Health professional
), physician assistant, registered dietitian, veterinarian, veterinary technician, optometrist, pharmacist, pharmacy technician, medical assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist, dentist, midwife, psychologist, audiologist, or healthcare scientist, or who perform services in allied health professions.
They often work in hospitals, healthcare centers and other service delivery points, but also in academic training, research, and administration.
"Health professionals" are highly skilled workers, in professions that usually require extensive knowledge including university-level study leading to the award of a first degree or higher qualification.
These health care providers often deal with the same illnesses, disorders, conditions, and issues; however, their scope of practice often differs.
Violence is causing health care workers to have a negative attitude toward work tasks and patients, and because of that they are "feeling pressured to accept the order, dispense a product, or administer a medication".
[10] Optometry is a field traditionally associated with the correction of refractive errors using glasses or contact lenses, and treating eye diseases.
Optometrists may also undergo further training in order to specialize in various fields, including glaucoma, medical retina, low vision, or paediatrics.
Medical diagnosis providers are health workers responsible for the process of determining which disease or condition explains a person's symptoms and signs.
[citation needed] In many societies, practitioners of alternative medicine have contact with a significant number of people, either as integrated within or remaining outside the formal health care system.
For it to be effective against highly contagious diseases, personal protective equipment must be watertight and prevent the skin and mucous membranes from contacting infectious material.
Practices such as triple gloving and multiple respirators do not provide a higher level of protection and present a burden to the worker, who is additionally at increased risk of exposure when removing the PPE.
Compliance with appropriate personal protective equipment rules may be difficult in certain situations, such as tropical environments or low-resource settings.
A 2020 Cochrane systematic review found low-quality evidence that using more breathable fabric in PPE, double gloving, and active training reduce the risk of contamination but that more randomized controlled trials are needed for how best to train healthcare workers in proper PPE use.
[16] Based on recommendations from The United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for TB screening and testing the following best practices should be followed when hiring and employing Health Care Personnel.
[24] Some studies suggest that workplace stress is pervasive in the health care industry because of inadequate staffing levels, long work hours, exposure to infectious diseases and hazardous substances leading to illness or death, and in some countries threat of malpractice litigation.
The consequences of this stress can include substance abuse, suicide, major depressive disorder, and anxiety, all of which occur at higher rates in health professionals than the general working population.
[28] Violent incidents typically occur during one-on-one care; being alone with patients increases healthcare workers' risk of assault.
These injuries most commonly result in strains and sprains; women, those older than 45, and those who have been working less than a year in a healthcare setting are at the highest risk.
Female health workers are exposed to hazardous drugs and chemicals in the workplace which may cause adverse reproductive outcomes such as spontaneous abortion and congenital malformations.
The Budget expands loan repayment programs for physicians, nurses, and dentists who agree to practice in medically underserved areas.
It will also allow states to increase access to oral health care through dental workforce development grants.
[36] In Canada, the 2011 federal budget announced a Canada Student Loan forgiveness program to encourage and support new family physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and nurses to practice in underserved rural or remote communities of the country, including communities that provide health services to First Nations and Inuit populations.
[46] Results of nursing staff shortages can cause unsafe staffing levels that lead to poor patient care.
Five or more incidents that occur per day in a hospital setting as a result of nurses who do not receive adequate rest or meal breaks is a common issue.
Individuals found to be providing medical, nursing or other professional services without the appropriate certification or license may face sanctions and criminal charges leading to a prison term.
The number of professions subject to regulation, requisites for individuals to receive professional licensure, and nature of sanctions that can be imposed for failure to comply vary across jurisdictions.
Health professionals can also be imprisoned if found guilty of practicing beyond the limits allowed by their licenses and registration.
The state laws define the scope of practice for medicine, nursing, and a number of allied health professions.
In Florida, practicing medicine without the appropriate license is a crime classified as a third degree felony,[49] which may give imprisonment up to five years.
Practicing a health care profession without a license which results in serious bodily injury classifies as a second degree felony,[49] providing up to 15 years' imprisonment.
