active listening without interrupting, paying attention to\u00a0detail\u00a0and doing\u00a0their\u00a0best to connect and empathize with\u00a0every\u00a0patient.<\/p>\n Administrative Responsibilities<\/p>\n Healthcare practitioners\u00a0also\u00a0fulfill a variety of administrative responsibilities to ensure operational compliance and thorough recordkeeping.<\/p>\n Documentation and Electronic Medical Records (EMRs)<\/p>\n Healthcare practitioners must keep detailed records of each patient\u2019s appointment (including intake, assessment, consultation, examination, tests,\u00a0recommendations\u00a0and treatments). The data should be electronically input with proper medical coding to ensure\u00a0accurate\u00a0electronic medical records that can be used for healthcare collaboration, patient\u00a0education\u00a0and billing purposes.<\/p>\n Compliance With Policies, Protocols and Reporting<\/p>\n In addition, healthcare practitioners must practice compliantly with respect to:<\/p>\n Rules and regulations End-of-Day Wrap-Up<\/p>\n At the end of the day, healthcare practitioners wrap up their duties, brief the incoming\u00a0shift\u00a0and prepare for the next day.<\/p>\n Reviewing Patient Progress<\/p>\n Before leaving for the day, healthcare practitioners review patient progress to\u00a0update\u00a0the incoming staff\u00a0as well as\u00a0provide care instructions to ensure continuity and quality care for patients. They may also make phone calls to outpatients to check in, answer\u00a0questions\u00a0or deliver test results.<\/p>\n Preparing for the Next Day<\/p>\n Before leaving, healthcare practitioners prepare for the next day.\u00a0This might entail:<\/p>\n Making notes and to-do lists Challenges in a Healthcare Practitioner\u2019s Day<\/p>\n While working as a healthcare practitioner can be\u00a0highly\u00a0rewarding, these professions are not without\u00a0their\u00a0struggles.\u00a0Below are some of\u00a0the\u00a0most common\u00a0healthcare practitioner challenges:<\/p>\n Managing Stress and Long Hours<\/p>\n Healthcare practitioners often work long hours, and they need to manage the stress of having a demanding schedule where they often face the challenge of having more tasks to complete\u00a0than they have\u00a0time to complete them.<\/p>\n Emotional and Physical Demands<\/p>\n These jobs, depending on the setting in which\u00a0you work, can\u00a0accompany\u00a0significant emotional and physical demands. Healthcare practitioners tend to be compassionate,\u00a0empathic\u00a0people who work with patients who are struggling,\u00a0so\u00a0it can be difficult for some not to take on their patients\u2019 pain.<\/p>\n Many healthcare settings are fast-paced environments,\u00a0too\u00a0\u2014\u00a0making it a physically demanding job where practitioners\u00a0may\u00a0be on their feet most of the day,\u00a0busy helping patients\u00a0get\u00a0out of bed or to the restroom.<\/p>\n Balancing Patient Care With Paperwork<\/p>\n Many healthcare practitioners pursue the profession because they want to work with patients. However, it is important to understand that the job also comes with an\u00a0administrative workload.<\/p>\n Navigating Administrative Load<\/p>\n Healthcare practitioners have\u00a0plenty\u00a0of paperwork that ranges from completing forms for compliance and billing purposes to carefully documenting details in patients\u2019 records. These demands make it necessary for healthcare practitioners to\u00a0come up with\u00a0effective strategies for balancing time spent on administrative requirements\u00a0alongside\u00a0time spent with patients.<\/p>\n Handling Emergencies or Unexpected Situations<\/p>\n Healthcare practitioners need to expect the unexpected; most days include new situations and emergencies that require quick thinking and immediate action.<\/p>\n Staying Calm Under Pressure<\/p>\n The ability to remain\u00a0level-headed in high-pressure situations\u00a0is essential for all healthcare practitioners, even those who work outside of the operating room and emergency room.<\/p>\n Work-Life Balance and Lifestyle<\/p>\n Maintaining a healthy work-life balance\u00a0in healthcare\u00a0is\u00a0crucial\u00a0for practitioners and their patients. It prevents burnout, improves\u00a0care\u00a0and fosters overall better well-being.<\/p>\n Balancing Demands of the Role With Personal Life<\/p>\n Healthcare practitioners must set firm boundaries between their work lives and personal lives to balance their demanding careers with the equally important aspects of their personal lives: family,\u00a0friends\u00a0and fun.<\/p>\n Family, Exercise and Rest<\/p>\n Practice self-care every day by eating healthy,\u00a0making time\u00a0for regular\u00a0physical\u00a0activity\u00a0and getting adequate sleep. Also, have a strategy in place to\u00a0utilize\u00a0your time off in a way that ensures you\u00a0are able to\u00a0rest, pursue hobbies, get\u00a0exercise\u00a0and spend quality time with family and friends.<\/p>\n Different Practice Models<\/p>\n Healthcare practitioners working in\u00a0various\u00a0settings and workplaces can find a practice model that works well for their lifestyle and preferences.<\/p>\n Full-Time, Part-Time and Shift Work Differences<\/p>\n Finding a work schedule that works for you is imperative.\u202fMany healthcare facilities,\u00a0hospitals\u00a0and clinics offer different models that include opportunities for full-time and part-time work in addition to differing on-call schedules and requirements.\u00a0Nurses\u00a0also\u00a0often have the\u00a0option\u00a0of working a variety of different shifts\u00a0\u2014\u00a0such as eight-hour days, 10-hour days (four days per week) or three twelve-hour days.<\/p>\n Career Opportunities and Growth<\/p>\n
\nNurse practitioners\u00a0(NPs)
\nPhysicians\u00a0and\u00a0physician assistants\u00a0(PAs)
\nPhysiologists
\nPhysical therapists\u00a0(PTs)
\nChiropractors
\nDentists
\nOther types of healthcare specialists and providers<\/p>\n
\nActive listening
\nCompassion and empathy
\nTeamwork and collaboration
\nAdaptability
\nAnalytical thinking, critical thinking, deductive\u00a0reasoning\u00a0and problem-solving
\nTime management and organization
\nStress management
\nCultural competence<\/p>\n
\nHospital or clinic policies
\nPatient safety standards
\nData and privacy protection
\nEthical standards<\/p>\n
\nSending and responding to emails
\nPulling files and charts
\nReviewing the next day\u2019s schedule
\nReviewing patient information<\/p>\n