A Glossary of Healthcare Jobs

People are often confused when two professions have similar names (e.g. technologist/technician or orthotist/orthoptist). And there are people who aren't sure what duties are attached to a new or lesser-known job title. In this glossary, we've provided definitions of the most frequently questioned (and/or most confusing) job titles. (If you have a job you'd like to see included in this glossary, please email us at: letters@medhunters.com.)

C, D, F, H, N, O, P, S, T

C

Chiropodist

See reference at Podiatrist.

Clinical Nurse Specialist

"Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) are licensed registered nurses who have graduate preparation (Master's or Doctorate) in nursing as a Clinical Nurse Specialist. … Clinical Nurse Specialists are expert clinicians in a specialized area of nursing practice. The specialty may be identified in terms of: a population (e.g. pediatrics, geriatrics, women's health); a setting (e.g. critical care, emergency room); a disease or medical subspecialty (e.g. diabetes, oncology); a type of care (e.g. psychiatric, rehabilitation); a type of problem (e.g. pain, wounds, stress). … In addition to providing direct patient care, Clinical Nurse Specialists influence care outcomes by providing expert consultation for nursing staffs and by implementing improvements in health care delivery systems." (From the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists' (NACNS) website.)

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D

Dialysis Technician (also: Hemodialysis Technician)

"Dialysis technicians perform basic clinical and technical tasks in the care of the ESRD [End Stage Renal Disease] patient under the direct supervision of a Medical Director, Nephrologist, Chief Technologist or Licensed Personnel. Dialysis technicians perform routine procedures in the outpatient, inpatient and acute settings. There are three clearly defined technician types within the ESRD community: Patient Care Technician (PCT), Biomedical Equipment Technician and Dialyzer Reprocessing Technician (Reuse Technician). … (T)he dialysis technician assumes a variety of responsibilities including but not limited to direct care of dialysis patients, medical equipment maintenance and repair, reuse of hemodialyzers, material management, quality assurance and research and development." (From the National Association of Nephrology Technicians/Technologists' website.)

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F

First Assistant

See reference at Surgical First Assistant.

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H

Hemodialysis Technician

See reference at Dialysis Technician.

Homeopathy, Homeopath

"A system of therapeutics founded by Samuel Hahnemann (1755–1843), in which diseases are treated by drugs which are capable of producing in healthy persons symptoms like those of the disease to be treated, the drug being administered in minute doses." (From Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary.)

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N

Naturopathy, Naturopath

"A drugless system of therapy, making use of physical forces such as air, light, water, heat, massage, etc." (From Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary.)

Nurse Anesthetist (if certified, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist [CRNA])

Nurse anesthetists "provide anesthesia in collaboration with surgeons, anesthesiologists, dentists, podiatrists, and other qualified healthcare professionals. When anesthesia is administered by a nurse anesthetist, it is recognized as the practice of nursing; when administered by an anesthesiologist, it is recognized as the practice of medicine. Regardless of whether their educational background is in nursing or medicine, all anesthesia professionals give anesthesia the same way." Nurse anesthetist training is at the Master's degree level. (From the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists' website.)

Nurse Clinician

These registered nurses "… demonstrate expertise in nursing practice and ensure ongoing development of expertise through clinical experience and continuing education. Generally, minimal preparation for this role is the baccalaureate degree" (from Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary). In practice, nurse clinicians work in a certain specialty (e.g., ICU), and are responsible for teaching staff about new equipment, new procedures, etc., and for ensuring that competencies are up-to-date.

Nurse Practitioner

Nurse practitioners (NPs) are "… registered nurses who are prepared, through advanced education and clinical training, to provide a wide range of preventive and acute health care services to individuals of all ages. NPs complete graduate-level education preparation that leads to a master's degree. NPs take health histories and provide complete physical examinations; diagnose and treat many common acute and chronic problems; interpret laboratory results and X-rays; prescribe and manage medications and other therapies; provide health teaching and supportive counseling with an emphasis on prevention of illness and health maintenance; and refer patients to other health professionals as needed. NPs are authorized to practice across the nation and have prescriptive privileges, of varying degrees, in 49 states." (From the American College of Nurse Practitioners' website.)

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O

Orthoptist

"Orthoptists diagnose and treat defects of vision and abnormalities of eye movement [e.g., amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus (squint)]." (From the National Health Service Careers website.)

Orthotist & Prosthetist

"The profession of orthotics or prosthetics is the allied health care medical services used to identify, prevent, correct, or alleviate acute or chronic neuromuscular or musculoskeletal dysfunctions of the human body. The orthotists and prosthetists support and provide rehabilitative healthcare services concerned with the restoration of function, prevention, or progression of disabilities resulting from disease, injury, or congenital anomalies." (From the Texas State Department of Health website in 2005.) The main difference between the two is that orthotists involves bracing parts of the body, whereas prosthetics involves replacing missing parts (e.g., limbs).

