Medical Assistant Programs In Bakersfield Ca

What Is A Certified Medical Assistant?

Doctors do not perform all the basic tasks related to the medical, administrative and surgical procedures, due to the constraints of time and other obligations. Thus for most, medical and administrative tasks they use the support of a medical assistant. A Medical assistant is a professional who performs routine tasks that are necessary for the proper functioning of health care offices. This includes patient care like measuring a patient’s vital signs, maintaining health records and up keep of various medical instruments. The work can be broadly divided into three categories:

General medical assisting: This includes effectively communicating with the patient and being well versed with various medical terminologies.

Administrative medical assisting: Administrative assisting can involve work in the health insurance sector or with financial bookkeeping required for a public or private hospital.

Clinical medical assisting: This usually involves intensive training and is very important in complementing the work of a health care department. It includes sterilization, maintenance of medical instruments, measuring a patient’s vital signs, and being able to obtain samples for various pathological procedures like blood test.

Steps Necessary To Become A Certified Medical Assistant In Kern County

MA's are required to complete one of the Medical Assistant programs in Bakersfield Ca that takes a year to complete or they may even complete an associate degree medical assistant courses that takes two years. Formal medical assistant training is highly recommended and most accredited programs do offer internships and training. The internship may be within a hospital setting or a general physician’s office. There isn’t any medical assistance licensing requirement, however certain states require them to pass a certain test before they can perform certain procedures like X-ray testing.

Medical Assistant Training Schools In Kern County

Qualification includes only a high school diploma. But a formal education through medical assistant schools or sometimes medical assistant classes is preferred. There are various medical assistant training programs that are offered by vocational schools, community colleges and universities. These programs are usually a yearlong for a certificate course, while associate degree programs may extend up to two years. Accreditation Bureau of Health Education Schools and Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs are the two recognized agencies that provide accreditation to medical assistance programs in the country. It is advised to check for accreditation through either of these agencies before applying for any diploma or degree programs. After competing either of the programs assistants can take certificate exam for CMA. CMAs are usually preferred by employers over other applying assistants.

Job Opportunities For Certified Medical Assistants

Employment opportunities for Medical Assistants in Kern County are expected to grow at a rapid rate due to the growth of healthcare sector and due to an aging population. Outpatient settings have also grown in number in the past few years, and this trend is expected to continue. Since, medical assistants work mostly in these setting the job prospects are expected to get better as time passes. In such a scenario medical assistants with a good education, training background and certification can expect good medical assistant jobs offers coming their way. A Medical Assistant salary lies in the range of $29,000 to $37,000 annually.

Hours Worked As A Back Office MA Now Count Towards Physician Assistant Clinical Hours Worked

Some Physician Assistant Programs require a minimum of 3000 hours of clinical work. In past years, this was typically restricted to nursing and hands-on hospital clinical care. The Stanford Physician Assistant Program, which has a Kern County satellite program in Bakersfield, now counts hours worked as a back office medical assistant towards their 3000 hour minimum clinical hours prerequisite.

What Is A Nurse Practitioner?

Advanced Practice Nursing

A nurse practitioner is, in essence, an advanced registered nurse. An NP has completed all of the necessary education and training to become a registered nurse, but has gone on to achieve an advanced degree and completed a residency, much like a physician does, in the field of his or her choice. While the education process is more involved and requires a greater time commitment, choosing this path has a variety of advantages to you as the medical professional and to your prospective patients.

Greater Job Opportunities

The job outlook for advanced practice nurses is very bright. There is a continuing demand for nurses, and as this is not likely to change in the foreseeable future. As the medical field continues to change and grow, the role of nurse practitioners has become a very important one. Because of their advanced education, nurse practitioners can take on many of the duties and responsibilities which were once limited only to physicians. This means that as an NP, you can enjoy a fulfilling career in a hospital or doctor’s office with more responsibilities and a greater degree of autonomy than you will have experienced as an RN. Most hospitals and clinics, as well as many ambulatory units and physician’s offices are adding nurse practitioners to their staffs and relying more and more heavily on them, creating even more job security in the field.

