For all the different areas of medical science, there are even more types of health care professionals. In the field of cardiology for example, there are specialized doctors, nurses, technicians and surgeons. Health care workers collectively make up a team that aims to improve and maintain human health. Heath care professionals are people who have completed a specific educational curriculum, who are licensed in their area of expertise and whose occupation concerns human heath. The most common heath care professionals include doctors, nurses, physical therapists, dentists, chiropractors and mental health professionals.
Doctors are probably the type of health care professionals with the biggest variation in their specializations. There are physicians who practice general medicine, cardiologists, podiatrists, pediatricians, oncologists and many more. Dentists, including orthodontists and pediatric dentists, as well as chiropractors, fall under this profession. Doctors are concerned with diagnosing, treating and preventing diseases and disorders of every kind, which requires almost as many disciplines as there are diseases.
Similar to doctors, nurses are licensed medical professionals who undergo intensive training. Registered Nurses (RN), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) and Certified Nurses' Aides (CNA) are all required by law to be licensed, but they differ in the extent of services that their licenses allow them to perform. Nurses specialize in different areas of health care, such as maternity, surgery and trauma.
Mental health care professionals also represent a large group of different professions. A mental health professional can be a psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker or behavioral therapist. Again, these heath care professionals are all required by law to be licensed, but their licenses vary depending on the level of their education and training.
When choosing a medical professional, it is extremely important to make sure that the person is licensed as required by law. After all, anyone can say they are a doctor, nurse or dentist. Secondly, make sure their license is current and has not been revoked for any reason. You can usually find this information by doing an Internet search. Information about professionals who have received disciplinary action or have had their licenses revoked is available to the public. Friends and family are great resources for recommendations when trying to find qualified health care professionals.