Osteopathy, Osteopath

"A system of therapy … based on the theory that the body can make its own remedies against disease and other toxic conditions when it is in normal structural relationship and has favorable environmental conditions and adequate nutrition. It uses generally accepted physical, medicinal, and surgical methods of diagnosis and therapy, while placing chief emphasis on maintenance of normal body mechanics and on manipulative methods of detecting and correcting faulty structure." (From Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary.)

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P

Pathologist's Assistant

"A pathologist's assistant is an intensively trained allied health professional who provides anatomic pathology services under the direction and supervision of a pathologist. Pathologists' assistants interact with pathologists in same manner that physicians' assistants carry out their duties under the direction of physicians in surgical and medical practice. Pathologists' Assistants contribute to the overall efficiency of the laboratory or pathology practice in a cost effective manner by performing a variety of tasks, consisting primarily of gross examination of surgical pathology specimens and performance of autopsies … Many PA's are former histotechnologists, medical technologists, cytotechnologists, and autopsy technicians. Pathologists' assistants are employed throughout the United States, as well as in Canada, Australia, and Denmark. A majority of pathologists' assistants work in community hospitals, with others working in government hospitals, reference laboratories, the medical examiners system, and academic centers, such as medical schools or university hospitals." (From the American Association of Pathologists' Assistants' website.)

Perfusionist

A perfusionist is "a technologist who operates the heart-lung machine during cardiopulmonary bypass." (From Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary.)

Physician Assistant

"Physician assistants [PAs] are health care professionals licensed to practice medicine with physician supervision. PAs employed by the federal government are credentialed to practice. As part of their comprehensive responsibilities, PAs conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, counsel on preventive health care, assist in surgery, and in virtually all states can write prescriptions. Within the physician-PA relationship, physician assistants exercise autonomy in medical decision making and provide a broad range of diagnostic and therapeutic services. A PA's practice may also include education, research, and administrative services. … Because of the close working relationship the PAs have with physicians, PAs are educated in the medical model designed to complement physician training. Upon graduation, physician assistants take a national certification examination developed by the National Commission on Certification of PAs in conjunction with the National Board of Medical Examiners. To maintain their national certification, PAs must log 100 hours of continuing medical education every two years and sit for a recertification every six years. Graduation from an accredited physician assistant program and passage of the national certifying exam are required for state licensure." (From the American Academy of Physician Assistants' website.)

Podiatrist

A podiatrist is a specialist in the "study and care of the foot, including its anatomy, pathology, medical and surgical treatment, etc. … formerly called a chiropodist." (From Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary.)

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S

Surgical First Assistant (also: First Assistant)

"The first assistant during a surgical operation should be a trained individual who is able to participate in and actively assist the surgeon in completing the operation safely and expeditiously by helping to provide exposure, maintain hemostasis, and serve other technical functions. The qualifications of the person in this role may vary with the nature of the operation, the surgical specialty, and the type of hospital or ambulatory surgical facility.

"The American College of Surgeons supports the concept that, ideally, the first assistant at the operating table should be a qualified surgeon or a resident in an approved surgical education program. Residents at appropriate levels of training should be provided with opportunities to assist and participate in operations. If such assistants are not available, other physicians who are experienced in assisting may participate.

"It may be necessary to utilize nonphysicians as first assistants. Surgeon's Assistants (SAs) or physician's assistants (PAs) with additional surgical training should meet national standards and be credentialed by the appropriate local authority. These individuals are not authorized to operate independently."

From the American College of Surgeons' website.

Surgical Technologist

"Surgical technologists are individuals with specialized education who function as members of the surgical team in the role of scrub, circulator, or as assistant personnel to perioperative registered nurses. With additional education and training, some surgical technologists function in the role of surgical first assistant … Most programs require a high school diploma as a minimal entrance requirement. Accredited programs may be offered in community and junior colleges, vocational and technical schools, the military, universities, and structured hospital programs in surgical technology. The accredited programs vary from nine to 15 months for a diploma or certificate to two years for an associate degree." (From the American College of Surgeons' website.)

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T

Technician

"A person skilled in the performance of the technical or procedural aspects of a health care profession; the minimum preparation for this role is generally an associate degree. The technician carries out the routine work of the profession under the supervision of a physician, therapist, technologist, or other health care professional." (From the Miller-Keane Encyclopedia & Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing & Allied Health.)

Technologist

"A person skilled in the theory and practice of a technical profession. In several allied health fields, technologist is the highest professional rank. Generally, the minimum preparation for this role is a baccalaureate degree. In addition to routine work, the technologist is involved in problem-solving and implementation of new procedures." (From the Miller-Keane Encyclopedia & Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing & Allied Health.)

A Glossary of Healthcare Jobs

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Cynthia M Piccolo

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