Choose Your Specialty

As a licensed nurse practitioner in the field of your choice, you can drive your career in the direction that best suits you. Neonatal nurse practitioners specialize in the care and treatment of newborns, while family nurse practitioners focus on diagnosis, wellness, and disease prevention from the arena of family practice. Other Nurse Practitioner specialties range from child and adult acute care to oncology and anesthesiology, and everything in between. When you choose your nursing program, whether you are starting from the beginning or returning to school as a registered nurse, you will have the opportunity to make decisions about the focus of your training.

Boost Your Income

The average salary for an experienced registered nurse is around $68,000 per year, nationally. Nurse practitioners, depending on specialty average $89,000, up to $100,000 per year or more. Your long term employment will more than pay for the schooling required to make the jump from one to the other. Why the disparity between salaries? The higher level of education achieved by the nurse practitioner allows him or her to treat patients independently in many cases. This means that he or she has the ability to see patients, make diagnoses, and provide treatment without the direct oversight of the physician. This ability to see and care for patients in the place of a physician at certain times greatly amplifies the value in the work place.

Choose Your Venue

The use of nurse practitioners has become commonplace in a variety of different environments, so you can choose the career that you find most rewarding. You will find nurse practitioners in almost every department of most large and small hospitals. Public health clinics make use of nurse practitioners as a money saving alternative to bringing on more doctors. Physician’s offices hire nurse practitioners to handle the overflow of patients that often prevent physicians from keeping track of their appointments in a timely manner. For example, an emergency appointment in a pediatrician office for an ear infection or a fever can be handled by the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, rather than a Pediatrician.

The Advantages To The Facility

It is an advantageous move for a hospital or clinic to offer employment to nurse practitioners to supplement their staff of physicians. Much of the care provided by a nurse practitioner can be done at a lower cost because the hourly cost of physicians is far higher than that of a nurse practitioner. A strategic mix of physicians and NP’s adds up to a wise and frugal way to offer excellent care to the patients of the facility.

Additionally, public health clinics, which often see more cases of influenza, strep throat, and the like than anything else can function far more economically without sacrificing a high level of care to their patients by employing nurse practitioners. A family nurse practitioner can provide much of the necessary diagnosis and treatment care that a physician can, at a lower cost.

The Advantages To The Patient

If they are not properly educated, patients may feel unsure about their feelings toward nurse practitioners, simply because they are not doctors. However, a nurse practitioner is well trained and is able to administer excellent care, and when a doctor’s office or hospital floor is staffed with an NP or two, the patient can count on prompt, timely care because they do not have to wait for a physician to become available. The practice of using nurse practitioners can also bring down the total cost of a hospital stay or procedure.

Online LVN Schools In California

The BVNPT's Stance on Online LVN Schools In California

California's Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians (BVNPT) recently put out ANOTHER disclaimer on unapproved LVN programs. There's still tons of fly-by-night programs claiming to be accredited LVN programs. BVNPT has been dealing with this issue for many years, but they still have people attempting to sit for the NCLEX after finishing one of these programs. These programs claim proper accreditation, but accredited by who? It simply comes down to: if you pay for and complete an "online" course, it WILL NOT be accepted by BVNPT. Every once in a while I have someone coming through my Bakersfield shop talking about their plans to take one of these Online LVN Schools In California.

The latest cutsie little trick is to take one of these online courses that a State other than California will accept. So, for instance, a student will take either an online or "blended" LVN program in South Dakota, and get licensed in that State. Then, the person attempts to "challenge" the Boards in California. This is one of the pathways pitched to unsuspecting students by these "Online" schools. BVNPT has already caught onto this trick, and even if another State took the "Online" degree, California STILL won't accept it. So, with the average tuition for these online LVN programs running close to 30K, trying to get around BVNPT's firm stance on "Online" programs will leave you 30K lighter. You may have a degree suitable for framing, but you won't be getting licensed. Slowly but surely, the workarounds out there are being shut down by California's LVN Board.

