Healthcare is a broad field with many areas of specialization and subspecialties within that area. Each healthcare profession is very important, and there are four professions that are essential to the medical field. Here are four common healthcare professionals and where they’re usually employed.
#1: Nurses
Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs)
CNAs are nurses that are responsible for monitoring vital signs and bathing and dressing patients in nursing care facilities, hospitals, nursing homes, and other long-term care facilities.
Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs)
LPNs are nurses that monitor blood pressure, change bandages, and collect urine and blood samples in hospitals, nursing care facilities, physician offices, and home healthcare.
Registered Nurses (RNs)
RNs are nurses that assess patients, administer medication, and assist in diagnostic testing in hospitals, ambulatory settings, and nursing care facilities.
Nurse Practitioners (NPs)
NPs are nurses that are able to perform many of the same duties as physicians. They examine patients, diagnose health problems, analyze test results, and administer and prescribe medications in physician offices and hospitals.
#2: Nutritionists and Dietitians
Nutritionists and dietitians are experts in food and diet, although registered dietitians (RDs) are more closely related to physicians than nutritionists. Both teach people about food, health, and nutrition, but RDs can work in clinical settings (i.e., private practices, inpatient and outpatient settings, hospitals, etc.) and can diagnose and treat illnesses, including eating disorders. Nutritionists can also work in clinical settings, but can only provide nutrition counseling. Because of this, they’re mostly found working in local health departments, school districts, and research settings.
#3: Physicians
Dentists
Dentists are physicians who specialize in oral health, diagnosing and treating conditions affecting the teeth and gums. Dentistry is not a specialty of medicine, but its own area and has its own specialties as well:
- Prosthodontics (dentures and prosthetics)
- Periodontics (gums disease and oral implants)
- Pedodontics (children)
- Orthodontics (teeth and jaw correction)
- Oral surgery
- Endodontics (root canals)
Dentists are employed in private practices and other settings that allow them to work on teeth. So this means that dentists aren’t usually employed in hospitals.
Dermatologists
Dermatologists are physicians who specialize in treating conditions of the skin, nails, and hair. While it is a specialty of medicine, dermatology also has subspecialties:
- Procedural dermatology
- Pediatric dermatology
- Dermatopathology
Dermatologists are usually employed in private practices.
Emergency Medicine Physicians
Emergency medicine physicians provide care in emergency situations, as the name suggests. While it is a specialty of medicine, emergency medicine also has its subspecialties:
- Undersea and hyperbaric medicine
- Sports medicine
- Pediatric emergency medicine
- Pain medicine
- Medical toxicology
- Hospice and palliative medicine
- Emergency medical services (EMS)
- Critical care medicine
- Anesthesiology
Emergency medicine physicians are typically employed by hospitals but often work in pre-hospital/ambulatory settings.
Family Medicine Physicians
Family medicine physicians are physicians who are usually the primary care provider (PCP) for most people. Instead of focusing on a specific part of the body, this specialty of medicine focuses on the body as a whole. However, family medicine physicians can specialize in the following areas:
- Sports medicine
- Sleep medicine
- Pain medicine
- Hospice and palliative medicine
- Geriatric medicine
- Adolescent medicine
Family medicine physicians are usually employed in private practices and even in hospital settings.
Internal Medicine Physicians
Internal medicine physicians, or internists, are doctors who treat diseases of internal organs. This specialty of medicine also has several subspecialties, including:
- Rheumatology (musculoskeletal system)
- Pulmonology (respiratory system)
- Oncology (benign and malignant tumors)
- Nephrology (kidneys)
- Hematology (blood and bones)
- Gastroenterology (digestive system)
- Endocrinology (endocrine system)
- Cardiology (circulatory system)
Internists can work in a hospital or a specialty practice if they choose a subspecialty. They can also work in multispecialty clinics since a lot of organs affect each other, especially with certain conditions.
#4: Therapists
Therapists are mental health professionals who diagnose and treat patients with known and unknown mental health problems. They usually work in offices, hospitals, treatment centers, and group homes. They can also specialize in a specific type of therapy, such as:
- Play therapy (usually for children)
- Music therapy
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Art therapy
- Animal-assisted therapy
It’s important to note that therapists can’t recommend or prescribe medication, but they can refer patients to other professionals, such as a psychiatrist. A psychiatrist is a physician that specializes in mental health and can prescribe medication.
As you can see, there are many important healthcare professionals. Although physicians and nurses make up a big portion of healthcare, nutritionists/dietitians and therapists are important as well. Any of these healthcare professionals can be found working in a practice dedicated to their specific field.