Patient Support
What Is Patient Support?
Patient Support careers have one important thing in common: they all involve some level of patient interaction. So, if you like the idea of working in a health facility among some very polished professionals and of helping people to live better, healthier lives, then a patient support position may be right for you. You might want to look into working as a Phlebotomist, who draws blood and sometimes may even test it for problems or diseases. You may want to work as a Medical Assistant, who does a variety of tasks including taking patient’s vital signs (blood pressure, temperature, height and weight), assisting with minor surgical procedures, taking x-rays, scheduling appointments, or keeping patients’ records. Another patient support position is that of Nursing Assistant. Nursing assistants do all kinds of things in hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes: helping patients with eating, dressing, and bathing; taking temperatures and blood pressure readings; making beds, serving meals, and keeping the rooms. They may even set up equipment to be used by technicians and nurses.
You might want to consider becoming a Prosthetics Assistant, the person who works with patients who need prosthetic limbs or other body parts to improve their lives. The assistant works alongside both the graduate-level Prosthetist who designs the prosthesis and technicians who build the devices. So, there are all kinds of career opportunities at various education levels, from the certificate or Associate’s degree up to the Master’s degree and beyond. To support patients, often at difficult times in their lives, it’s important to be empathetic, patient, kind, efficient, and detail-oriented. Is that you?