The easiest way of dealing with this problem is to simply go to the Board's website HERE, and you'll find a list of the approved LVN programs in California. As more & more California Community Colleges tighten their LVN to RN Bridge program requirements, and the LVN scope of practice is narrowed, the value of an LVN license in California is already decreasing dramatically. These online scams are just adding fuel to the fire.

EMT Training In Bakersfield Ca

The Bakersfield College EMT program is a 7.5 unit course.

Every State requires all (volunteer, professional) Emergency Medical Technicians to be certified. Some States & Counties give their own certification tests in order to make sure their EMS personnel are well-prepared. Some states require a registration with the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT). In order to be able to do your job as an EMT, you need to stay current with recertification every two years, in addition to CEU's. Schools and employers who offer EMT training in Bakersfield Ca must receive approval from the County of Kern Emergency Medical Services Department. Some standards are clearly set forth, such as the length of any EMT program. Kern EMS mandates training of no less than 152 hours, 24 of which must be clinical hours in a hospital or pre-hospital setting. The EMT training programs are specialized in injury assessment and in treating heart attacks, respiratory distress, broken bones, severe bleeding, acute complications of diabetes, and other medical emergencies. In addition to the coursework, the students practice what they've learned, either in a hospital, or in a pre-hospital setting. The equipment in the training sessions usually includes backboards, stretchers, braces, oxygen tanks and splints. In order for students to successfully complete an EMT certification program, they have to pass both a written and a practical exam, which has to be supervised by NREMT. If a student wants to promote and to receive additional EMT training, he/she needs to take the first step of completing the EMT-Basic certification first.

EMT-Intermediate

For EMT-Intermediate, there two options available: EMT-Cardiac and Shock Trauma. The first part of the training program consists of learning how to administer several medicines. In the next part, they learn how to administer cardiac medication and how to analyze cardiac arrhythmias. In the EMT-Intermediate training program, students usually receive 50 hours or so of extra training. The EMT-Intermediate training is not recognized in all States. In California, for example, EMT-Intermediate is no longer recognized. Over the past decade or so, the trend seems to be moving away from Intermediate training. In Kern County, the Bakersfield College EMT program remains the most popular program. At 7.5 units, the program provides a good introduction to EMS, and employment opportunities for new EMT's remains strong. Bakersfield Memorial and Hall's Ambulance are a couple of the larger employers of new EMT's in Kern County.

Phlebotomy Training In Bakersfield Ca

Kern County Phlebotomy Training Opportunities

Phlebotomists in Kern County complete either on-the-job training, cross-train from another health care profession that require blood drawing skills, or formal phlebotomy training in Bakersfield Ca. However, new regulations in the State of California were adopted and signed into law stating that all prospective phlebotomists must:

• Either possess a GED or High School Diploma
• Complete 40 hours of didactic instruction
• Log 40 hours of clinical work
• Successfully perform 10 skin punctures and 50 venipunctures 

Work Environment

Typical work environments for phlebotomists include home health services, individual patient's homes, public health clinics, pharmaceutical companies, blood banks, for-profit laboratories, research institutions, physician's offices, hospitals, prisons, and assisted living facilities. Phlebotomists routinely work with nurses and physicians, lab technicians, and ancillary staff members. They deal with doctors and nurses, laboratory technicians, and support workers in various locations. Needless to say, on their rounds they will deal with both sick and healthy patients, from newborns to senior citizens.

Work Hours

Phlebotomists usually work regular office hours (Mo-Fr 8 AM to 5 PM). Sometimes they may have to work on weekends. Phlebotomists need to have an up-to-date First Aid Certificate, and they need to have a driver's licence if they are required to travel to collect samples.

Salary

According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, research indicates that salaries reports that earnings are wildly varied, and levels of pay are mainly governed by qualifications and experience. Once established, competent phlebotomists who have maintained a stellar reputation are able to stay at the top of the pay scale. Currently the average salary is $32,000 - $46,000 for phlebotomists.

