Healthcare workers have different challenges. Some must perform complicated tasks quickly, some are exposed to deadly or very harmful diseases, some must show empathy, compassion, and patience in difficult situations, and others must cover long shifts or demanding schedules such as night shifts, weekends, holidays, etc. Regardless of what healthcare workers go through, they remain steadfast in their work.
What are Allied Healthcare Workers?
The most recognized healthcare workers in the medical field are physicians and nurses. However, there are allied healthcare workers, the other healthcare professionals responsible for administration, technical support, diagnosis of some diseases, management, and rehabilitation, and also who support patients in various ways through therapies.
Some examples of allied healthcare workers are:
- Paramedics are the first emergency responders in the event of an emergency before arriving at a hospital. They usually have to keep a patient alive so that the hospital can treat them with greater access to medical equipment or save and even revive them if necessary.
- Dental hygienists help maintain patient health by properly cleaning the teeth, gums, and mouth care. Their work ensures all patients take better care of their teeth and enjoy healthy gums and teeth.
- Chiropractors are professionals who take care of patients' health problems related to the neuromusculoskeletal system through manipulation of the spine and joints to help with problems and pain that may arise.
- Radiation therapists provide radiation treatments to cancer patients, known as radiotherapy. They must have a wide range of knowledge about cancer and the therapy they are administering.
- Respiratory Therapists administer respiratory-related therapies to all types of patients, regardless of age, according to medical requirements. They may administer medications and oxygen therapies or manage ventilator management to support the patient's breathing.
- Physical Therapists are movement therapists. This means they help patients who have lost or are partially or permanently lacking motor skills regain them through specific exercises. Physical therapy is beneficial and necessary for a wide range of patients, from patients who have suffered accidents to patients with motor development delays.
- Speech-language pathologists are in charge of correcting and improving speech and communication problems in various patients. They might also help with swallowing and eating when necessary for the patient.
- Pharmacists are in charge of the safe sale and recommendation of medications to patients and medical personnel, as well as knowing different forms of administration of compounds.
- Dietitians are health professionals who guide patients to a more balanced lifestyle through diet and improve health and nutritional status, thus improving the quality of life of various patients. In many diseases, dietary change is fundamental for the complete cure of patients.
However, it is essential to note that working the frontlines in healthcare are all kinds of professionals, as well as non-professional healthcare personnel, who take all sorts of risks in diagnosis, treatment, healing, cleaning, facility maintenance, laundry, etc. These professionals are unsung heroes of healthcare facilities and deserve great recognition, for they do all the work with or without it.
The Importance of Nurse Recognition
However, it is essential to note the importance of nurses, a fact that has reverberated with increasing emphasis since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Nurses have always been the first to take care of patients in the best possible way, with patience, staying by their side to attend to their needs, and looking out for the well-being of their health, investing their time in a noble profession.
According to the national Gallup poll, nurses are the most-trusted profession in the country. This has been true for the past 20 years, as the public views nurses as honest, ethical, caring, and working for the common good.
The lives and safety of patients in healthcare facilities depend on their personal and professional happiness, which is why all nurses and allied healthcare workers deserve high pay, fair working hours, and recognition. Undoubtedly, it is essential to recognize them and their work, and that part of appreciating them is constantly seeking a better life and working conditions. One way Nursa supports nurses and healthcare workers is by enabling them to find higher-paying jobs by registering on the app and searching for PRN (pro re nata) jobs. PRN shifts, which are temporary, tend to have better hourly pay and allow nurses to choose their schedules.
We thank all healthcare personnel and all workers who give their lives, their time, and their dedication and patience to all human beings inside or outside healthcare facilities.
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