10 Additional Trainings You Can Take As A Healthcare Worker

Being a healthcare worker has always been a rewarding job, but it’s now more than ever that the world can clearly feel their impact and significance in society. As the pandemic continues to ravage countries and industries, the contribution that people in the medical field give has indeed proven to be beyond compare.

Now if you’re from that industry, good for you. You’ve found your purpose, and you’d like that passion to keep on burning. But did you know that you can contribute more (and earn more) by taking a few professional advancement steps? Yes, there are additional trainings you can take to get certified and be qualified for different positions that are otherwise not offered to those without prior experience and the necessary training.

Furthering Your Healthcare Career 

The good thing about being a healthcare worker is that there are more than enough jobs in the field to explore. If you’ve yet to satisfy your hunger for career satisfaction and stability, now’s the right time to push through with your plan to make greater things happen. You can use your current position as both a foundation and an opportunity to explore other areas of healthcare that may interest you. The experience you already have is yet another advantage to move into different roles and positions, especially if you equip yourself with additional trainings and certifications.

Medical trainings and certifications are highly essential in proving your qualification to perform specific duties needed for a particular position. They’re a great entryway for students who want to get into the healthcare profession, or in your case, for healthcare workers who are contemplating transferring to another industry.

Whether you’re a community healthcare worker, a nursing aid, or a nursing practitioner who’s thinking of expanding your horizons by means of getting additional education, here are some of the most in-demand training programs you may want to consider taking:

1. Phlebotomy Certification 

Phlebotomists or phlebotomy technicians are the healthcare workers who draw blood needed for medical testing or donation. The process is done by puncturing an artery or a vein. Such a responsibility calls for sufficient training in the proper and standard methods of drawing blood.

Needless to say, phlebotomists are expected to carry out such methods in a sanitary and safe manner. At the same time, they need to pay extra attention to protecting themselves from possible dangers involved in working with blood. Lastly, they need to be trained and certified in properly maintaining the blood samples for storage or testing.

Phlebotomy training programs are offered in medical or phlebotomy organizations. These programs usually involve classroom training in safe blood drawing and handling, patient interaction, first aid, and working in different medical environments. By the end of the training, you need to pass the final exam for certification.

2. Bloodborne Pathogens Training 

The bloodborne pathogens training certification course is a training program intended for healthcare workers who may be working in an environment that exposes them to bloodborne pathogens (BBPs) or other plausibly infectious microorganisms and elements. As BBPs are potentially contagious, a worker should be armed with the proper training and certification to ensure that they’re capable of doing their job.

Exposed healthcare workers can include doctors, nurses, lab workers, and emergency medical technicians (EMTs), among others. The objective of the training course is to help medical staff and essential workers be properly educated on defining what BBPs are, identifying methods of their prevention and transmission, and knowing the differences among different BBP microorganisms and infections.

The course can also be helpful to professionals outside of the medical industry, such as providers of body art or courier services.

3. Electrocardiograph Technician Certification

An electrocardiograph (ECG or EKG) technician is a professional who operates the equipment that evaluates, monitors, and graphically traces the heart’s electrical activity. Physicians then use the electrocardiogram graph in diagnosing and monitoring a patient’s heart issues or problems.

If you want to specialize in rendering this kind of testing for patients, a certified EKG technician (CET) certification is what you have to acquire. Your responsibility will include explaining the procedure’s details to the patient as well as getting their blood pressure. Additionally, you’re expected to coordinate with physicians or cardiologists in booking test appointments and stress tests for the patients. 

The CET certification will include patient interaction courses to improve your ability to answer patient inquiries and enhance your communication skills. To qualify for this training, you need to have at least a high school diploma.

4. COVID-19 In Healthcare Training Module 

With COVID-19 still ubiquitous today, healthcare workers need to be armed with sufficient knowledge to handle the virus in a healthcare or hospital setting. The training module is usually offered as a self-paced online course that could include short videos, handouts, simple infographics, an e-learning component, an evaluation form, and a stand-alone exam that requires a passing score of at least 80%. 

By the end of the module, healthcare workers would’ve already learned the updated recommendations and guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on how to handle COVID-19 patients and the prevention of transmission among individuals and healthcare providers.

5. TB Prevention Training 

Tuberculosis (TB) is a condition that affects the lungs and can impair other parts of the body. It’s caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria and may spread through the air when a patient talks, sneezes, or coughs.

The TB prevention training is an educational training module that aims to expand a healthcare worker’s understanding and knowledge of current protective precautions to prevent the transmission of TB. As you go through the module, you should be able to have an in-depth understanding of this infectious disease. You’ll also review the latest infection control guidelines from the CDC to lower the risk of transmission.

6. Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) Certification

The CPhT certification provides healthcare workers with training on how to prescribe for patients. The course should teach you how to measure the correct quantity needed for filling prescriptions for a patient and the different labeling and packaging requirements. There’ll also be modules on making an inventory of available prescriptions and how to process insurance claims from different providers.

The eligibility requirement for the CPhT certification is at least a high school diploma. You might be asked if you have relevant experience in the same industry as well.

7. Aseptic Techniques Training 

This is a course that discusses the asepsis technique, a collection of procedures and medical practices that helps healthcare workers in protecting patients from threatening germs. It should also cover topics on sepsis, infection, and how infectious transmission occurs.

Upon completion, the participants in the course should be able to expound on the benefits of the aseptic technique. They should also know why it’s essential, particularly in the healthcare setting.

8. Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) Certification

A CCMA is typically needed to accomplish tasks related to patients and their medical history. You’ll be responsible for giving their medication, recording medical history, checking their vital signs, and preparing examination rooms before the patient is examined by the physician.

Completing the CCMA certification often qualifies a healthcare worker to job placement programs. You need to have at least a year of professional experience working in a healthcare setting before becoming eligible for the training. A high school diploma will also be required before joining the program.

9. Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) Certification

Being RBT-certified would qualify you to notice and help patients with behavioral issues or disorders that may affect their medical treatment. You’re in charge of ensuring that their treatments will be effective by working on their behavioral needs as you administer treatments.

The training to become an RBT consists of completing a competency assessment, an examination, and a background check before you can be fully certified. And again, a high school diploma is required for the training.

10. Operating Room Protocols Training For Healthcare Industry Representatives

This training is mainly designed for healthcare industry representatives (HCIRs) who’ll be assigned to operating rooms (ORs). As the perioperative setting requires strict guidelines and regulations to ensure patient safety, the course aims to train HCIRs to function as workplace safety and patient advocates.

HCIRs will be trained on various OR protocols, including safety aspects, proper attire, surgical information, and OR layout. They’ll also be responsible for maintaining the security and privacy of the health information of the patients.

Conclusion

There are more than enough opportunities in the healthcare profession these days. Once you’re in, you’ll realize that this field is indeed a rewarding and fulfilling one, especially if it’s in your nature to care for other people’s health and well-being. Take advantage of the many trainings and certifications available to further your career. With them, you may have a shot at a promotion or be transferred to another field that you find more exciting and challenging.

After completing any of these trainings and certifications, you can always look for ways to advance on the career ladder. You can take a bachelor’s degree in any medical profession you want. You could be a registered nurse or study medicine and be a physician. The background and experience you already have are considered an asset that can take you places.