Educational Requirements

Students with an interest in attending a vocational program specializing in phlebotomy certification typically will need to have their GED, H.S. Diploma, or the equivalent. Although many phlebotomists are trained on the job or transition over from other health careers, in Kern County, there are 5 approved programs at technical/vocational schools that can be completed in less than one year.

Bakersfield Community College offers a One Semester phlebotomy certification program.

Skills Refinement

As with so many jobs learning does not end upon graduation. Since this is a hands-on profession, skills that were taught in the classroom are refined on the job. As the number of blood draws increases, the more confidence is gained, and the better the blood drawing techniques become.

Professional Continuing Education

In addition to taking continuing education courses through web sites or professional magazines phlebotomists can attend professional continuing education courses and participate in workshops often offered at local hospitals to keep their knowledge up to date and maintain their credentials.

10 Tips From A Student Nutritionist In California

Keeping close to nature in the foods we choose allows us to maximize our health potential; we feel better, and live longer with less risk if a chronic disease.  Eating pure and whole foods will strengthen the entire body.  Make the following changes slowly, to ensure that they are incorporated as part of a permanent lifestyle change. For students researching how to become a nutritionist in California, the following 10 guidelines are becoming increasingly acceptable by mainstream Acend Registered Dietitians:

1.  Eat more plant based proteins: soy milk, tofu, dried beans and legumes (chick peas, black eyes peas, kidney beans, split pea), nuts & seeds and their butters, sprouted breads and bagels, quiona, splet, wheat berries, millet and other high protein grains, soy protein powder. When you do eat meat, choose lean cuts of meat and boil, bake, roast or steam.
2. Eliminate hydrogenated and trans fats from your diet. Check all labels carefully as they are in many packaged, frozen and prepared foods. Instead of margarine use organic butter or ghee (clarified butter, a very clean version of butter). Make your own salad dressings with olive oil. Cook with canola or macadamia nut oil. Sprinkle flax seeds in soups hot cereal. Foods with good fats in them include: avocado, nuts & seeds, tuna, salmon cod, sardines and trout.
3. Drink plenty of clean water; either bottled or filtered. Follow manufacture's directions for changing filters, dirty filters give dirty water. Read more about clean water.
4. Buy organic produce and try to eat 5-10 servings per day. When cooking vegetables lightly steam or stir fry with canola oil. Invest in a juicer and juice fruits and vegetables for a nutrient dense snack. Limit fruit intake (1-3 servings/day) and focus on vegetables. If you feel like your diet is lacking in fruits and vegetables take a supplement rich in carotenoids, or a xanthone rich juice.
5. When you eat diary, meat, or poultry, buy organic, hormone free, no antibiotics.
6. Reduce the intake of sugar in your diet. Try using the following to replace sugar while cooking- honey, raw sugar, pure maple syrup, pureed apple juice concentrate, barley malt syrup, pureed fruits. Read labels and note hidden sugars: sucrose, glucose, maltose, lactose, fructose, and corn syrup. Experiment with stevia in your cooking. Stevia is a herbal, no calorie natural sweetener and flavor enhancer.
7. Ensure adequate fiber intake everyday by eating high fiber foods: whole grains, fresh produce, brown rice, oatmeal,  beans and legumes. Take a fiber supplement if necessary. Add fiber slowly to the diet. Ensure adequate water intake to prevent constipation. Take fiber supplements separate from other supplements as it will interfere with other supplements.
8. Ensure adequate calcium intake through foods or a calcium supplement. High calcium foods are spinach, kale, collards, seaweeds, low fat and hormone free diary products, soy milk. Take a calcium and magnesium supplement; they work together synergistically. Vitamin D is needed to metabolize calcium. Ensure Vitamin D intake, through supplementation, exposure to sunlight, Vitamin D fortified milks and cereals, and salmon.
9. Processed and packaged foods contain many additives, artificial coloring and flavors, and preservatives such as nitrates and MSG. Avoid these foods as much as possible.
10. Take a food based multi-vitamin/mineral complex everyday. Men, children and post-menopausal women should take a multi-vitamin/mineral complex without iron. Women of childbearing age should take a multivitamin/mineral complex with iron.